Windows 7 How to get rid of Update.exe??

[guyzsmarty]

Hi,
I don't remember when this started, but whenever I boot my laptop it asks for my permission to run update.exe just after the start-up. When i click on Yes to allow it, it shows the following error message:

"Run-time error 339: Component 'MSWINSCK.OCX' or one of its dependencies not correctly registerd: a file is missing or invalid."​

But when I click on No, nothing happens.
It happens so every time I boot my laptop,

Below is the information about my laptop:

Dell Studio XPS 1640
Windows 7 operating system
Mcafee Antivirus software​

I am a newbie to these technical terms. Please help me to get rid of this Update.exe.

Is it a malware? or, a normal application to update windows? How can I be sure if it is a malware or not? and if yes, how can I remove it?

Assuming that to be a malware, I tried to run a number of protection softwares like Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool, A-squared anti-malware, Solo technology anti-malware, Mcafee Virus Scan etc. but in vain.

Also, I think I should write it too here. When I allow the Update.exe to run initially after start-up, I can see the process running in Task Manager. When I try to see the file location of this process, it shows the location as "C:\Windows\system\update.exe" (Not C:\Windows\System32 though I have both folders viz system and System32 in Windows folder),but C:\Windows\system is an empty folder in my laptop.

So, I do not know where to find this application so as to delete it.

Please help me.

 

[Trouble]

Hi,
I don't remember when this started, but whenever I boot my laptop it asks for my permission to run update.exe just after the start-up. When i click on Yes to allow it, it shows the following error message:

"Run-time error 339: Component 'MSWINSCK.OCX' or one of its dependencies not correctly registerd: a file is missing or invalid."
​

But when I click on No, nothing happens.
It happens so every time I boot my laptop,

Below is the information about my laptop:

Dell Studio XPS 1640
Windows 7 operating system
Mcafee Antivirus software
​

I am a newbie to these technical terms. Please help me to get rid of this Update.exe.

Is it a malware? or, a normal application to update windows? How can I be sure if it is a malware or not? and if yes, how can I remove it?

Assuming that to be a malware, I tried to run a number of protection softwares like Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool, A-squared anti-malware, Solo technology anti-malware, Mcafee Virus Scan etc. but in vain.

Also, I think I should write it too here. When I allow the Update.exe to run initially after start-up, I can see the process running in Task Manager. When I try to see the file location of this process, it shows the location as "C:\Windows\system\update.exe" (Not C:\Windows\System32 though I have both folders viz system and System32 in Windows folder),but C:\Windows\system is an empty folder in my laptop.

So, I do not know where to find this application so as to delete it.

Please help me.

Update.exe can be a good thing or a very bad thing.
I know a lot of Security Suites use an applet called update.exe to perform their respective updating functions, Microsoft Security Essentials and Spyware Doctor Internet Security just to name a couple but I think they are normally called from their respective program directories (I know MSE does) so the fact that it seems to be in the C:\Windows\System folder is a little suspicious.
So I would check in msconfig (just type that in the search box or the run dialog box) and look under the startup tab for any program that's starting up that may be using that function and start by unchecking them and see if you can get the error to stop.
You said that you ran several AV / Antimalware type programs "but in vain", what does that mean, they wouldn't run or they didn't find anything.
It may be the case where you have some programs conflicting multiple AV products can often compete so you may start by uninstalling them and in the case of some of the heavy hitters go to their websites and download and run their removal tool, don't depend on a simple uninstall to get the job done completely.
The mswinsck.ocx is a control used by Visual Studio programmers to allow their programs to use Winsock like functions (internet updates) and possibly uninstalling completely the program and reinstalling it might help repair this problem.

 

[guyzsmarty]

Solved...

Hey, Thanks for your valuable reply. I think my problem has been solved.

Actually the update.exe application was hidden in C;\Windows\system folder and that's why I was not able to find it. Once I enabled the Folder options to Include the hidden files, I could locate it and then I deleted it. In fact, now I am sure my C;\Windows\system folder is really empty unlike C;\Windows\System32 folder which contains lots of folders and system files.

After deleting the update.exe, I could get rid of its appearance just after initial start-up. So, my main problem is resolved.

But, I want to just ask few questions and I would be obliged if they are answered:

1) Before deleting the update.exe, I tried to disable it from Start-up tab in MSCONFIG dialog box. But even after being disabled, it continued to appear at the moment of start-up. Can you please tell me what it means?

2) What is the difference between C;\Windows\system folder and C;\Windows\System32 folder : Is the former one meant to be an empty folder? I have seen in one of my friend's laptop that both C;\Windows\system folder and C;\Windows\system folder are non-empty folders with several system files contained in them. So is my empty C;\Windows\system folder a problem? If yes, How can I know, what contents I should put inside the folder?

3) Answering to your question, when I tried to run several AV and AMW programs, just one of them (Prevx 3.0) detected my update.exe as the malware (MW). All the remaining programs could not even detect it as an MW. But since Prevx 3.0 was a trial version, I could not fix update,exe using that. So that's why I want to know if the update.exe in my case is really a malware/virus or not.

4) I am attaching few screenshots of MSCONFIG, which shows that the update.exe corresponds to Windows update. So would it prevent my Automatic Windows Updating process, since I have deleted update.exe now?

5) Lastly, since I was not sure if update.exe was a malware or not, I tried to run a registry scanner, viz. Registry Booster. I am also attaching the scan result in pdf format here. Does this scan result mean that update.exe has affected my registry entries? If yes, how can I do the remedy work?

I would appreciate if these questions are answered. Thanking in advance.

 

[Trouble]

1) Before deleting the update.exe, I tried to disable it from Start-up tab in MSCONFIG dialog box. But even after being disabled, it continued to appear at the moment of start-up. Can you please tell me what it means?

I can only assume that, because it was an executeable and was in the C:\Windows\System folder that during the boot process, windows parsed this folder and ran the executeable, that's why deleting it resolved the issue. Just a guess, but probably close to accurate.

2) What is the difference between C;\Windows\system folder and C;\Windows\System32 folder : Is the former one meant to be an empty folder? I have seen in one of my friend's laptop that both C;\Windows\system folder and C;\Windows\system folder are non-empty folders with several system files contained in them. So is my empty C;\Windows\system folder a problem? If yes, How can I know, what contents I should put inside the folder?

My C:\Windows\System folder is also empty, my guess would be that as is the case in other system folders like C:\Documents and Settings that the Windows\System folder is there to preserve some backward compatibility for legacy devices and applications that require the path for successful installation.

3) Answering to your question, when I tried to run several AV and AMW programs, just one of them (Prevx 3.0) detected my update.exe as the malware (MW). All the remaining programs could not even detect it as an MW. But since Prevx 3.0 was a trial version, I could not fix update,exe using that. So that's why I want to know if the update.exe in my case is really a malware/virus or not.

I would suggest downloading Malwarebytes Malwarebytes Anti-Malware - Reviews and free Malwarebytes Anti-Malware downloads at Download.com and Spybot Search and Destroy don't install TeaTimer (just uncheck it during the setup process) The home of Spybot-S&D! update both applications after install, then boot into safemode and run them.

4) I am attaching few screenshots of MSCONFIG, which shows that the update.exe corresponds to Windows update. So would it prevent my Automatic Windows Updating process, since I have deleted update.exe now?

It's kinda obvious from you screen shots which one was windows update and which one was the update.exe in the C:\Windows\System folder so disabling or unchecking that one would have no effect on the other.

5) Lastly, since I was not sure if update.exe was a malware or not, I tried to run a registry scanner, viz. Registry Booster. I am also attaching the scan result in pdf format here. Does this scan result mean that update.exe has affected my registry entries? If yes, how can I do the remedy work?

Not exactly sure how to answer this the file is quite verbose and I haven't had time to read it completely, I would however suggest that you have a look at Auslogic's free registry cleaner Auslogics Registry Cleaner - Reviews and free Auslogics Registry Cleaner downloads at Download.com it seems to work well and is apparently safe, but I would suggest whenever using any type of registry cleaner you create a restore point and backup your registry just in case. Most of these apps have this functionality built in but I don't always rely on them, also Ccleaner has a built in registry cleaner, I use it and haven't had any problems, however I've heard various and differing opinions on it, so it's up to you.

 

[guyzsmarty]

Thank you so much.. I have no further queries..