GoogleUpdate.exe: What is it & How to Disable it?

Users reported GoogleUpdate.exe on their PC, and many aren’t sure what this file does, so in today’s guide, we’re going to answer all your questions.

What does GoogleUpdate.exe do?

GoogleUpdate.exe is a process associated with Google software, such as Google Earth, Drive, or Chrome. It runs in the background and checks if the Google software is up to date. It also automatically downloads the necessary updates.

Where is the GoogleUpdate.exe file?

As for the GoogleUpdate.exe location, you can usually find it at C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Update

Is GoogleUpdate.exe virus?

No, GoogleUpdate.exe isn’t a virus. However, in the past Windows Defender and other anti-virus software have flagged this file as suspicious, but that was because the goopudate.dll file wasn’t signed by Google, so this turned out to be a false positive.

However, this has been fixed since then. If you want you can still scan the file by doing the following:

1. Locate GoogleUpdate.exe and right-click it.
2. Choose Scan with Microsoft Defender or a similar option if you’re using other antivirus software.
   
3. Check the scan results.

How to disable GoogleUpdate.exe?

1. Press Windows key + R and type services.msc.
   
2. Locate Google Update Service (gupdate) and double-click it.
3. Set the Startup type to Disabled.
   
4. Click Apply and OK and restart your PC.

How to fix Unable to connect to the Internet if you use a firewall whitelist GoogleUpdate.exe?

1. Press Windows key + S and type firewall. Choose Windows Defender Firewall.
   
2. Next, click on Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall.
   
3. Click on Change settings and click on Allow another app.
   
4. Locate GoogleUpdate.exe and add it.
5. Check both the Private and Public boxes and save changes.

How do I get rid of GoogleUpdate.exe?

While it’s possible to delete the file, we advise against it, since it might cause issues with Google software, so it would be best to keep it, or if you don’t want to use it, you can always disable it.

As you can see, this is a legitimate file used by Google to update its products, so if you ever notice it on your PC, you shouldn’t worry about it.

This isn’t the only file you can encounter, and we wrote about software_reporter_tool.exe a while back. Keep in mind that some of these files can have certain issues, and we wrote about chrome.exe Entry point not found in our previous articles, so don’t miss it.

Our latest article covers AppleMobileDeviceService.exe, so feel free to check it out as well.