Should I block it?

60%
60% of PCs block this file from running.
Possible reason:
Performance resource utilization

VersionsAdditional versions

5.15.4.23930 1.52%
5.15.4.23821 25.38%
5.15.2.23037 7.61%
5.15.1.22229 2.54%
5.14.1.20064 2.03%
5.14.1.20007 5.08%
5.13.2.19379 0.51%
1.4.445269 1.52%
1.4.445269 0.51%
1.4.342067 1.52%
1.4.236670 4.57%
1.4.134141 2.54%
1.4.1.29781 0.51%
1.4.1.28235 3.05%
1.4.0.25589 2.54%
1.2.536191 3.05%
1.2.436191 1.52%
1.2.436191 4.06%
1.2.435882 4.57%
1.2.333021 1.52%
1.2.333021 0.51%
1.2.6.45268 1.02%
1.2.6.45268 0.51%
1.2.6.44892 2.03%
1.2.5.42066 1.02%
View more

PE structurePE file structure

Show functions
Import table
advapi32.dll
RegQueryValueExW, GetUserNameW, RegEnumKeyExW, RegDeleteKeyW, RegDeleteValueW, RegNotifyChangeKeyValue, RegQueryInfoKeyW, RegEnumValueW, ConvertSidToStringSidA, GetSecurityInfo, GetAclInformation, GetAce, DeleteAce, SetSecurityInfo, RegOpenKeyExW, RegCreateKeyExW, RegSetValueExW, RegCloseKey, RegFlushKey, AllocateAndInitializeSid, CheckTokenMembership, FreeSid
crypt32.dll
CryptMsgGetParam, CertFindCertificateInStore, CertGetNameStringW, CryptQueryObject
gdi32.dll
SetTextColor, SetBkColor, SetBkMode, CreateSolidBrush, CreateCompatibleBitmap, BitBlt, GetObjectW, GetDeviceCaps, GetBkColor, CreatePen, SelectObject, Rectangle, CreateCompatibleDC, StretchBlt, DeleteDC, DeleteObject, GetStockObject, CreateFontIndirectW, GetTextColor, GetDIBColorTable, GetTextMetricsW
gdiplus.dll
GdiplusShutdown
kernel32.dll
SetEvent, InitializeCriticalSection, GetVersionExW, RemoveDirectoryW, FindClose, FindNextFileW, FindFirstFileW, GetSystemInfo, GetSystemDefaultLangID, Process32NextW, CreateToolhelp32Snapshot, GetFileAttributesW, CreateDirectoryW, CreateFileA, FlushFileBuffers, WriteConsoleW, GetConsoleOutputCP, WriteConsoleA, SetStdHandle, GetConsoleMode, GetConsoleCP, SetFilePointer, GetLocaleInfoA, GetStringTypeW, GetStringTypeA, InitializeCriticalSectionAndSpinCount, GetCurrentProcessId, GetTickCount, QueryPerformanceCounter, DeleteCriticalSection, GetFileType, SetHandleCount, GetCommandLineW, GetEnvironmentStringsW, FreeEnvironmentStringsW, LCMapStringW, LCMapStringA, GetModuleHandleA, GetModuleFileNameA, GetStdHandle, HeapCreate, HeapReAlloc, IsValidCodePage, GetOEMCP, GetACP, GetCPInfo, ExitProcess, HeapSize, Sleep, TlsFree, TlsSetValue, TlsAlloc, TlsGetValue, GetStartupInfoW, SetFileAttributesW, GetSystemTimeAsFileTime, IsDebuggerPresent, SetUnhandledExceptionFilter, UnhandledExceptionFilter, TerminateProcess, RtlUnwind, VirtualAlloc, VirtualFree, IsProcessorFeaturePresent, LoadLibraryA, HeapAlloc, GetProcessHeap, HeapFree, InterlockedCompareExchange, GetModuleHandleW, InterlockedIncrement, FormatMessageW, OutputDebugStringW, WaitForSingleObject, CreateEventW, LeaveCriticalSection, GlobalHandle, GlobalFree, SetLastError, GetCurrentProcess, FlushInstructionCache, EnterCriticalSection, lstrlenA, MultiByteToWideChar, GetModuleFileNameW, lstrcmpW, FindResourceW, LoadResource, LockResource, GetCurrentThreadId, RaiseException, LocalAlloc, GetLastError, LocalFree, CloseHandle, LoadLibraryW, GetProcAddress, FreeLibrary, GlobalAlloc, GlobalLock, GlobalUnlock, MulDiv, InterlockedDecrement, lstrlenW, WideCharToMultiByte, GetTempPathW, DeleteFileW, CreateFileW, WriteFile, GetStartupInfoA, DllMain
msimg32.dll
TransparentBlt, AlphaBlend
ole32.dll
OleLockRunning, CoTaskMemAlloc, StringFromGUID2, CLSIDFromProgID, CoGetClassObject, CLSIDFromString, OleInitialize, CreateStreamOnHGlobal, CoUninitialize, CoInitialize, CoInitializeSecurity, CoInitializeEx, CoTaskMemFree, OleUninitialize, CoCreateInstance
oleacc.dll
AccessibleChildren, AccessibleObjectFromPoint, AccessibleObjectFromEvent, WindowFromAccessibleObject, AccessibleObjectFromWindow, GetRoleTextW
psapi.dll
GetModuleFileNameExW
rpcrt4.dll
UuidCreate, RpcStringFreeW, UuidToStringW
shell32.dll
SHGetFolderPathW, ShellExecuteExW, ShellExecuteW
shlwapi.dll
PathFileExistsW, StrStrIW
user32.dll
IsWindow, ScreenToClient, GetWindowRect, MoveWindow, UnregisterClassA, ClientToScreen, InvalidateRect, ShowWindow, IsWindowVisible, GetDlgItem, DrawTextW, FillRect, GetClientRect, BeginPaint, EndPaint, DestroyWindow, LoadImageW, SetRectEmpty, PostMessageW, SendMessageW, GetDC, ReleaseDC, RegisterClassExW, LoadCursorW, GetClassInfoExW, RegisterWindowMessageW, DefWindowProcW, GetSystemMetrics, SetWindowLongW, GetWindowLongW, SetWindowTextW, PostThreadMessageW, PostQuitMessage, MessageBoxW, UpdateWindow, GetSysColorBrush, LoadStringW, LoadAcceleratorsW, GetWindowTextW, TranslateAcceleratorW, TranslateMessage, DispatchMessageW, OffsetRect, GetCursorPos, PtInRect, SystemParametersInfoW, CreateDialogIndirectParamW, CallWindowProcW, InvalidateRgn, SetCapture, ReleaseCapture, GetMessageW, CreateAcceleratorTableW, GetDesktopWindow, CharNextW, GetParent, RedrawWindow, IsChild, SetFocus, GetFocus, GetSysColor, DestroyAcceleratorTable, SendDlgItemMessageW, CreateWindowExW, MapDialogRect, SetWindowContextHelpId, SetWindowPos, GetWindow, EnumWindows, EnumChildWindows, GetClassNameW, SetTimer, GetWindowTextLengthW, EqualRect, MsgWaitForMultipleObjects, SetWinEventHook, EndDialog, DialogBoxIndirectParamW, GetWindowInfo, KillTimer, GetActiveWindow, DrawIconEx, SetActiveWindow, PeekMessageW, GetWindowThreadProcessId, SetForegroundWindow, WindowFromPoint, FindWindowW, SendMessageTimeoutW, UnhookWinEvent, SetLayeredWindowAttributes
version.dll
VerQueryValueW, GetFileVersionInfoSizeW, GetFileVersionInfoW
wininet.dll
HttpQueryInfoW, InternetSetOptionW, InternetCloseHandle, InternetReadFile, HttpSendRequestExW, HttpOpenRequestW, HttpSendRequestW, InternetConnectW, InternetCanonicalizeUrlW, InternetOpenW, InternetCrackUrlW, HttpEndRequestW

Updater.exe

Updater by Ask.com (Signed)

Remove Updater.exe
Version:   1.2.6.45268
MD5:   d50e9018ef9f3f75d2ffed662d7a70df
SHA1:   2874abe5dda530e460050f99875f80278ad79d33
SHA256:   98ee1329a560c2c73ee727cec6f7533d4b8cbb01f892fe7139c8db3d2bbee588

What is Updater.exe?

The Ask Toolbar is a free browser add-on that allows you to search the Web using the Ask.com search engine directly from the Internet Explorer browser. The Ask Toolbar is integrated with the 3rd party software downloads. During the installation of some software, users are presented with an option of downloading the Ask Toolbar. This is the software update portion of teh toolbar which automatically checks for new versions and updates the toolbar.

About Updater.exe (from Ask.com)

The Ask Toolbar is a free browser add-on that allows you to search the Web using the Ask.com search engine directly from Internet Explorer or Firefox browsers. The toolbar software DOES NOT monitor th

DetailsDetails

File name:updater.exe
Publisher:Ask
Product name:Updater
Description:Ask Updater
Typical file path:C:\Program Files\ask.com\updater\updater.exe
File version:1.2.6.45268
Size:1.57 MB (1,648,264 bytes)
Build date:4/30/2013 9:02 PM
Certificate
Issued to:Ask.com
Authority (CA):VeriSign
Effective date:Monday, June 16, 2008
Expiration date:Friday, June 17, 2011
Digital DNA
Entropy:6.255219
File packed:No
.NET CLR:No
More details

ResourcesPrograms

The following programs will install this file
Ask.com
  74% remove
Avira SearchFree Toolbar plus Web Protection Updater installs with the Ask.com internet browser toolbar and keeps it automatically updated. Avira SearchFree Toolbar gets installed through bundled software. The default settings will automatically install the Avira SearchFree Toolbar as soon as you install the host bundler software on your PC. Sometimes Avira SearchFree Toolbar has a habit of leaving numerious files, settings and useless ...
Ask.com
  81% remove
The Ask Toolbar is a web-browser add-on that can appear as an extra bar added to the browser's window and/or menu. It is often installed (sometimes without warning) during the installation of other software. Ask.com has entered into partnerships with some software security vendors, whereby they are paid to distribute the toolbar alongside their software. When you use the Toolbar to submit a query, the Toolbar forwards such query inform...
Ask.com
  81% remove
Avira SearchFree Toolbar plus Web Protection Updater installs with the Ask.com internet browser toolbar and keeps it automatically updated. Avira SearchFree Toolbar gets installed through bundled software. The default settings will automatically install the Avira SearchFree Toolbar as soon as you install the host bundler software on your PC. Sometimes Avira SearchFree Toolbar has a habit of leaving numerious files, settings and useless ...
Ask.com
  75% remove
The Ask Toolbar Updater is designed to periodically (once a day) check for an install updates to the toolbar without the interaction of the user. The Ask Toolbar and other applications are increasingly being bundled with programs; most notably freeware. It's usually installed during the installation of a program, and it's easy to miss the step where you can un-check the Ask Toolbar option.

BehaviorsBehaviors

Startup files (all users) run
Runs under the registry key 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run'
  • 'ApnUpdater' → "C:\Program Files\Ask.com\Updater\Updater.exe"

Windows OS versionsDistribution by Windows OS

OS versiondistribution
Windows 7 Ultimate 33.33%
Microsoft Windows XP 16.67%
Windows 7 Home Premium 12.96%
Windows 7 Professional 9.26%
Windows 8 9.26%
Windows XP Professional 3.70%
Windows 7 Ultimate N 3.70%
Windows 7 Home Basic 1.85%
Windows Vista Home Premium 1.85%
Windows 7 Enterprise 1.85%
Windows 8 Pro with Media Center 1.85%
Windows 7 Starter 1.85%
Windows Vista Ultimate 1.85%

Distribution by countryDistribution by country

United States installs about 26.53% of Updater.

OEM distributionDistribution by PC manufacturer

PC Manufacturerdistribution
Hewlett-Packard 28.57%
Dell 17.86%
Acer 14.29%
Lenovo 14.29%
Sony 7.14%
GIGABYTE 5.36%
Samsung 3.57%
Toshiba 3.57%
ASUS 3.57%
Sahara 1.79%
Should I remove It? Clean your PC of unwanted adware, toolbars and bloatware.

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