What Does MOM.exe Do?
MOM.exe launches along with CCC.exe, which is the Catalyst Control Center host application, and MOM.exe is responsible for monitoring the operation of any AMD video card that’s installed in the host application. Like CCC.exe, and other associated executables such as atiedxx and atiesrxx, MOM.exe usually runs in the background. That means, under normal circumstances, you’ll never see or have to worry about it. In fact, you may never have to worry about Catalyst Control Center at all unless you play games on your computer, use multiple monitors, or need to access more advanced settings.
How Did This Get on My Computer?
In most cases, MOM.exe is installed at the same time AMD’s Catalyst Control Center is installed. If your computer came with an AMD or ATI video card, then it probably also came pre-installed with Catalyst Control Center, CCC.exe, MOM.exe, and other associated files. When you upgrade your video card, and your new card is an AMD, Catalyst Control Center will often be installed at that time as well. While it is possible to install only the video card driver, installing the driver with the Catalyst Control Center is more common. When that happens, MOM.exe is also installed.
Can MOM.exe Ever Be a Virus?
MOM.exe is a legitimate program that’s integral to the operation of AMD’s Catalyst Control Center; however, that doesn’t mean it belongs on your computer. For instance, if you have an Nvidia video card, there’s no legitimate reason for MOM.exe to run in the background. It’s probably left over from before you upgraded your AMD video card to an Nvidia card, or it could be malware. One common tactic used by malware is to disguise a harmful program with the name of a useful program. And since MOM.exe is found on many computers, it isn’t unheard of for malware to use this name. While running a good anti-malware program will usually pick up this type of problem, you can also check to see where on your computer MOM.exe is installed. If it’s part of Catalyst Control Center, it should be located in a folder similar to one of these:
C:\Program Files (x86)\ATI Technologies\C:\Program Files (x86)\AMD\
Find MOM.exe in the Task Manager
You can also use the Task Manager to find the location of MOM.exe on your Windows OS computer: If you find MOM.exe installed somewhere else, such as C:\Mom, or in the Windows directory, you should run an updated malware or virus scanner immediately.
What to Do About MOM.exe Errors
When MOM.exe is working properly, you won’t know it’s there. But if it ever stops working, you’ll usually notice a stream of pop-up error messages. You may see an error message that MOM.exe could not start or that it had to shut down. There are three things you should do when you get a MOM.exe error:
Make sure your video card driver is up to date. Download and install the latest version of Catalyst Control Center from AMD.com. Download and install the latest version of the .NET Framework from Microsoft.
