Google Update is a plugin or component of Google applications. It works as a software installer and auto-updater for Google applications. It can be identified as the process googleupdate.exe. The Google Update process is safe and not a virus. But sometimes it becomes annoying. For example: it automatically runs on startup or continues to run even after removal of Google programs. This article discusses what actually Google Update is and how to uninstall or remove the GoogleUpdate.exe process from our computer.
What is GoogleUpdate.exe?
When Google Update is running, you can identify it in the Windows Task Manager as GoogleUpdate.exe. Is it a safe process? Yes it is. The Google Update is an essential program to keep all Google apps up-to-date in your system. It runs in background as a service and monitors the availability of updates for installed programs. In fact it is quite normal to see multiple instances of GoogleUpdate.exe in your Task Manager. This program utilizes your Internet connection to check for available updates and download them to keep the installed Google applications up-to-date. In this process, Google Update do transmits some information. But according to Google, none of those information are personally identifiable.
How to Uninstall?
The Google Update is designed to be uninstalled automatically upon uninstallation of Google applications from a system. If you manually remove the process GoogleUpdate.exe, chances are more that it will reappear automatically or your Google applications will stop functioning. Technically, removing all installed Google programs (Chrome, Earth etc.) should automatically uninstall Google Update. But that isn’t the case always. Even after uninstall of Google applications, the process continues to run. Follow the steps below to stop & remove it completely.
How to Stop or remove GoogleUpdate.exe:
- First end the running process. To do that, open Windows Task Manager (press Ctrl+Alt+Del) and go to processes tab.
- Locate GoogleUpdate.exe, right click and select End Process from the menu.
- Go to Start and open Run. Type msconfig in the field and press OK.
- In the System Configuration Utility window, open the Startup tab and uncheck Google Update.
- Press Apply and then press OK button.
- Again go to run and type services.msc in open field. The Services window will appear.
- Select Google Update from the list of services, right click and open Properties.
- Look in the Startup type: option and select Disabled from the drop-down menu.
- Select Apply and then the OK button.
- Now open Scheduled Tasks folder. To do that, go to All Programs, select Accessories, select System Tools and open Scheduled Tasks.
- Select and delete Google Update task in that folder.
- Go to Google folder in your Application Data folder. Normal location is C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator or Your name\Local Settings\Application Data\Google.
- Delete update folder or everything inside that folder (in case you are not using any other Google programs).
- Restart your computer. The Google Update process shouldn’t appear anymore.
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