As you all know about "Chrome" web browser released by Google. Its very fast and very light on resources. But lots of Chrome users are facing one common problem.
If you have installed Chrome, you might have noticed that a new process "GoogleUpdate.exe" runs in background. You can check it using Task Manager:
Even if you End Task of this process, it automatically comes back after a few minutes or when you launch Chrome next time.
Actually its not a problem, Its a standalone exe file which is used by Google Chrome to check for new updates. If it finds any update available, it downloads and installs it.
But its very annoying because it never asks before downloading or installing the updates and runs in background for all the time.
So if you are also among all those people who want to get rid of this annoying exe file, then follow this tutorial and you'll get rid of this file forever.
METHOD A:
The most easiest way is to disallow "GoogleUpdate.exe" to access Internet using your system Firewall. You can create a new rule for it.
METHOD B:
If you don't use any firewall or don't want to use the 1st method, then you can use following steps to permanently remove the "GoogleUpdate.exe" file from your system but remember that after removing the file you'll no longer be able to update the Chrome web browser using its built-in update function. You'll need to manually download the new version.
1. First disable "GoogleUpdate.exe" from system startup. Type msconfig in RUN dialog box and press Enter. It'll open "System Configuration" window. Now go to "Startup" tab and uncheck "GoogleUpdate" from the list.
Apply the changes and restart your system.
PS: You can also use Registry Editor or any other 3rd party utility to remove startup entry. Windows Defender can also do the job.
2. Now we'll need to remove the scheduled task created for GoogleUpdate.exe from our system. Open "Scheduled Tasks" or "Task Scheduler" from Control Panel or Programs menu. You can also run it by directly providing "taskschd.msc" command in RUN dialog box or by opening "%windir%\Tasks" folder.
Now look for the "GoogleUpdateTaskUser" task and delete it.
XP:
Vista:
You can also disable the task instead of deleting it.
3. Now the last thing. We'll need to remove the "GoogleUpdate.exe" file permanently so that it doesn't add its entry in startup.
Go to following folder:
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Update
Replace C: with your system drive where Windows is installed and replace "Administrator" with your user name in Windows.
In the above folder, you'll find the "GoogleUpdate.exe" file. Delete the file.
If you find any difficulties in deleting the file, then make sure GoogleUpdate.exe is not running in background, if its running then End Task of it using Task Manager and then try to delete it again.
4. That's it. Now you'll no longer see "GoogleUpdate.exe" file in background process list.
You can also download and install the Offline installer of Google Chrome which doesn't include the "GoogleUpdate.exe" file:
Official Link to Download Google Chrome Standalone Offline Installer
Or you can use the Portable version of Google Chrome which doesn't need to be installed:
Download Portable Version of Google Chrome for USB Drives, No Need to Install
Posted by: Vishal Gupta | Categories: Google Chrome, Troubleshooting
MF
"Do onto others as you want them to do onto you."
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GOOGLE.... allow US to put files on your PC's that at every boot-up, semi freezes your PC, updates without asking, runs MULTIPLE instances and is not removed upon uninstall.
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Maybe,... I said MAYBE THEN you will understand our complaints.
BUT I DOUBT IT ! ! !
mhp
"IF" it must be running at start-up, why not preset googleupdate.exe priority at LOW. At least it can update but NOT interfere with peoples PC use.
Try using a LITTLE common sense! Your users will/could be happier.
Skip R
I would have no objection to googleupdate.exe if I could turn it on and off just like Microsoft update.
( note currently in 2013 google or one of its affiliated products injects a "google update plugin" into your firefox browser. )
googleupdate.exe is ...
- software that injects code into my firefox browser without my permission
- software that installs a service without my permission
- software that installs a schedule entry without my permission
- software that installs but provide no simple disable method
What kind of software has that behaviour - maybe a new classification
Empireware - software that makes changes to your system that are hidden, obscure, not disclosed in transparent way, or difficult to remove and/or disable compared to typical software install. the software maybe described as annoying, or using obfuscation techniques, or failing to disclose to end-user user how to control it or simply disable it.
Empireware is a form of Malware
I think all firewalls should warn users of "empireware" just like malware.
LL
It took some doing to get rid of every piece of this, most useful to complete the process was Revo Uninstaller. Google has been banished for improper actions!
saul
i does not go by any of the above methods.
Maybe we need to tweak that file to Non Exe.
If you delete it Google re-creates it
_j0E
just like AVG and norton, disabling/uninstalling google chrome and it's dependencies especially the updater was a pain in the butt: Norton got banned from my system about 8 years ago for heavy disk and system usage-impairment and later for difficult uninstall and connectivity issue, same goes to AVG using same tricks to enslave your system (both require specific uninstaller now !!) : google chrome got baned from my system 2 years ago for misbehaving : multiple scheduled tasks entries: really google ? hahahah