[Tip] What is “UpdatusUser” Folder and How to Remove it from Windows Explorer?
Recently an AskVG reader “Jeff” contacted us regarding following issue:
Please tell me how to delete UpdatusUser FOLDER? This folder is located under C:\Users directory. I tried to remove it but Windows didn’t allow me to remove it. I never created any such user in my computer. Is it a virus symptom? How can I get rid of UpdatusUser folder from my Windows?
Actually “UpdatusUser” folder is automatically created by NVIDIA graphics card driver installer. If you or Windows Update installed required drivers for nvidia graphics card in your computer, it automatically creates a new user account “UpdatusUser” for update purposes. This user account is used by nvidia to update the graphics card driver whenever available. Since a new user profile is created by the driver setup, it also creates a new folder “UpdatusUser” in C:\Users directory. That’s why you see that strange folder inside Users directory.
Advertisement
Lets tell you there is no need to worry about this folder or user account as its completely safe. This user account doesn’t have local login permissions so no one can use this user account to logon to your computer.
If you still want to remove “UpdatusUser” folder and user account from your Windows, there are many ways to do it. In this tutorial, we’ll share some easy to follow methods to get rid of “UpdatusUser” folder from C:\Users directory in Windows.
Table of Contents
METHOD 1: Uninstall NVIDIA Update Component
Since “UpdatusUser” user account and folder is created by nvidia update service, you can simply uninstall it from Control Panel and it’ll remove the user account and folder automatically. To uninstall nvidia update, follow these simple steps:
1. Open Control Panel and click on “Programs and Features” icon.
2. You’ll see NVIDIA Update present in the installed programs list:
Advertisement
3. Click on NVIDIA Update entry and then click on “Uninstall/Change” button present in the toolbar.
4. It’ll open the uninstallation wizard which will confirm your choice whether you want to uninstall NVIDIA Update service. Accept the confirmation and it’ll uninstall the service within a few seconds.
NOTE: New NVIDIA driver setup comes with a new utility “NVIDIA GeForce Experience” instead of the old “NVIDIA Update” utility. So if you don’t see NVIDIA Update listed in programs list, look for “NVIDIA GeForce Experience” entry and uninstall it.
That’s it. Once you uninstall NVIDIA Update service, it’ll automatically remove the “UpdatusUser” user account and folder from your system.
METHOD 2: Remove “UpdatusUser” Account Using Computer Management
If you don’t want to uninstall NVIDIA Update or if you face difficulties in uninstalling it, you can manually remove “UpdatusUser” account from your system which will automatically delete “UpdatusUser” folder from Windows Explorer.
1. Right-click on Computer (or This PC) icon and select Manage option. It’ll open Computer Management window. Alternatively, you can directly open it by using compmgmt.msc command in RUN dialog box.
2. Now go to “Local Users and Groups -> Users” and in right-side pane, you’ll see “UpdatusUser” present in users list.
3. Right-click on “UpdatusUser” entry and select Delete option. Or click on “UpdatusUser” entry and press Delete key on your keyboard.
4. It’ll ask for confirmation, accept the confirmation and it’ll remove the “UpdatusUser” user account and folder from your computer.
METHOD 3: Take Ownership of “UpdatusUser” Folder and Delete
If nothing works, you can take ownership of “UpdatusUser” folder using following methods:
- Add “Take Ownership” Option in Files and Folders Context Menu in Windows
- [Guide] How to Take Ownership of a File or Folder Manually in Windows?
After taking ownership, you’ll be able to delete the folder without any problem.
If you don’t want NVIDIA to create this new user account and folder in your system, make sure to uncheck “NVIDIA Update” option while installing nvidia graphics card driver in future. If you uncheck this option, NVIDIA will never create “UpdatusUser” account and folder in Windows.
Just curious, how did you know that this folder does not have local login permissions? How do we know if a certain file in Windows has login permissions? Any tutorial regarding this matter is appreciated.
Thanks and more power to you, Sir VG!
Regards,
Matthew Ames
^^ Type secpol.msc and navigate to:
Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment
In right-side pane, you can check “Allow Log on locally” option.
For things objects that refuse to be deleted in Windows, I usually use the Unlocker Utility. The current version is 1.92. It always works for me. Nice utility this one!!
^^ Yep. Its mentioned here:
https://www.askvg.com/download-unlocker-file-unlocking-utility-for-windows/
Hey VG, I found a microsoft article on how to do a custom system refresh image using the command prompt. I can now refresh my system retaining both desktop and modern apps. The command is recimg -CreateImage drive:\RefreshImage.
I hope you can share this with Windows 8 users, it saves time having to reinstall everything.
Hi VG, nVidia has removed the need for the “UpdatusUser” account with GeForce Experience 1.8, which was released just now.
Hi VG,
Thanks for the site. A couple of things:
Is there anyway in w7u64 (Windows 7 ultimate 65-bit), I can just maintain a partition for the core OS (boot strapping, /Windows. registry etc) and put other system folders containing bloatware or “/Program Files (x86)”, “/Program Files” etc on another drive while still mainintaining some system integrity. I realise I can add paths into the environmental variables but am not sure whether making these changes affects system integrity and security.
An analogy:
In Linux I can put the separate system folders (user, tmp, bin, sbin, etc) on separate partitions and use permissions fo affect how each of those paritions may be used.
Many thanks,
Noobie.
^^ I’ll not suggest to do so as many 3rd party software might face problems while installing to Program Files folder. There may be many other system related problems occur after moving or changing program files folder.
I guess it’s important to add some information to this great article – if you run a laptop equipped in Optimus technology (i.e. it has two graphic cards, including nVida one, able to switch automatically dependent on desired performance), nVidia driver installer will install the update feature automatically and you won’t be able neither to “uncheck” it during the installation nor to remove it later on. Having said this, the only solution is to remove UpdatusUser and related Windows service manually. In fact, there’s also an option to manually patch nVidia driver setup to skip installation of the update feature, but it’s not suitable for everyone, so I’m not elaborating on that here.
Hey Noobie
I believe the answer to your question is yes…you can install programs anywhere you like which is why they give you that option to change path…you don’t even have to install your windows onto a c drive…installing windows on a d drive would confound any virus’s that are programed for C:/Windows…just something I leaned in tech support 🙂
Hi VG,
I spent many days trying to update my Windows 8.1 to 10 and everytime I received a – not elucidative – message like “Failure to update to Windows 10” (message was in Portuguese). Today a find out the setuperr.log file in which it mentions problem with UpdatusUser directory. Because of your nice article I could exclude that folder and finally the Windows 10 Update succeeded.
Many thanks
Oscar
Hey VG,
So what is the defaultuser0 folder in Windows 10 then? I see it in my C:\Users folder after a clean install of Windows 10 version 1607. Wondering…
^^ Its created sometimes by Windows when you upgrade from a previous Windows version or your use Reset this PC feature.
Well I clean installed. Meaning I formatted the hard drive.
Seams it can be deleted, though. Just another Annoyance