Blog · October 30, 2026

How to Tell if an AI Agent Is Running on Your Windows PC

To tell if an AI agent is running on your Windows PC, open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) and look for AI assistant or agent apps under Processes, then check Startup apps, Settings > Apps > Installed apps, your browser’s extensions page, and Settings > Privacy & security. On Windows 11, also check Settings > System > AI components to see whether Windows’ own experimental agentic features are on. Together, these checks show what is running now, what starts on its own, and what has permission to use your files, camera and microphone.

What counts as an “AI agent”?

A chatbot answers questions. An AI agent goes further: it can take actions for you, such as opening apps, clicking through websites, reading and editing files, or running commands. On a Windows PC, agents usually show up in one of four forms:

Desktop apps you install, such as AI assistants and AI coding tools.
Browser extensions that can read and act on the pages you visit.
Background helpers that start with Windows and keep running after you close the main window.
Windows’ own agentic features, such as the agent workspace used by Copilot Actions, which Microsoft is rolling out as an experimental setting.

Most of these run with your own user permissions, so they can reach whatever your account can reach. That’s why it’s worth knowing what is on your PC. The steps below use only tools built into Windows and your browser.

Step 1: Check Task Manager for running AI apps

Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc, or right-click Start and select Task Manager.
Open the Processes page. Look under Apps and Background processes for AI assistants, agent tools or names you don’t recognize.
Sort by CPU or Network. An agent that is actively working often uses steady CPU or network while you’re not touching it.

If a process belongs to an AI tool you didn’t mean to run, select it and choose End task. Be careful with entries you don’t recognize: many are part of Windows, so look them up before you end them.

Step 2: Check which apps start with Windows

Agents that start at sign-in can be running before you open anything. Microsoft gives you two places to check the same list:

Settings > Apps > Startup: turn the toggle off for any app you don’t want to start automatically.
Task Manager > Startup apps: select an app and choose Disable. Task Manager also shows each app’s startup impact.

Some apps don’t register a startup task and use the Startup folder instead. Press Windows key + R, type shell:startup and press Enter to see shortcuts that launch when you sign in. Delete a shortcut there to stop that app from starting on its own.

Step 3: Review your installed apps

Go to Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
Scroll the list, or search it, for AI assistants, agent tools, “copilot”-style helpers and developer tools you don’t remember installing.
To remove one, select More (…) > Uninstall.

Some programs can’t be removed from Settings. For those, use Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features. A few apps are built into Windows and can’t be uninstalled at all.

Step 4: Check your browser extensions

Many AI agents live in the browser. An extension with permission to read and change the sites you visit can see what you type and act on pages for you.

Microsoft Edge: type edge://extensions in the address bar.
Google Chrome: type chrome://extensions in the address bar.

Turn off or remove AI extensions you didn’t install, no longer use or don’t trust. Check each browser you use, and each browser profile.

Step 5: Review Privacy & security permissions

Go to Start > Settings > Privacy & security and look under App permissions.

Camera and Microphone: you can turn access off for individual Microsoft Store apps. Desktop apps can’t be toggled one by one, but the Let desktop apps access your camera (or microphone) section lists the desktop apps Windows has detected using them, and the toggle covers all of them.
Text and image generation (newer Windows 11 builds): shows which third-party apps recently used the generative AI models built into Windows, and lets you choose which apps may use them.

Windows also tells you when the camera or microphone is in use: a camera light or notification appears when the camera turns on, and a microphone icon appears in the taskbar’s notification area while an app is using the microphone.

Step 6: Check Windows’ own agentic features

Windows 11 has an Experimental agentic features setting that lets agents such as Copilot Actions work in a separate agent account and agent workspace. Microsoft ships it off by default, and only an administrator can turn it on.

Open Settings (Windows key + I).
Go to System > AI components.
Check the Experimental agentic features toggle.

If you don’t see the setting, your Windows build may not include it yet. For the full walkthrough, see Windows 11 Agentic AI: What It Is and How to Turn It Off.

Signs an AI agent may be active right now

Your mouse pointer, windows or browser tabs move or change when you aren’t using them.
Files appear, change or get renamed without you doing it.
CPU or network use stays high while the PC is idle.
The microphone icon or camera light turns on unexpectedly.
A browser opens pages or fills in forms by itself.

None of these proves an AI agent is at work. Updates, sync tools, remote-support software and unwanted programs can cause the same signs. If something looks wrong and you can’t explain it, run a scan in Windows Security and talk to whoever manages your PC.

The limits of checking by hand

These checks are worth doing, but each one is a snapshot. Task Manager shows what is running at the moment you look. Startup lists don’t show apps you open yourself. Extension pages don’t tell you when an extension is acting. And none of them shows you, in one place, what a recognized AI agent has been doing while you were in a meeting or away from your desk.

How PERCARIS helps

PERCARIS surfaces recognized AI-agent activity on your Windows computer and gives you a Stop control for agents you did not authorize. Instead of checking Task Manager and Settings by hand, you can see recognized agent activity in one place and decide what keeps running.

PERCARIS recognizes known AI tools. It won’t flag every AI agent.

See how PERCARIS works. PERCARIS plans cover one PC, up to 5 PCs or up to 25 PCs; see the pricing page. For 26 or more PCs, email support@percaris.com.

FAQ

How can I tell if an AI agent is running on my computer?

Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) and check Processes for AI apps, then review Startup apps, Settings > Apps > Installed apps, your browser extensions and Settings > Privacy & security. On Windows 11, also check Settings > System > AI components.

Can an AI agent run in the background after I close it?

Yes, some apps keep background processes running or start automatically when you sign in. Check Background processes in Task Manager and the Startup list in Settings > Apps > Startup.

Are Windows 11 agentic features on by default?

No. Microsoft says the Experimental agentic features setting is off by default, and only an administrator can turn it on.

Will PERCARIS flag every AI agent?

No. PERCARIS recognizes known AI tools. It won’t flag every AI agent.

Sources

Menu paths can change between Windows builds. Checked against Microsoft documentation on October 30, 2026.

— The PERCARIS Team