What in the world is ctfmon.exe?

Question

I seem to see "ctfmon.exe" in the running tasks of every Windows PC I've used. I've always called it "capture the flag monitor." What is it really used for, do I need it, and if not, can I safely remove it?

Answer 1

Frequently Asked Questions About ctfmon.exe

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/282599

What Does the Ctfmon.exe File Do?

Ctfmon.exe monitors the active windows and provides text input service support for speech recognition, handwriting recognition, keyboard, translation, and other alternative user input technologies.

Answer 2

Its a process that runs on opening of a Windows XP office program

Answer 3

This site gives you processes information:

http://www.liutilities.com/products/wintaskspro/processlibrary/ctfmon/