The genuine GoogleUpdate.exe file is a software component of Google Updater by Google. GoogleUpdate.exe is an executable file that runs the Google Updater, a package management system that downloads, installs, removes and automatically updates Google applications. This is not a critical Windows component and should be removed if known to cause problems.
Google Updater was distributed as a part of Google Pack, a suite of software programs created by Google. It was distributed as a single downloadable archive since 2006 and was available till September 2011. Google Updater is no longer a supported application and uninstallation is recommended.
Google was founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Ph.D. students at Stanford. Google has since grown into one of the biggest companies in the world, offering hundreds of services, including webmail (Gmail), cloud storage (Google Drive), office software (Google Docs) and social networking services (Google+). Alexa, which provides web traffic data, lists Google as the world's most visited website. Its popularity has led to huge media coverage, including a major critique of the company over copyright, censorship, and privacy issues. Google is headquartered in Googleplex, Mountain View, California, USA.
The .exe extension on a filename indicates an executable file. Executable files may in some cases harm your computer. Therefore, please read below to decide for yourself whether the GoogleUpdate.exe on your computer is a Trojan that you should remove, or whether it is a file belonging to the Windows operating system or to a trusted application.
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Description: GoogleUpdate.exe is not essential for Windows and will often cause problems. GoogleUpdate.exe is located in a subfolder of "C:\Program Files (x86)" or sometimes in a subfolder of Windows folder for temporary files—normally C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Update\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\globalUpdate\Update\.
Known file sizes on Windows 10/11/7 are 116,648 bytes (16% of all occurrences), 153,168 bytes and 84 more variants.
It is a background process, and the service name is gupdate. The service keeps your Google software up to date. If this service is disabled or stopped, your Google software will not be kept up to date, meaning security vulnerabilities that may arise cannot be fixed and features may not work.
It is not a Windows system file. The file has a digital signature. The program is not visible.
Therefore the technical security rating is 27% dangerous; however you should also read the user reviews.
Uninstalling this variant:
If you have any problems with GoogleUpdate.exe, you can also turn to the software developer [1][2], Google, for advice, update [1][2] the program or uninstall the software Google Chrome or Google Earth using the Uninstall a Program function of Windows Control Panel (Windows: Start, Settings, Control Panel, Uninstall a Program).
If GoogleUpdate.exe is located in a subfolder of the user's profile folder, the security rating is 26% dangerous. The file size is 116,648 bytes (45% of all occurrences), 136,176 bytes and 32 more variants.
GoogleUpdate.exe is not a Windows core file. It is digitally signed. The application starts when Windows starts (see Registry key: TaskScheduler, Run, DEFAULT\Run, MACHINE\Run, User Shell Folders).
If GoogleUpdate.exe is located in a subfolder of C:\Windows\System32, the security rating is 8% dangerous. The file size is 116,648 bytes.
The program has a visible window. The file is digitally signed. The file is not a Windows core file. The application starts upon Windows startup (see Registry key: TaskScheduler, Run, DEFAULT\Run, MACHINE\Run, User Shell Folders).
Important: Some malware also uses the file name GoogleUpdate.exe, for example PUA:Win32/GlobalUpdate (detected by Microsoft), and not-a-virus:RiskTool.Win32.GlobalUpdate.dx (detected by Kaspersky). Therefore, you should check the GoogleUpdate.exe process on your PC to see if it is a threat. If Google Installer has changed your browser's search engine and start page, you can recover your browser's default settings as follows:
In Internet Explorer, press the key combination Alt + X to open the Tools menu.
Click Internet options.
Click the Advanced tab.
Click the Reset... button.
Enable the Delete personal settings option.
This will reset your Internet Explorer to its default settings. Your browser will start with the familiar start page and search engine—without popups, ads, cookies, but all browser add-ons are deleted too
[1].
Make cleaning up your browser and your computer simpler and safer with Security Task Manager.
Copy chrome://settings/resetProfileSettings into your Chrome browser's address bar.
Click Reset.
Chrome will then restart with an empty start page and with Google as the default search engine—without any popups, ads, cookies, themes or extensions
[1].
If you want to re-enable some extensions, please enter chrome://extensions/ into your Chrome browser's address bar.
Make cleaning up your browser and your computer simpler and safer with Security Task Manager.
Copy about:support into your Firefox browser's address bar.
Click Refresh Firefox.
Firefox now looks brand new. Bookmarks and saved passwords are retained, but all browser extensions and their related data are deleted
[1].
Make cleaning up your browser and your computer simpler and safer with Security Task Manager.
Score
User Comments
Google play store update
it wants to sent a page, I blocked it now what kind of package wants they possibly send if not data about me and my behavior? No thanks! k.a.
firewall block browser installation admin
Somehow is running unexpectedly within a service I created. Quite suspicious to me OrangeWedge
unable to connect internet! if you use firewall,please whitelist Googleupdate.exe swastik
During one of its sneaky unapproved updates GoogleUpdate.exe wiped out all eighty or so of the important windows and tabs that I had set to reopen the next time I used Chrome. GoogleUpdate clobbered my history too so those tabs are lost forever. I've actually deleted GoogleUpdate several times in the past due to this problem however Google has been very clever at finding stealthy ways to reinstall the nasty little program. I finally configured Windows Firewall to block Google from silently screwing things up in that manner in case Google manages to sneak GoogleUpdate onto my computer again, which it probably will.
Eat memory & disturb processing task in my notebook with 2gb ram only. MJ
I searched at the internett and it said it was a virus. I have an infection and i have the googleupdate.exe process running in the background. Also i dont have any like.. Google apps except for chrome , so why did it install a process to update something at the browser??? --- I --- think this is a malware. GoogleUpdate.exe Computer_S
Summary: Average user rating of GoogleUpdate.exe:
based on 62 votes with 9 user comments.
21 users think GoogleUpdate.exe is essential for Windows or an installed application.
3 users think it's probably harmless.
6 users think it's neither essential nor dangerous.
13 users suspect danger.
19 users think GoogleUpdate.exe is dangerous and recommend removing it.
8 users don't grade GoogleUpdate.exe ("not sure about it").
Best practices for resolving GoogleUpdate issues
A clean and tidy computer is the key requirement for avoiding problems with GoogleUpdate. This means running a scan for malware, cleaning your hard drive using 1cleanmgr and 2sfc /scannow, 3uninstalling programs that you no longer need, checking for Autostart programs (using 4msconfig) and enabling Windows' 5Automatic Update. Always remember to perform periodic backups, or at least to set restore points.
Should you experience an actual problem, try to recall the last thing you did, or the last thing you installed before the problem appeared for the first time. Use the 6resmon command to identify the processes that are causing your problem. Even for serious problems, rather than reinstalling Windows, you are better off repairing of your installation or executing the 7DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth command. This allows you to repair the operating system without losing data.
To get your computer running as fast as it did on day one, you can 8reset your PC. Your personal files will remain intact, but any programs you installed will need to be reinstalled.
To help you analyze the GoogleUpdate.exe process on your computer, the following programs have proven to be helpful: ASecurity Task Manager displays all running Windows tasks, including embedded hidden processes, such as keyboard and browser monitoring or Autostart entries. A unique security risk rating indicates the likelihood of the process being potential spyware, malware or a Trojan. A good Bantivirus software detects and removes sleeping spyware, adware, Trojans, keyloggers, malware and trackers from your hard drive.
Score
User Comments
k.a.
admin
OrangeWedge
swastik
MJ
Computer_S
(further information)
Summary: Average user rating of GoogleUpdate.exe: based on 62 votes with 9 user comments. 21 users think GoogleUpdate.exe is essential for Windows or an installed application. 3 users think it's probably harmless. 6 users think it's neither essential nor dangerous. 13 users suspect danger. 19 users think GoogleUpdate.exe is dangerous and recommend removing it. 8 users don't grade GoogleUpdate.exe ("not sure about it").