Wuauclt.exe file description |
Wuauclt.exe with description Windows Update Automatic Updates is a process file from company Microsoft Corporation belonging to product Microsoft® Windows® Operating System.
In total there are 8 launchpoints for this file including "Running processes".
There are 15 different variations of the file in our database and the file is
digitally signed from Microsoft Windows - Microsoft Time-Stamp Service
We do not recommend removing digitally signed files from Microsoft Windows
What is wuauclt.exe?
Wuauclt.exe is the Windows Update Autoupdate Client. It is a background process that periodically checks with Microsoft's servers for updates to the operating system and drivers.
If you wish to use Automatic Updates, this is a necessary process. If not, you can safely disable the Automatic Updates service, which will prevent it from running. While it is possible to kill this process through the task manager, it is likely that it will immediately come back if automatic updates are enabled. The screenshot below illustrates how it should appear in the task manager:
Although in this screenshot, wuauclt.exe is running as SYSTEM, it can also run as the currently logged in user.
Dangers of wuauclt
As this is a process that runs on any Windows system with automatic updates enabled, it is common for virus writers and spyware vendors to disguise their malware as the genuine one.
Some malicious files will have the same name but will be stored somewhere other than in %SystemRoot%\System32. Other malware will use a name that appears similar to that of the legitimate one but with slight differences in spelling or with appended digits. The following malware is known to disguise itself as wuauclt.exe:
- Backdoor.Clt (W32.Cult)
- This is a backdoor trojan horse that gives an attacker full control over your system. If your wuauclt.exe is connecting to port 6667, it is likely that your system is infected with Backdoor.Clt.
There will typically be only one copy of this process running at a given time (although it is possible for there to be more). If multiple copies are running, one or more of the instances may be but are not necessarily malware.
Common problems
- "Wuauclt.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close" when trying to update
- Look for wuauclt.exe in %SystemRoot%\System32\dllcache and, under properties, check the version. Ensure that it matches the one in %SystemRoot%\System32.
- If you have the KB927891 patch installed, try uninstalling it.
- If the problem persists, perform a repair installation of Windows.
- This process uses 100% CPU time
- This can be caused by wuauclt.exe being stuck in an infinite loop trying to download a particular update. To fix it, disable automatic updates via the control panel and reboot the system. If wuauclt.exe is not running after a few minutes, you should be able to reenable automatic updates.
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Automatic startup locations |
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001 Running Processes |
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002 Autorun registry entries local machine |
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004 All users startup startmenu |
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005 Current user startup startmenu |
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010 Installed services |
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033 Winlogon Userinit |
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065 Image File Execution Options (debugger) |
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167 HKLM Policies\Explorer\Run |
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File versions in our database |
| |
Company |
Version |
Size |
 |
n/a |
n/a |
4294967295 |
|
Microsoft Corporation |
7.2.6001.788 (winmain_oob/wu_wsuswlc(wmbla).081016-1330) |
701976 |
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Microsoft Corporation |
5.4.3790.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158) |
248320 |
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Microsoft Corporation |
5.4.3790.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158) |
247808 |
|
Microsoft Corporation |
7.4.7600.226 (winmain_wtr_wsus3sp2(wmbla).090806-1834) |
231386 |
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Microsoft Corporation |
7.2.6001.788 (winmain_oob/wu_wsuswlc(wmbla).081016-1330) |
229332 |
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Microsoft Corporation |
7.2.6001.784 (winmain_oob/wu_wsuswlc(wmbla).080718-1904) |
215752 |
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Microsoft Corporation |
7.2.6001.788 (winmain_oob/wu_wsuswlc(wmbla).081016-1330) |
213528 |
|
n/a |
n/a |
207876 |
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Microsoft Corporation |
5.8.0.2469 built by: lab01_n(wmbla) |
203544 |
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Microsoft Corporation |
5.4.3790.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158) |
172544 |
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Microsoft Corporation |
5.4.3790.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158) |
171520 |
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Microsoft Corporation |
5.4.3790.5512 (xpsp.080413-0852) |
168960 |
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Microsoft Corporation |
5.4.3790.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158) |
155648 |
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Microsoft Corporation |
5.4.3630.2554 built by: lab04_n |
144896 |
|
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Digital signatures found for this file |
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Signer of certificate |
Issuer of certificate |
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Microsoft Windows |
Microsoft Time-Stamp Service |
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Microsoft Windows |
Microsoft Timestamping Service |
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Microsoft Windows |
VeriSign Time Stamping Services Signer |
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Microsoft Windows 2000 Publisher |
VeriSign Time Stamping Service |
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Microsoft Windows Component Publisher |
Microsoft Time-Stamp Service |
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Microsoft Windows Component Publisher |
Microsoft Timestamping Service |
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Microsoft Windows Component Publisher |
VeriSign Time Stamping Services Signer |
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Microsoft Windows Publisher |
VeriSign Time Stamping Services Signer |
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Microsoft Windows XP Publisher |
VeriSign Time Stamping Service |
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Microsoft Windows XP Publisher |
VeriSign Time Stamping Services Signer |
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Microsoft Windows XP Publisher (Europe) |
VeriSign Time Stamping Service |
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MD5 security rating in our database |
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 |
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133 |
files (Not yet rated
and
not
signed) |
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5 |
files (Not yet rated
and
digitally
signed) |
 |
|
2 |
files (Safe
and
not
signed) |
|
|
168 |
files (Safe
and
digitally
signed) |
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Some versions of this filename have not yet been checked for safety.
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Fix wuauclt.exe application error: Run a free registry scan
Warning: Some malware might rename itself to wuauclt.exe. Always make sure that your file is from a verified publisher. |
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