Is Andrea ST Filters Service a virus or malware?

No, Andrea ST Filters Service is a legitimate Windows service that comes preinstalled on computers with SigmaTel or Realtek audio hardware, most commonly HP and Compaq machines. It provides noise cancellation and audio enhancement for microphones. If you are concerned, verify the file location is in Program Files and check the digital signature of the executable.

Can I disable Andrea ST Filters Service without causing problems?

Yes, you can safely disable it. The only potential impact is losing microphone noise cancellation and audio enhancement features. If you rarely use your microphone or use an external USB headset with its own audio processing, disabling this service will have no negative effect on your system.

Why does Andrea ST Filters Service use high CPU sometimes?

Occasional high CPU usage from AESTFilters can be caused by driver conflicts, outdated audio drivers, or corrupted service files. Update your audio drivers from the manufacturer's website, or reinstall the audio driver package. If the issue persists after updating, disabling the service will resolve the CPU usage without affecting core audio playback.

What Is Andrea ST Filters Service? Audio Driver Explained

If you have ever opened Task Manager or the Windows Services console and noticed a process called Andrea ST Filters Service (or AESTFilters), you are not alone. This is one of the most commonly questioned background services on Windows PCs, particularly on HP and Compaq machines. This guide explains exactly what it is, why it is running, whether it is safe, what impact it has on performance, and how to disable or remove it if you choose.

What Is Andrea ST Filters Service?

Andrea ST Filters Service is a Windows service that provides audio enhancement and noise cancellation for microphones. It is developed by Andrea Electronics Corporation, a company that specializes in digital audio signal processing and noise reduction technology.

The service typically appears on systems with one of the following audio chipsets:

SigmaTel audio controllers (common in older HP/Compaq laptops and desktops)
Realtek audio controllers (SigmaTel was acquired by Freescale, and much of its audio technology was later integrated into Realtek drivers)
IDT (Integrated Device Technology) audio controllers

How It Works

The Andrea ST Filters Service operates as a background audio processing layer between your microphone hardware and the Windows audio subsystem. Its core functions include:

Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): Reduces ambient background noise picked up by the microphone during calls or recordings.
Beam Forming: On systems with multiple microphones, it focuses audio capture in a specific direction to improve voice clarity.
Echo Cancellation: Prevents feedback loops between speakers and microphones during voice or video calls.
Audio Enhancement: Applies digital signal processing (DSP) filters to improve overall microphone input quality.

File Locations

The service executable and related files are typically found in one of these locations:

C:\Program Files\IDT\WDM\AESTSr64.exe        (64-bit systems with IDT audio)
C:\Program Files\IDT\WDM\AESTFilters.exe      (IDT audio variant)
C:\Program Files\SigmaTel\C-Major Audio\AESTFilters.exe  (SigmaTel audio)
C:\Windows\System32\AEstSrv.exe                (system-level installation)

Service Details in Windows

You can view the service properties by opening services.msc:

Property	Value
Service Name	AESTFilters
Display Name	Andrea ST Filters Service
Startup Type	Automatic
Status	Running
Log On As	Local System
Description	Andrea ST Filters Service (or may be blank)

Why Does It Appear on My Computer?

Andrea ST Filters Service is preinstalled by the computer manufacturer as part of the audio driver package. You did not install it yourself. It is bundled with the audio drivers for the following brands and chipsets:

HP (Hewlett-Packard) laptops and desktops from approximately 2006 to 2015
Compaq machines from the same era
Dell systems with IDT audio
Lenovo ThinkPad models with certain audio chipsets
Any system where you manually installed SigmaTel, IDT, or certain Realtek audio drivers

The service starts automatically at boot and runs in the background regardless of whether you are actively using a microphone.

Is It Safe?

Yes, Andrea ST Filters Service is a legitimate and safe service. It is not malware, spyware, or adware. However, as with any executable, you should verify its authenticity:

How to Verify the Service Is Legitimate

Check the file location: The executable should be in C:\Program Files\IDT\, C:\Program Files\SigmaTel\, or C:\Windows\System32\. If it is located in a temp folder, user profile, or other unusual location, investigate further.
Check the digital signature:
- Right-click the executable file and select Properties.
- Go to the Digital Signatures tab.
- The signer should be Andrea Electronics, IDT, SigmaTel, or Hewlett-Packard.
Scan with antivirus: If you have any doubt, run a full scan with your antivirus software or upload the file to an online scanner like VirusTotal.
Check the service path using PowerShell:

Get-WmiObject Win32_Service | Where-Object {$_.Name -like "*AEST*"} |
    Select-Object Name, DisplayName, PathName, StartMode, State

Performance Impact

Under normal operating conditions, Andrea ST Filters Service has minimal performance impact:

Resource	Typical Usage
CPU	0-1% (idle), 1-3% (active microphone)
Memory (RAM)	2-8 MB
Disk I/O	Negligible
Network	None (fully local)

However, there are scenarios where it can cause issues:

Driver conflicts: If you install third-party audio drivers alongside the manufacturer’s drivers, conflicts can cause elevated CPU usage.
Outdated drivers: Very old driver versions may not be optimized for newer Windows versions.
Corrupted installation: A partial or corrupted driver installation can cause the service to behave erratically.

Diagnosing Performance Issues

If you suspect the service is causing problems, use these steps to investigate:

# Check the service status and resource usage
Get-Process -Name "AESTSr64", "AESTFilters" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
    Select-Object Name, CPU, WorkingSet64, StartTime

# Check Windows Event Log for audio-related errors
Get-EventLog -LogName System -Source "*audio*", "*IDT*", "*SigmaTel*" -Newest 20 |
    Format-Table TimeGenerated, EntryType, Message -Wrap

You can also use Task Manager or Resource Monitor (resmon.exe) to observe CPU and memory usage in real time while the service is running.

How to Disable Andrea ST Filters Service

If you have determined that you do not need the microphone noise cancellation features, or if the service is causing problems, you can safely disable it using any of the following methods.

Method 1: Windows Services Console

Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
Scroll down to Andrea ST Filters Service.
Double-click it to open the properties.
Change Startup type to Disabled.
Click Stop to stop the currently running instance.
Click OK to save.

Method 2: MSConfig (System Configuration)

Press Win + R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
Go to the Services tab.
Find Andrea ST Filters Service in the list.
Uncheck the box next to it.
Click Apply and then OK.
Restart when prompted.

Method 3: Command Line

:: Stop the service immediately
net stop AESTFilters

:: Disable the service from starting at boot
sc config AESTFilters start= disabled

Method 4: PowerShell

# Stop and disable the service
Stop-Service -Name "AESTFilters" -Force
Set-Service -Name "AESTFilters" -StartupType Disabled

# Verify the change
Get-Service -Name "AESTFilters" | Select-Object Name, Status, StartType

Re-enabling the Service

If you later need the noise cancellation features (for example, you start using the built-in microphone for video calls), you can re-enable it:

Set-Service -Name "AESTFilters" -StartupType Automatic
Start-Service -Name "AESTFilters"

How to Completely Remove Andrea ST Filters Service

If you want to remove the service entirely rather than just disabling it, you can uninstall the associated audio driver package:

Open Control Panel > Programs and Features (or Apps & Features in Windows 10/11).
Look for entries such as:
- IDT Audio
- SigmaTel Audio
- Andrea ST Filters
- IDT High Definition Audio CODEC
Uninstall the entry.
Restart your computer.

Important: Uninstalling the audio driver package may remove your audio driver entirely. Windows will typically install a generic High Definition Audio driver via Windows Update, which provides basic audio functionality without the Andrea noise cancellation features.

If you only want to remove the Andrea service but keep the audio driver, you can delete the service registration after stopping it:

:: WARNING: This permanently removes the service registration
sc delete AESTFilters

Best Practices for Managing Windows Services

The Andrea ST Filters Service is a good example of why it is valuable to periodically audit the services running on your system. Here are general best practices:

Audit regularly: Use services.msc or PowerShell (Get-Service) to review all running services periodically.
Research before disabling: Always look up a service before disabling it. Some services have dependencies that may cause unexpected behavior.
Disable rather than delete: When in doubt, disable a service first and test your system for a few days before permanently removing it.
Keep drivers updated: If you choose to keep the service, ensure your audio drivers are up to date from the manufacturer’s support page.
Use Windows Defender or antivirus: Scan unknown services and processes to rule out malware impersonating legitimate service names.

# List all running services sorted by memory usage
Get-Process | Sort-Object WorkingSet64 -Descending |
    Select-Object -First 20 Name, @{N="Memory(MB)";E={[math]::Round($_.WorkingSet64/1MB,2)}}, CPU

Summary

Andrea ST Filters Service (AESTFilters) is a legitimate audio enhancement service that provides microphone noise cancellation and audio filtering on PCs with SigmaTel, IDT, or Realtek audio hardware. It is preinstalled by manufacturers like HP, Compaq, Dell, and Lenovo. The service is safe, has minimal performance impact under normal conditions, and can be disabled or removed without affecting core audio playback. If you do not use the built-in microphone frequently, disabling the service is a reasonable choice that frees a small amount of system resources.