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What is WindowsUpdate.exe & What is it Used For?

Run an anti-malware program to remove the threat from your PC

5 min. read

Updated onApril 2, 2024

updated onApril 2, 2024

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Many readers have reported that they are seeing the WindowsUpdate.exe process on their Task Managers, which isconsuming high memory. They are confused about whether they should keep it intact or not.

In this guide, we will give you all the details that you need to know about WindowsUpdate.exe and whether this is harmful or important for your PC. Let us get right into it.

What is WindowsUpdate.exe?

After reading several forums and going through various reports, we discovered that WindowsUpdate.exe is a malicious process that runs on your PC because of a virus infection.

This file is noticeably created by the FORBOT-BJ WORM. This worm virus is meant to steal sensitive data from your computer.

The virus basically creates and edits the registry files and makes the WindowsUpdate.exe process run automatically on Windows startup.

How to check if this WindowsUpdate.exe file is a virus?

If it says Microsoft, then it could be a system file. However, in case it saysUnable to verifyor something else, then it is a sure-shot malicious file.

Software, especially cryptocurrency miner software can mask themselves as important system files and cause various issues on your computer after infecting them.

This WindowsUpdate.exe file is also a part of malicious programs that can infect your sensitive files and lock them behind paywalls or steal them and send them to the attacker over the network.

Moreover, the WindowsUpdate.exe file isn’t an important system file, and you can easily disable the process and it will cause no harm to your PC. So, you can remove it from your computer.

How to remove WindowsUpdate.exe?

1. Run an antivirus scan

The best way to remove any virus or malware from your computer is to simply perform a virus scan and remove the detected problem.

For that, you can use the Windows Security tool that comes built-in with Windows OS. However, this isn’t as effective as dedicated antivirus software.

In such a case, we have listed some of thebest anti-malware softwareand thebest antivirus softwarethat you can use and easily resolve such issues and keep your PC protected.

2. Clean the registry

Since this WindowsUpdate.exe malicious file tweaks the registry and causes all sorts of damage to your computer, we would suggest you perform a registry cleanup.

For that purpose, you do not need to do anything manually. You can simply use some of thebest registry cleanersthat we have tested and get done with your job.

Using the registry cleaner, you will make sure that there are no traces of the WindowsUpdate.exe file on your computer.

On the same note, you could use a standalonePC repair applicationthat can fix Registry issues alongside corrupted registry files.

3. Perform a system restore

To make that process easy, we have a guide that explains how you canreinstall Windows with just 2 easy steps. This guide explains everything in detail and will help you remove the WindowsUpdate.exe file from your PC.

You can alsodownload the Windows 11 ISOand install it using bootable USB media. In order to learn how tocreate bootable media, we would suggest you check out our guide.

But before you do that, we would suggest youback up the data on your PC, so that none of your important data is lost when reinstalling or upgrading the PC.

That is it from us in this guide. You can also check our guide that explains what is theNissrv.exe fileand if you should delete it from your PC or not. We have also detailed whether or not you should keep theWlrmdr.exe fileon your computer or not.

Let us know in the comments below if this guide made you understand what the WindowsUpdate.exe file is and if you were able to resolve the issue associated with it or not.

What is WindowsUpdate.exe & What is it Used For?#

What is WindowsUpdate.exe?#

How to check if this WindowsUpdate.exe file is a virus?#

How to remove WindowsUpdate.exe?#

1. Run an antivirus scan#

2. Clean the registry#

3. Perform a system restore#