What Is ctfmon.exe process [How To]

It is very likely that you’ve already removed the ctfmon.exe process from Windows startup using a dedicated tool like TuneUp Utilities but what happens when you find it again in the processes list from Task Manager. In this article we will teach you what is ctfmon.exe process and how to enable or disable it in Windows.

The ctfmon.exe process is in charge of controling the Alternative User Input and the Office Language bar from Microsoft Windows. With the help of this Microsoft process you are able to use your voice or a any other touch input device to control the computer. Ctfmon.exe process lets you use the on screen keyboard for foreign languages, like asian.

You should first do an assessment of your current configuration and choose the best solution to disable the ctfmon.exe process, from the ones that we are going to explain below.

How to disable ctfmon.exe process in Microsoft Office 2003?

You can opt for disabling the ctfmon.exe right from the Microsoft Office 2003 installer, by not selecting to install the Alternative User Input feature. Unfortunately we do not know if Microsoft Office 2007 or 2010 come with a similar selectable option right within the setup but there is an alternative method to disable the ctfmon.exe process.

First of all, you should open the Control Panel and then open the Add and Remove programs, for Windows XP or Unistall a Program for Windows Vista and 7. Then you should try to locate the Microsoft Office entry and click on the change button, to configure your installation, making sure to tick the box that says ‘Choose advanced customization’ before proceeding.

Once the new window opens you should find the ‘Alternative User Input’ entry and from the dropdown menu select the option that says Not Available.

How to disable ctfmon.exe process in Windows XP?

We’ve described one way of disabling ctfmon.exe for Windows but at always there is another approach of the issue. This method has proved to be the best solution to disable ctfmon.exe for users of Windows XP.

In order to disable the process, please go to the Control Panel and open the Regional and language options. From there on, go to the Languages tab and select to display the details. Here you should see an Advanced tab which you must select. By selecting the ‘Turn off advanced text services’ option you will disable ctfmon.exe process. Even though you’ve selected this option, you still need to make sure that in the Settings tab you will not have any additional entries other than the English US keyboard.

How to disable ctfmon.exe process in Windows Vista and 7?

You will not be able to disable ctfmon.exe process in Windows Vista and 7 like doing the steps that we detailed for Windows XP. Unfortunately, there settings are not that similar so you need to use an alternative method.

As usually, you first have to go to the Control Panel and select the Regional and language options. Here you should click on the button that says ‘Change keyboards or other input methods’. In the window that opens you should select the Keyboards and Languages tab and click on the change keyboards button.

By now you should see a window that is similar to the one for Windows XP. In order to disable ctfmon.exe you will have to delete any other entry that you have in the list, keeping only the English US keyboard.

How to remove ctfmon.exe process from Windows Startup?

This step should be done only if the above have been completed because ctfmon.exe process will run again once you boot up your computer. To start removing ctfmon.exe process you should click on the start menu and type in msconfig.exe to open the Windows boot settings. Once the editor opens, go to the Startup tab and find the ctfmon.exe process.

In order to stop it from starting when you boot Windows, you should uncheck the box next to its name. Please make sure that you’ve disabled ctfmon.exe process by using the step for Windows XP, Vista or 7. It is really important to do this step after that one is completed.

How to disable ctfmon.exe process if the above methods do not work?

If you would like to disable ctfmon.exe process and remove it completely than you should make sure that you unregister the bellow .dll files, using the commands that we provide. These files will run the alternative input services so it is the only way to stop ctfmon.exe process from running at startup.
-          regsvr32.exe /u msimtf.dll
-          regsvr32.exe /u msctf.dll

This step must be performed only if the Alternative User Input has been previously done.

All it is left to do is restart your computer to check if the ctfmon.exe process has been disabled and removed from your computer.

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