UpdatusUser suddenly appeared - What is it?

[glennc]

Installing W7, going well. First noticed on old install, must have occurred in only the last few days. Almost done the basic install with updates, today and noticed it. It is installed under boot/User account and it is marked that the administrative account does not have access to the folder..
It does not show up in the User Accounts!!!!! Is it malware?
Thanks for any info!
Glenn

 

[Brink]

Hello Glenn,

Do you have NVIDIA by chance?

Beginning with Release 270 drivers for desktops, when NVIDIA Update is installed, the software creates the UpdatusUser account. This account runs the NVIDIA Update service for updating application profiles through the NVIDIA server. Again, the service cannot be run without this account.

The article belows describes the purpose and security of the UpdatusUser account created on Optimus notebooks as well as by the NVIDIA Update software.

What is NVIDIA 'UpdatusUser'

Hope this helps.

 

[Boozad]

Just an extra bit of added (and probably useless) info here. I found the UpdatusUser folder in my Users folder and wondering what it was did a bit of Googling, I obviously found some bad info as a few different pages said it was a useless folder created by nVidia. So 50% of that information was right. Anyway, I deleted the contents of the folder (a duplicate of my user folder) and then deleted the parent folder.
Upon deleting it a new TEMP folder was created which was again an exact replica of my User folder, so I'm guessing that's a backup plan from nVidia in case anything happens to the UpdatusUser folder. I checked GeForce Experience when the latest drivers were released a couple of days ago and it had discovered new WHQL drivers were available so that's working OK.

You can also see that the TEMP folder has been updated today so it's doing something, I'm pretty sure it's an UpdatusUser replacement folder.

 

[glennc]

Hello Glenn,

Do you have NVIDIA by chance?

Beginning with Release 270 drivers for desktops, when NVIDIA Update is installed, the software creates the UpdatusUser account. This account runs the NVIDIA Update service for updating application profiles through the NVIDIA server. Again, the service cannot be run without this account.

The article belows describes the purpose and security of the UpdatusUser account created on Optimus notebooks as well as by the NVIDIA Update software.

What is NVIDIA 'UpdatusUser'

Hope this helps.

You bet it helped! What a relief during a new install. Removed the NVidia Update Program from Control Panel and it auto removed the UpatusUser Account. Many thanks!!
Glenn

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome.

 

[glennc]

Just an extra bit of added (and probably useless) info here. I found the UpdatusUser folder in my Users folder and wondering what it was did a bit of Googling, I obviously found some bad info as a few different pages said it was a useless folder created by nVidia. So 50% of that information was right. Anyway, I deleted the contents of the folder (a duplicate of my user folder) and then deleted the parent folder.
Upon deleting it a new TEMP folder was created which was again an exact replica of my User folder, so I'm guessing that's a backup plan from nVidia in case anything happens to the UpdatusUser folder. I checked GeForce Experience when the latest drivers were released a couple of days ago and it had discovered new WHQL drivers were available so that's working OK.

You can also see that the TEMP folder has been updated today so it's doing something, I'm pretty sure it's an UpdatusUser replacement folder.

View attachment 287041

Howdy Boozad,
I will look around for whatever may be left. Like I noted, found on the NVidia Forum about uninstalling the update program and it did delete that account. Will double check, thanks!
Glenn

 

[Boozad]

Howdy Boozad,
I will look around for whatever may be left. Like I noted, found on the NVidia Forum about uninstalling the update program and it did delete that account. Will double check, thanks!
Glenn

Hi mate,

You should be good after uninstalling the software, I just deleted the folders and left the software on. It's a good job really as I want the update software running so the backup TEMP folder (if that's what it is) was a bonus.

 

[glennc]

Hello,
Yes it worked out for me, glad all is well!
Glenn