What is GoogleUpdate.exe and why won’t Google allow me to uninstall it?
I think it appeared in the list of services after I reinstalled Google Gears.
I have uninstalled every Google program (Gears, GTalk, Google Desktop, etc.), and disabled GoogleUpdate.exe in the list of services. I even deleted every Google reference in the registry.
When I reboot, however, the some process runs which re-enables the GoogleUpdate.exe service.
As a last resort, I renamed the executable file at C:\Program Files\Google\Update\1.1.27.3\GoogleUpdate.exe to “x_GoogleUpdate.exe”, which is a sucky way to regain control of your own property.
What’s the deal, Google?
August 10th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
I set this to manual in service, but she still launches as automatic in my startup. There are some sites suggesting that this file might be malware, but my lavasoft and norton haven’t booted it yet, so I guess it’s still a little playing it by ear for the file so far.
August 11th, 2008 at 6:07 am
I have since learned that GoogleUpdate.exe is (or is part of) Google Gears, a legitimate and useful software program that allows web applications in the “cloud” to be used offline.
The problem I have with GoogleUpdate.exe is that even though one uninstalls all Google software and all software using Gears, GoogleUpdate.exe still remains, still runs as a service, reinstalls itself, and provides no uninstall facility. Sort of like Sony’s root kit.
Not the thing I expect from the “do no evil” company.