The genuine installer.exe file is a software component of Awola Anti Spyware by Awola. Awola Anti Spyware is a rogue security program that is designed to display false security alerts in order to trick people into purchasing the full version of the program. Installer.exe installs the Awola Anti Spyware program. This is not an essential Windows process and can be disabled if known to create problems.
Awola Anti Spyware is often installed without user permission. The program often sneaks into the system through browser exploits, or other malicious software. It is impossible to remove the program through conventional methods, as the program easily reinstalls itself automatically. Therefore, it is recommended to use a trusted anti-spyware program for removal.
Installer stands for Awola AntiSpyware Installer
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 installer.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.
Description: Installer.exe is not essential for the Windows OS and causes relatively few problems. Installer.exe is located in a subfolder of C:\Windows—for example C:\Windows\Temp\opera autoupdate\.
Known file sizes on Windows 10/8/7/XP are 864,256 bytes (20% of all occurrences), 1,502,968 bytes, 2,579,544 bytes, 1,242,744 bytes or 1,635,368 bytes.
The program has no visible window. The file is not a Windows core file. The file is digitally signed.
Installer.exe is able to record keyboard and mouse inputs and monitor applications.
Therefore the technical security rating is 72% dangerous; but you should also compare this rating with the user reviews.
Uninstalling this variant:
In the event of any problems with installer.exe, you may also uninstall the program using the Control Panel ⇒ Uninstall a Program ⇒ Opera web browser or Lavasoft Software Canada or ask the developer, www.opera.com, [1][2] for support.
If installer.exe is located in a subfolder of Windows folder for temporary files, the security rating is 63% dangerous. The file size is 1,831,240 bytes (20% of all occurrences), 2,885,120 bytes, 2,164,672 bytes, 472,768 bytes or 2,090,584 bytes.
The program is not visible. The file is not a Windows system file. Installer.exe is certified by a trustworthy company.
Installer.exe is able to monitor applications, manipulate other programs and record keyboard and mouse inputs.
Uninstalling this variant:
In the event of any problems with installer.exe, you may also uninstall the program using the Control Panel ⇒ Uninstall a Program ⇒ Opera web browser or ask the developer, www.opera.com, for support.
If installer.exe is located in a subfolder of "C:\Program Files", the security rating is 40% dangerous. The file size is 82,950 bytes (20% of all occurrences), 1,430,744 bytes, 1,668,568 bytes, 4,928,408 bytes or 1,427,672 bytes.
It is not a Windows core file. The file is digitally signed.
Installer.exe is able to monitor applications and record keyboard and mouse inputs.
Uninstalling this variant:
In the event of any problems with installer.exe, you may also uninstall the program using the Control Panel ⇒ Uninstall a Program ⇒ Avast SafeZone or PCKeeper or ask the developer, www.avast.com, for support.
If installer.exe is located in a subfolder of the user's profile folder, the security rating is 64% dangerous. The file size is 1,933,896 bytes (50% of all occurrences) or 2,998,272 bytes.
If installer.exe is located in a subfolder of "C:\Program Files\Common Files", the security rating is 0% dangerous. The file size is 511,744 bytes.
Important: Some malware also uses the file name installer.exe, for example TROJ_GEN.R047C0DJG15 (detected by TrendMicro), and Gen:[email protected] (detected by F-Secure). Therefore, you should check the installer.exe process on your PC to see if it is a threat. We recommend Security Task Manager for verifying your computer's security. This was one of the Top Download Picks of The Washington Post and PC World.
Score
User Comments
wont remove of task manager zeek
keeps turning itself back on in my DEP list, xp32, hard to google "installer.exe" wary
It grabs cpu resources often and stops oporation of other programs. Must initiate task manager to unlock. M. Patterson
when you installing World of Warcraft this process is in task manager it is important process good guy
I deleted it and only lost program icons (powerpoint shows a system icon etc.). Don't delete it. Doubt it's dangerous but it is useful for the icon images. It's a bit big and if you don't mind missing icon images delete it probably. Helper1 Not really helping.exe
google chrome
google chrome
It's an Opera file. Not sure what it does. WhoCares
Summary: Average user rating of installer.exe:
based on 10 votes with 8 user comments.
5 users think installer.exe is essential for Windows or an installed application.
3 users think it's probably harmless.
One user thinks it's neither essential nor dangerous.
One user thinks installer.exe is dangerous and recommends removing it.
7 users don't grade installer.exe ("not sure about it").
Best practices for resolving installer issues
A clean and tidy computer is the key requirement for avoiding problems with installer. 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, for Windows 8 and later versions, executing the 7DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth command. This allows you to repair the operating system without losing data.
To help you analyze the installer.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. BMalwarebytes Anti-Malware detects and removes sleeping spyware, adware, Trojans, keyloggers, malware and trackers from your hard drive.
Score
User Comments
zeek
wary
M. Patterson
good guy
Helper1 Not really helping.exe
WhoCares
Summary: Average user rating of installer.exe: based on 10 votes with 8 user comments. 5 users think installer.exe is essential for Windows or an installed application. 3 users think it's probably harmless. One user thinks it's neither essential nor dangerous. One user thinks installer.exe is dangerous and recommends removing it. 7 users don't grade installer.exe ("not sure about it").