Author Topic: Google update  (Read 23178 times)

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Offline justinlee

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Google update
« on: May 25, 2011, 12:43:41 PM »
I have Chrome installed and have disabled Google update from running at start up as i like as little startup programs as possible. I recently installed Secunia PSI upon the recommendation of this forum, which is a brilliant piece of software by the way. Anyway, i recently had a lot of problems with my PC and i believe this to be because of insecure programs i had.

My question is would you recommend leaving Google update running at startup (it doesn't take upp a lot of memory anyway) or is it safe to leave disabled? Obviously it is not a must that it runs at srartup but i am now looking at this from a security point of view. If i leave it without updating even though i do not always use it thats a security risk, right?

Who leaves it to run and who disables it? If you disable it, why?

Btw, i have disabled Secunia PSI from auto checking/updating insure programs as i prefer to do myself.
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Offline Pondus

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Re: Google update
« Reply #1 on: May 25, 2011, 12:51:13 PM »
Dont use chrome but i would leave it on to get the latest browser fix early

Secunia: i use the online version

Offline justinlee

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Re: Google update
« Reply #2 on: May 25, 2011, 12:56:24 PM »
Dont use chrome but i would leave it on to get the latest browser fix early

Secunia: i use the online version

Any benefits to the online version?
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Offline Pondus

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Re: Google update
« Reply #3 on: May 25, 2011, 01:06:12 PM »
one more program not needed to run on the machine   ;)

so just remeber to do a monthly scan

Dch48

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Re: Google update
« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2011, 12:34:17 AM »
If you remember to click on the wrench icon at the far right of Chrome and then click on "about Google Chrome" it forces an update check and if one is available, it downloads and installs. I leave the updater to run at startup but if you do the check I outlined, it's not completely necessary. It's up to you really, it doesn't use many resources and only runs once then shuts down.

How about that? I just clicked on about and got a new version. It's now at 11.0.696.71.
« Last Edit: May 26, 2011, 12:37:21 AM by Dch48 »

DBone

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Re: Google update
« Reply #5 on: May 26, 2011, 02:47:09 AM »
I haven't used the chrome auto-updater ever, and I have used chrome exclusively since its beginning. I also don't like unnecessary startup programs, so I deleted the startup entry with Ccleaner, and more recently, I removed the updatechecker dll which then removed the auto-update plugin from chrome entirely. I have had chrome update 3 times over the last 60 days, and it never tries to reinstall the auto-update dll. Just hit the wrench and select about google chrome once a day and you're good to go.
« Last Edit: May 26, 2011, 02:49:08 AM by DBone »

DarkMasters

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Re: Google update
« Reply #6 on: May 26, 2011, 07:11:09 AM »
I have Chrome installed and have disabled Google update from running at start up as i like as little startup programs as possible. I recently installed Secunia PSI upon the recommendation of this forum, which is a brilliant piece of software by the way. Anyway, i recently had a lot of problems with my PC and i believe this to be because of insecure programs i had.

My question is would you recommend leaving Google update running at startup (it doesn't take upp a lot of memory anyway) or is it safe to leave disabled? Obviously it is not a must that it runs at srartup but i am now looking at this from a security point of view. If i leave it without updating even though i do not always use it thats a security risk, right?

Who leaves it to run and who disables it? If you disable it, why?

Btw, i have disabled Secunia PSI from auto checking/updating insure programs as i prefer to do myself.

I didn't use Google Chrome anymore because of Google Update and bloated two version of Google Chrome in your harddrive.

In my days of using Chrome. I'm simply disabling all Google update (the HKCU Run registry key and the plugin in my Firefox and Opera). My reason is because it's always contacting Google anytime I'm starting my internet connection.

I don't like auto update behavior if it's updating in random time especially when I need my bandwith connection for other things. I'm updating my software in my own terms.

In Chrome it's better to disable all Google update especially if Chrome is not your main browser. All you need to do is simply remember to check the About Google Chrome and it will check and updating itself, and request you to restart the Chrome instance afterwards.

About Secunia PSI, I simply unable to see the need for it unless you're being too lazy for checking your software update. For me I'm simply using feeds, there's no need to install another software to check for update of softwares you've installed in your computer.

Offline justinlee

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Re: Google update
« Reply #7 on: May 26, 2011, 11:45:57 AM »
Funny thing is i uninstalled Google Chrome but it leaves so much behind in the registry it's unbelievable!!! Went through the reg files and deleted some but not all as there were just too many and i didn't want to mess anything up. I have now reinstalled Chrome but i no longer have the update running nor is it even present in the startup list and i also do not have one of the update services in the list anymore. There used to be 2 i.e. Google Update Checker and Google Update Service(gupdate). Now i only have Google Update Service (gupdate).

This is confusing! The thing is everything is working fine with Chrome so i am just going to leave it.
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) SP1,
Intel Core i5-2410M @2.30GHz, 6GB RAM
AvastFree Antivirus & ZoneAlarm Free.

DarkMasters

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Re: Google update
« Reply #8 on: May 27, 2011, 11:41:05 AM »
Funny thing is i uninstalled Google Chrome but it leaves so much behind in the registry it's unbelievable!!!

Yeah that's another thing I forgot to mention. Once you got Google update installed (the moment you installed Chrome), it create many registry key (normal registry key and system class registry key). The normal registry key is quite easy to found, however the system class registry key is something different since it's linking itself to many other registry key that aren't easy to trace.

Normally, this registry key function are related to Google update service (the global one not the one inside Google Chrome). So, if you delete it or leave it alone, it wouldn't really affect your system or Google Chrome. It, might affecting the Google global updater (maybe). Overall, it wouldn't do much harm to your system. Just like another junk/orphan key inside your registry.

Offline Canopus

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Re: Google update
« Reply #9 on: October 12, 2013, 12:04:26 PM »
It's not just Chrome that installs this service. I have never installed or used Google Chrome in my life yet I have two Google Update services installed in Services. I do have Google Earth which can be updated manually and Google chat/video so I suspect it's the latter that installed it. You will also find that there are four or five Google update entries in Task Scheduler some of which are set to run update every hour. These can be set according to your wishes, but, make sure TaskMachine starts before TaskUser. I have set mine now to once a week. As far as the Google Update service is concerned you could set it to Manual or disable it. I have set mine to Manual so that it only launches when it is called up.

Now the question occurs to me, why in the world would Google consider it is important to run it's update every hour? Does it really consider that all it's programs are so full of security holes it needs to do this or is it doing something else as well especially considering it also runs its updater as a service as well?

Offline CraigB

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Re: Google update
« Reply #10 on: October 12, 2013, 12:26:55 PM »
It's not just Chrome that installs this service. I have never installed or used Google Chrome in my life yet I have two Google Update services installed in Services. I do have Google Earth which can be updated manually and Google chat/video so I suspect it's the latter that installed it. You will also find that there are four or five Google update entries in Task Scheduler some of which are set to run update every hour. These can be set according to your wishes, but, make sure TaskMachine starts before TaskUser. I have set mine now to once a week. As far as the Google Update service is concerned you could set it to Manual or disable it. I have set mine to Manual so that it only launches when it is called up.

Now the question occurs to me, why in the world would Google consider it is important to run it's update every hour? Does it really consider that all it's programs are so full of security holes it needs to do this or is it doing something else as well especially considering it also runs its updater as a service as well?
This is a two and a half year old topic you have posted in, just a bit outdated ;)

Offline Canopus

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Re: Google update
« Reply #11 on: October 12, 2013, 12:41:59 PM »
LOL, I didn't look at the year, just the month. Still, the posts may be old, but, the topic is still very relevant and I see at least one person is still following it...you :))

Offline CraigB

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Re: Google update
« Reply #12 on: October 12, 2013, 06:31:37 PM »
LOL, I didn't look at the year, just the month. Still, the posts may be old, but, the topic is still very relevant and I see at least one person is still following it...you :))
Actually I'm not following it as I don't use or have any google products/programs whatsoever, the only reason it was noticed and I replied was because you dragged it up from the basement.

Offline Canopus

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Re: Google update
« Reply #13 on: October 12, 2013, 07:35:00 PM »
Ah I see. Well Google search dragged it up from the basement for me too so hopefully anyone else searching this issue may get it dragged up from basement as well. :)