Windows Widgets Using Too Much Memory? Is It Safe? The Short Answers.

Why are Windows Widgets using so much memory?

Because on most PCs the board is a web page. The Web Experience Pack ships two Widgets boards, and a Microsoft feature flag decides which one your PC starts. The web one runs inside Microsoft Edge WebView2, which brings a small browser's worth of processes with it:

Measured on Windows 11 25H2 with the same widgets on both boards, October 2026. The web board's nine processes are Widgets.exe, six msedgewebview2.exe processes, Crashpad and a Runtime Broker. Three ways to cut it, from least to most drastic:

1. Switch to the native board. Same widgets, about a third of the memory. How to check which board you have and switch.
2. Hide the news feed. Gear icon on the board → Show or hide feeds. Fewer web cards to render and refresh.
3. Turn Widgets off. See below.

What is Crashpad under Windows Widgets?

Crashpad is the crash reporter that Chromium, and therefore Microsoft Edge WebView2, starts next to its other processes. If the web board's renderer crashes, Crashpad writes the crash report. The rest of the time it just waits. In Task Manager it's listed inside the Widgets group, next to the WebView2 processes.

It's normal and it's Microsoft's. You'll only see it with the WebView2 board: the native board doesn't use WebView2, so it has no Crashpad at all. Killing it doesn't fix anything, because the board starts it again the next time it opens.

Is Widgets.exe safe?

Yes, if it runs from the Web Experience Pack's folder. Check the path in PowerShell:

Get-Process Widgets, WidgetBoard, WidgetService -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Select-Object Name, Path

The version part of the folder name changes with every Store update; that's expected. A Widgets.exe in AppData, Temp or your Downloads folder isn't the Windows one: scan it with Microsoft Defender. WidgetService.exe belongs to a separate package, Widgets Platform Runtime, the service every widget app talks to.

Is Widget Launcher safe?

Widget Launcher isn't part of Windows. It's a third-party Microsoft Store app, the successor to "Widgets HD", that pins clocks, weather, notes, a calculator and CPU/RAM meters directly onto the desktop. It has nothing to do with the Widgets board you open with Win + W.

• Installed from the Microsoft Store? Store apps are signed and run in a package sandbox, so it's as safe as any Store app. Check the publisher on the listing before you install.
• Similar names exist. The Store also has a separate "Desktop Widget Launcher" listing from a different developer. Make sure you're installing the one you meant to.
• Downloaded from a mirror site? Uninstall it and get the Store version, or skip it.
• Never installed it? Check Settings → Apps → Installed apps and remove it. Windows doesn't install it for you.

If what you actually want is system stats on the Windows Widgets board itself, Witals adds CPU, GPU, RAM and network widgets there, with no extra desktop app running.

What is the Windows Web Experience Pack?

It's the Microsoft Store package (MicrosoftWindows.Client.WebExperience) that delivers the Widgets board. Microsoft ships it through the Store so the board can update without waiting for a Windows release, which is why it shows up in your Store update list. It contains both boards, native and WebView2.

It's safe, and you shouldn't remove it to get rid of Widgets. Uninstalling it removes the board, and the Store or a feature update tends to put it back. Debloat scripts that strip it are a frequent reason Widgets stop opening later. If Widgets are broken rather than unwanted, first install pending updates for it under Microsoft Store → Library, then look for Repair or Reset under Settings → Apps → Installed apps → Windows Web Experience Pack (when your build offers them).

How to disable Windows Widgets properly

Want to keep a couple of widgets but lose the noise? Hide the feed instead, and note that since mid-2026 the board no longer opens on hover by default. More in what Windows widgets are in 2026.

Frequently asked questions