Remove NVIDIA Update and UpdatusUser

Question

Does anyone know how to remove the UpdatusUser user created by installing the NVIDIA driver? Or better yet, how to install the drivers in such a way that UpdatusUser won't even be created?

I have tried choosing custom installation and unchecking NVIDIA Update, but that does not work. Also, I have tried uninstalling NVIDIA update from Programs and features in Control Panel, but that won't remove the UpdatusUser account.

I have also created a post in the NVIDIA forums that contains more images and details: here (please look at the screenshots there), but I didn't get a solution to my problem. I am using Windows 7 x64 and the latest NVIDIA 295.73 driver.

Answer 1

It looks like there is a nVidia knowledge base article that deals with the Updatus user account. The short story is that this behavior is by design, and they won't fix it. If you have an Optimus-enabled notebook, even if you don't want nVidia update, it will be installed. They seem to think that creating a user account is a perfectly good approach to auto-updating. I don't know anybody else who is using it, but nVidia seems to think it's perfectly OK.

Also, I have found a way to disable the creation of the user account when installing the driver, even though it implies editing a file before installing the driver. If you use this method, when you install the driver, you won't get the UpdatusUser account, or service installed. Here are the steps you need to follow:

1. Start the installation, and press OK. The installation files will be extracted to a location on your hard drive (C:\NVIDIA is the default)
2. After the files are extracted, the installer will open. Now you need to cancel the installer.
3. Open this file using a text editor (Notepad, Notepad++): C:\NVIDIA\DisplayDriver\295.73\WinVista_Win7_64\International\Display.Optimus\Optimus.nvi (the path may vary if you have another driver version, or you extracted the files to a different location)

4. Delete the following lines

   <dependencies>
    <package type="requires" package="NVIDIA.Update"/>
   </dependencies>
   <phases>
    <custom phase="enableUpdatus" action="EnableUpdatus" when="install"/>
    <custom phase="disableUpdatus" action="DisableUpdatus" when="uninstall"/>
   </phases>
   

5. Save, close the file
6. Restart the installer by running C:\NVIDIA\DisplayDriver\295.73\WinVista_Win7_64\ International\setup.exe (again, the path may vary if you have another driver version, or you extracted the files to a different location)
7. Now you can install the driver, and the UpdatusUser account won't be installed automatically on your Optimus-enabled laptop.

Answer 2

I'd rather not install the feature at all, but once its on the machine, it is easy to remove with the following commands:

net user /delete updatususer
sc delete nvupdatusservice

Which removes both the user and the service

Answer 3

Simple. I booted up into safe mode and deleted it for good!

Answer 4

First I downloaded the driver & installer I wanted from Nvidia's website. Then I removed all Nvidia software through Control Panel » Add or Remove Programs.

I rebooted (with Defraggler boot time defrag), deleted the user updatususer, cleaned the registry and temp files, (ccleaner), and honored my paranoia by running a few more programs that yielded nothing – just a little over the top. No more updatususer on my computer at all! Then I rebooted again.

Without altering code, I ran the downloaded Nvidia installer. It made me agree not to alter code, etc. I chose "accept" and went to the next step.

In Mode of Installation, I chose Advanced, not the default or standard installation!

I was given the option of what to install – I unchecked the NVIDIA UPDATE v1.8.15 box and let the others ride.

After installation completed and the required reboot, I have the little Nvidia bullet on my status bar, can open my Nvidia control panel, and WinXP knows it has a video driver that it will check for updates as long as the microsoft updater works for XP-64.

But no malware account on my computer. No unauthorized user account. No "We were just trying to help by tying up a little teeny bit of your bandwidth and it is purely secure, no hacker can find their way in, don't worry, we protect the one - or standard Nvidia algorithm generated - password for the administrator account we created without your knowledge but with your consent when you checked the agree box".

Hope this helps anyone else who was annoyed after replacing a video card and found a new user on their computer.

Answer 5

If you boot in safe mode, you can get rid of the updater and its user account.