Fix shadow.exe Errors

Sometimes Windows system displays error messages regarding corrupted or missing shadow.exe files. Situations like that can occur, for example, during a software installation process. Each software program requires certain resources, libraries, and source data to work properly. Corrupted or nonexistent shadow.exe file can therefore effect in failed execution of the started process.

shadow.exe file Windows Executable. The file was developed by Microsoft for use with Windows software. Here you will find detailed information about the file and instructions how to proceed in the event of shadow.exe related errors on your device. You can also download shadow.exe file compatible with Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP devices which will (most probably) allow you to solve the problem.

Compatible with: Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP

User popularity

3.1 Scanning for malicious software
3.2 System and driver update
3.3 System File Checker tool
3.4 System recovery

4 Download shadow.exe

4.1 List of shadow.exe file versions

File info

General information
Filename	shadow.exe
File extension	EXE
Type	Executable Application
Description	Windows Executable

Software
Program	Windows 7
Software	Windows
Author	Microsoft
Software version	7

Details
File size	21504
Oldest file	2008-04-14
Latest file	2010-11-21

Most common shadow.exe file related problems

There are various types of errors related to shadow.exe file. shadow.exe file may be located in wrong file directory on your device, may not be present in the system, or may be infected with malicious software and therefore not work correctly. Below is a list of most common error messages related to shadow.exe file. If you encounter one listed below (or similar), please consider the following suggestions.

shadow.exe is corrupted
shadow.exe cannot be located
Runtime Error - shadow.exe
shadow.exe file error
shadow.exe file cannot be loaded. Module was not found
cannot register shadow.exe file:
shadow.exe file could not be loaded
shadow.exe file doesn't exist

shadow.exe

Application could not be started because shadow.exe file is missing. Reinstall the application to solve the problem.

Problems related to shadow.exe can be addressed in various ways. Some methods are meant only for advanced users. If you don't have confidence in your skills, we suggest consulting a specialist. Fixing shadow.exe file errors should be approached with utmost caution for any mistakes can result in unstable or unproperly working system. If you have the necassary skills, please proceed.

How to fix shadow.exe errors in just few steps?

Remember, before taking any action related to system files perform a backup copy of your data!

shadow.exe file errors can be caused by various factors, so its is beneficial to try to fix them using various methods.

Step 1: Scan your computer for any malicious software

Windows files are commonly attacked by malicious software that prevents them from working properly. First step in addressing problems with shadow.exe file or any other Windows system files should be scanning the system for malicious software using an antivirus tool.

If by any chance you don't have any antivirus software installed on your system yet, you should do it immediately. Unprotected system is not only a source of file errors, but, more importantly, makes your system vulnerable to many dangers. If you don't know which antivirus tool to choose, consult this Wikipedia article – comparison of antivirus software.

Step 2: Update your system and drivers.

Installing relevant Microsoft Windows patches and updates may solve your problems related to shadow.exe file. Use dedicated Windows tool to perform the update.

Go to the Windows "Start" menu
Type "Windows Update" in the search field
Choose the appropriate software program (name may vary depending on your system version)
Check if your system is up to date. If any unapplied updates are listed, install them immediately.
After the update has been done,restart your computer in order to complete the process.

Beside updating the system, it is recommended that you install latest device drivers, as drivers can influence proper working of shadow.exe or other system files. In order to do so, go to your computer or device producer's website where you will find information regarding latest driver updates.

Step 3: Use System File Checker (SFC) tool

System File Checker is a Microsoft Windows tool. As the name suggests, the tool is used for identyfing and addressing system file related errors, including those related to shadow.exe file. After an error related to%fileextension% file has been discovered, the program attempts to automatically replace the shadow.exe file with properly working version. To use the tool:

Go to the Windows "Start" menu
Type "cmd" in the search field
Locate "Command Prompt" result – don't run it yet:
Click the right mouse button and select "Run as Administrator" option
Type "sfc /scannow" in console prompt to start the program and follow the instructions

Step 4: Restoring Windows system

Another approach is to restore system to previous state, before the shadow.exe file error occured. In order to restore your system, follow the instructions below

Go to the Windows "Start" menu
Type "System Restore" in the search field
Start the system restore tool – it's name may differ depending on version of the system
The application will guide you through the process – read the messages carefully
After the process has finished, restart your computer.

If all the above-mentioned methods failed and the shadow.exe file problem has not been resolved, proceed to the next step. Remember that the following steps are intended only for advanced users.

Download and replace shadow.exe file

The last solution is to manually download and replace shadow.exe file in appropriate folder on the disk. Select file version compatible with your operating system and click the "Download" button. Next, go to your web browser's "Downloaded" folder and copy the downloaded shadow.exe file.

Go to the folder where the file should be located and paste the downloaded file. Below is the list of shadow.exe file example directory paths.

Windows 7: C:\Windows\System32\
Windows Vista: C:\Windows\System32\
Windows XP: C:\WINDOWS\system32\dllcache\

If the steps did not solve your shadow.exe file problem, you should consult a professional. A probability exists that the error(s) might be device-related and therefore should be resolved at the hardware level. A fresh operating system installation might be necessary – a faulty system installation process can result in data loss.

File versions list

Filename shadow.exe

System Windows 7

File size 21504 bytes

Date -0001-11-30

Download

File details
	MD5	c92170f5ffab62a94d5435ad5259f30a
	SHA1	ab8b2069cc46598bd1be09d7997717ef01c2fce6
	SHA256	8412c442f961a20c7dd1d1a9deafab3b00433d9f6d3d8e7bc796259775bd5f19
	CRC32	0d1f5391
	Example file location	C:\Windows\System32\

Filename shadow.exe

System Windows Vista

File size 21504 bytes

Date 2009-04-11

Download

File details
	MD5	6e0e5905cf32adadadb5e0760f274c88
	SHA1	550e1bef6bd81a76dbabb0f6cb19799f59446c5c
	SHA256	3dc137c036c70613e23587c8d9aa8c023114f0c5e32c8db05ecd395fb1e9b967
	CRC32	a392fc1a
	Example file location	C:\Windows\System32\

Filename shadow.exe

System Windows XP

File size 14848 bytes

Date 2008-04-14

Download

File details
	MD5	a72c27ce68318023981a4e034f85131c
	SHA1	2589182558a09affccf02a265b4e986bc3e79ed1
	SHA256	96161e5765af59002df6e6234e61138255afa547b60f4d7516a17a22c3b4831a
	CRC32	b0c79f5f
	Example file location	C:\WINDOWS\system32\dllcache\