What is "uimam.uwpmail.app.exe", and why does it kick off?

Today, shortly after startup, and before I had done any work myself, I noticed my Windows 10 system was running 'like a dog with one leg'. Task Mgr revealed a process running constantly at 48-50% CPU, the busiest process on the system, and called "uimam.uwpmail.app.exe" - some letters in the filename were capitalised, but I don't remember which - and C: (OS disk) 100% busy, resulting in a very slow response from anything.

I don't use Windows Mail, and my preferred mail app, Thunderbird, had not been started.

I haven't seen this process before, so after noting the executable's filename, I killed the process to give me some power, and tried searching the web for any info about this process with Google and DuckDuckGo. Only one entry mentioned this process by name, but it was all in German, so I couldn't make out what was its significance, if anything.

I have searched for the file in my own AppData (nothing), Windows (nothing), Program Files (nothing), Program Files (x86) (nothing), and Program Data (nothing). I can't think of anywhere else where an executable might lurk.

I am running Windows 10 Pro 64-bit v1709 (OS build 16299.371).

Can anyone tell me what uimam.uwpmail.app.exe does, and why it suddenly sprang into action this morning?

BTW, after killing the process, it didn't come back to life, as sometimes happens after killing a process. No virus or malware alert has been triggered by Trend Micro Maximum Security.

Thanks.
Sam

According to the German site you mention (assuming this is it) the program is stored in the location in the box below. Note WindowsApps directory is hidden so you can't normally see it.

Code:

C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\4659BB81.GMXMail_2.3.5.0_x64__9r8rjdwa12808\Uimam.UwpMail.App.exe

Do you have this app installed ? GMX-Mail

Ah! Thank you - brilliant.

Yes, I do have the GMXMail app installed, but as you mentioned, system files are normally hidden, even though I am in my own Administrators group, being the only user. Revealing system files in File options has allowed me to find the executable, so clearly it is legitimate and allowable. I will hide system files again, to prevent me causing havoc unintentionally.

The process must somehow have got into thrashing mode, as I hadn't seen it in action before, and haven't since.

If this happens again, I will go for a reinstall of GMXMail.

Thanks ever so much for your help.

You are welcome. Just FYI you may have noticed the letters "UWP" in the name of your program object. UWP is short for Universal Windows Platform and these are the ones you get from the Windows Store.

They always stick their bits in WindowsApps directory which has restricted access to (I suppose) prevent tampering.

As for why these apps start I don't know. I noticed on a clean install that the built in Skype app runs every time the system is booted even though I've never once opened it. Most startup things you can see in the autoruns program but these UWP apps seem to have their own rules regarding running themselves which I don't understand. Probably best to either leave them doing their thing or uninstall them if you don't use them.

Useful information - thanks very much.

May you fare well, in this and the other world.