A process named identity_helper.exe should be identified from the actual file, not its name alone. The name has been linked to Edge‘s web-app features. But an old description or familiar filename doesn’t prove where the copy running on your PC came from.
Inspect the running file
- Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
- Find the process in the available process/details view.
- Use Open file location where offered.
- Check the file’s Properties for description, publisher and digital-signature information.
- Compare it with the parent application and installation you actually use.
Do not expect a folder ending in an old Edge version such as 90.0.818.56. Versioned application directories change. A different path needs investigation, rather than an automatic malware verdict.
Look at several signals together
| Signal | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Filename | A label; it can be reused by unrelated software. |
| Location | Which installation or directory supplies the file. |
| Signature/publisher | Can help show where the file came from, but check the signature first. |
| High CPU or memory | A performance symptom, not proof of infection. |
| Parent application and timing | What activity may have started the process. |
Microsoft‘s Process Explorer offers a deeper process and file-inspection view. Get diagnostic tools from the developer’s own site.
What if Task Manager calls it PWA Identity Proxy Host?
If that description appears beside identity_helper.exe, inspect the executable behind the entry using the same file-location and signature checks above. A descriptive label doesn’t prove who made the file or that high CPU or memory use means malware. Compare its activity with Edge and any web apps you actually have open before changing anything.
If it consumes resources
Check whether the activity follows opening Edge or an installed web app. Save your work, close the relevant app normally and compare. Update or repair the identified parent application through its supported route if the issue repeats.
Don’t delete the program file or turn off processes used for sign-in just to reduce the number in Task Manager. Ending a helper process can stop its main app working without fixing the cause of the problem.
If the origin is uncertain
Run a current Windows Security scan and investigate the exact file and signature. Keep the path and error details for support. An antivirus result can inform the investigation, but neither a familiar directory nor a clean filename guarantees safety.
Reviewed October 12, 2026, using the sources linked above.