The genuine upgrade.exe file is a software component of ZoneAlarm by Check Point. ZoneAlarm is an Internet security software that protects computers against malware, viruses, spyware, trojans and computer worms. Upgrade.exe runs a process that downloads and installs upgrades for ZoneAlarm. This is not an essential process for Windows and can be disabled if known to create problems.
ZoneAlarm provides a collection of security services for Windows and Android devices. The product offers real-time threat detection, an antivirus scanner, a PUA (potentially unwanted applications) shield, a personal firewall, anti-phishing, parental controls, identity protection, browser protection, threat emulation, anti-keylogging, pc tune-up, online backup and more.
Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. is an Israeli company that develops security products for corporate and personal use. The company develops solutions in both hardware and software products for IT security, including mobile security, data security, network security, endpoint security, and security management. Check Point was founded in 1993 by Gil Shwed, Marius Nacht and Shlomo Kramer. The company currently employs over 3,400 people worldwide and has offices in Israel, Australia, Canada, and the US. Check Point is headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel and San Carlos, California, USA.
Upgrade stands for ZoneAlarm Upgrade
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 upgrade.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: Upgrade.exe is not essential for Windows and will often cause problems. Upgrade.exe is located in a subfolder of "C:\Program Files\Common Files"—common is C:\Program Files\Common Files\AV\Norton 360\ or C:\Program Files\Common Files\AV\McAfee VirusScan\.
Known file sizes on Windows 10/11/7 are 2,353,000 bytes (20% of all occurrences), 2,259,832 bytes and 25 more variants.
The program has a visible window. The upgrade.exe file is digitally signed. This process is launched automatically by the Windows Task Scheduler. The file is not a Windows core file. The upgrade.exe file is a Verisign signed file.
Upgrade.exe is able to monitor applications and manipulate other programs.
Therefore the technical security rating is 1% dangerous; but you should also compare this rating with the user reviews.
If upgrade.exe is located in a subfolder of "C:\Program Files", the security rating is 46% dangerous. The file size is 3,998,952 bytes (25% of all occurrences), 70,608 bytes, 1,593,808 bytes or 213,752 bytes.
Upgrade.exe is not a Windows system file. The file has a digital signature. It is a Verisign signed file.
Upgrade.exe is able to monitor applications, record keyboard and mouse inputs and connect to the Internet.
If upgrade.exe is located in a subfolder of the user's profile folder, the security rating is 36% dangerous. The file size is 261,632 bytes (50% of all occurrences) or 217,088 bytes.
The program has a visible window. There is no file information. The program starts upon Windows startup (see Registry key: TaskScheduler, DEFAULT\Run, Run).
The upgrade.exe file is not a Windows core file.
Upgrade.exe is able to record keyboard and mouse inputs.
Important: Some malware camouflages itself as upgrade.exe, particularly when located in the C:\Windows or C:\Windows\System32 folder, for example TROJ_GEN.R01CCD3 (detected by TrendMicro), and Trojan-Ransom.Win32.PornoAsset.emi (detected by Kaspersky). Therefore, you should check the upgrade.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
Leftover remnant of Zone Alarm after uninstall.
Summary: Average user rating of upgrade.exe:
based on 2 votes with 1 user comment.
One user thinks upgrade.exe is essential for Windows or an installed application.
One user suspects danger.
Best practices for resolving upgrade issues
A clean and tidy computer is the key requirement for avoiding problems with upgrade. 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 upgrade.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
Summary: Average user rating of upgrade.exe: based on 2 votes with 1 user comment. One user thinks upgrade.exe is essential for Windows or an installed application. One user suspects danger.