Is the Windows 10 Upgrade Notification Malware?
If you’re running Windows Vista, 7, 8, or 8.1 you have most likely started to see a strange icon in your system tray. It looks like a little white Windows flag as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Get Windows 10.
The hover text says Get Windows 10. When you right-click it you get the context menu shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2. Is this malware?
The options on the context menu include:
- Get Windows 10
- Reserve your free upgrade
- Go to Windows Update
- Get to know Windows 10
If you primary-click on the icon you see a screen like Figure 3 that explains how the free upgrade works.
So is this malware?
Nope, this isn’t malware. This is Microsoft announcing that Windows 10 is available beginning July 29th and that they want you to upgrade to Windows 10. It’s a real Microsoft announcement, not an adware application or some type of malware.
How can I be sure? The executable that launches both the tray icon and the windowed application is GWXUX.exe. That file was installed in a recent Windows Update for Windows Vista and later and is digitally signed by Microsoft Corporation. So it’s authentic, it comes from Redmond, and is not doing anything else to your system.
Enjoy!
Mike Danseglio -CISSP / MCSE / CEH
Interface Technical Training – Technical Director and Instructor
For more Windows 10 articles, see the following posts from Interface Technical Training:
- Windows 10 DVD Player Released by Rick Trader
- Where did my Windows Media Center go and what’s new in Windows 10? by Rick Trader
- Performing a Windows 10 Clean Installation using Windows 10 Upgrade Media by Rick Trader
- How to create Windows 10 Alternate Upgrade Media by Rick Trader
- Is the Windows 10 Upgrade Notification Malware? By Mike Danseglio
- Introducing Windows 10 for IT Professionals – Free eBook from Microsoft
- Windows 10 – Exploring Security by Steve Fullmer
- Windows 10 – “Recommended” Update enables Get Win 10 capabilities by Steve Fullmer
- How to Install the Latest Windows Update Agent by Steve Fullmer
- Windows 10 – First Look by Steve Fullmer
Configuring Windows Mobility Center and How to Turn it On and Off
Here's a video demonstration to give you some background for the Mobility Center "How do I configure it? How do I turn it on? How do I turn it off?"
Windows 10 Features and Navigation – December 1, 2015
In this video, Windows Instructor Steve Fullmer presents the navigation and some of the new features associated with Windows 10 including Sysinternals Tools for Windows Client, Windows core concepts, exploring Process Explorer as well as some of the features that are not yet ready for prime time but will be released shortly in the future with Windows 10.
Detailed Forensic Investigation of Malware Infections – April 21, 2015
In this IT Security training video, Security expert Mike Danseglio (CISSP / CEH) will perform several malware investigations including rootkits, botnets, viruses, and browser toolbars.
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I have had a notification in the bottom right corner of my screen, regardless of what I am doing, that reads “Spyware and unwanted software protection” and has a red “X” icon that is non-functional. I cannot get rid of it. Can anyone advise? It is actually blocking some actions so they are unable to be accessed.
Thanks!
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Actually it is malware as it was not installed by me or anyone on my technical team. There is no obvious way to dismiss it other than clicking to close it all the time.
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