What Is UNCServer.exe and Should You Remove It from Windows?

So you’re checking your Windows Task Manager and you spot something weird — UNCServer.exe. You probably asked yourself, “What is this mysterious thing? Is it a virus? Should I delete it right now?” Great questions! Let’s break it down into simple terms and have a little fun while we’re at it.

What Is UNCServer.exe?

UNCServer.exe is a background process that comes with some Lenovo software. It stands for Universal Communications Server. Sounds super high-tech, right?

Basically, it works together with Lenovo’s diagnostic and support tools. If you’ve got a Lenovo laptop or desktop, chances are you’ve seen it around. It helps Lenovo’s apps gather info about your system when you run hardware scans or updates.

It usually hangs out quietly in the background and doesn’t affect your system’s performance much. Think of it as a behind-the-scenes assistant – not flashy, just doing its job.

Is It Safe?

Short answer? Yes, UNCServer.exe is safe — if it’s coming from Lenovo.

But here’s the catch. Hackers are sneaky. Sometimes they name malware after legit processes so you don’t notice. So you should always double-check where it lives on your system.

Here’s how to check if it’s safe:

Right-click on UNCServer.exe in your Task Manager.
Select Open file location.
If it’s in a folder like C:\Program Files (x86)\Lenovo, you’re good.
If it’s hiding somewhere else, that’s suspicious!

If it’s in a weird location or shows odd behavior like high CPU usage, you might want to scan it with your antivirus.

Do You Need UNCServer.exe?

This one depends on how you use your Lenovo machine. If you regularly use Lenovo’s built-in tools for system diagnostics or support, you might want to keep it.

But if you don’t even remember touching these tools — and you never saw UNCServer.exe before today — then you probably don’t need it running all the time.

Can You Remove It?

Yes, but do it the smart way.

You shouldn’t just delete the file. That can cause unstable behavior with Lenovo software. Instead, follow these steps:

Open Control Panel
Go to Programs and Features
Look for Lenovo tools like Lenovo Solution Center or Lenovo System Update
Uninstall the ones you don’t use

UNCServer.exe is usually a helper for these programs. So removing the base app gets rid of it too.

Can You Just Disable It?

Absolutely! If you’re not ready to uninstall anything, you can stop UNCServer.exe from running at startup.

Here’s how:

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager
Click the Startup tab
Find anything related to Lenovo support or diagnostics
Right-click and choose Disable

This way, UNCServer.exe won’t auto-launch when you boot your PC. You can always launch it manually later if needed.

What If You Don’t Have a Lenovo PC?

Now, this is where it gets really fishy. If you’re not using a Lenovo machine but somehow UNCServer.exe popped up — yikes. That could be malware in disguise.

In that case: