Charmap.exe: What Is It and How to Use It?

Many processes come bundled with your Windows OS, and it is essential to learn about these files. We discussed some of these processes in a previous article, like BitLockerDeviceEncryption.exe and BioIso.exe.

However, in this guide, we will talk about another critical process known as charmap.exe. We will walk you through everything you need to know concerning this file.

What is charmap.exe?

Charmap.exe. also known as Character Map is a critical system file bundled with your Windows PC by default. It provides a way to view and add special characters to your documents. Some of its basic functions include:

• Helps to copy and paste characters to the clipboard.
• Helps you find and insert certain characters to your documents.
• It also provides a view of the characters in the currently installed fonts.

Where is Charmap EXE located?

The location for the charmap.exe file is in the C:\Windows\System32\charmap.exe folder. If you observe that the file is stored in a strange location, you should be careful as this could be a malware program.

How do I use charmap.exe on Windows?

1. Character Map

1. Hold the Windows + R keys simultaneously, type charmap in the text field, and hit Enter.
   
2. Next, click the drop-down menu to display more font styles and select the required one.
   
3. Select the character you want to insert, then hit the Copy button.
   
4. Lastly, paste the copied character to your document.

2. Make use of Unicode

1. Hold the Windows + R keys simultaneously, type charmap in the text field, and hit Enter.
   
2. Next, click the drop-down menu to display more font styles and select the required one.
   
3. Now, select the required special character. Doing this will display the character’s Unicode at the bottom right corner.
   
4. Navigate to the document where you want to paste the character and click the insertion point.
5. Hold the Alt key and input the Unicode for the special character.

Is charmap.exe a virus?

According to our research, charmap.exe is a legitimate Windows process in your system folder. However, if you suspect that a malware program is disguised as this file, you should immediately run a malware scan.

And with this, we have come to the end of this guide. We hope that the information in this article was helpful to you. If you have further questions or concerns, contact us via the comments section below.