OneDrive Updater
onedriveupdater.exe is safe. It's a Microsoft OneDrive updater component that checks for and applies official updates to the OneDrive client in the background.
onedriveupdater.exe is the updater executable for Microsoft OneDrive. It runs in the background to check for and apply official updates to the OneDrive client, ensuring security patches, feature updates, and compatibility with Windows. It may launch at startup or during app operation to keep the service current.
This updater communicates with Microsoft update servers, verifies digital signatures, downloads updater payloads, and applies patches. It runs as a child process of OneDrive and uses background tasks to minimize UI impact and ensure reliability.
Quick Fact: The updater helps maintain security and feature parity with the cloud service without requiring user intervention.
Yes, onedriveupdater.exe is safe when it's the legitimate file from Microsoft downloaded from official sources (onedrive updater components in the Microsoft OneDrive installation).
The real onedriveupdater.exe is NOT a virus. However, malware may impersonate updater binaries to evade detection.
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft OneDrive\Updater\onedriveupdater.exe or C:\Program Files\Microsoft OneDrive\Updater\onedriveupdater.exe. Any other location is suspicious.Red Flags: If onedriveupdater.exe is located in unusual folders (like Temp or AppData), runs when OneDrive is not installed, has no digital signature, or uses abnormal resources constantly, scan with reputable antivirus software and verify the path.
onedriveupdater.exe runs to keep the OneDrive client up to date, address compatibility issues, and apply security patches. It can start at Windows boot or during OneDrive activity whenever an update is available.
Reasons it's running:
Yes, you can disable onedriveupdater.exe. It’s safe to disable updater auto-checks if you prefer manual updates, but this may delay security patches. Uninstalling OneDrive removes updater components.
If onedriveupdater.exe is consuming excessive resources:
Quick Fixes:
1. Open OneDrive settings → pause updates if available
2. End the updater process in Task Manager and restart OneDrive
3. Ensure OneDrive is up to date via Settings → Help & Settings → Settings → About
4. Disable unnecessary startup items related to OneDrive
5. Run a full antivirus scan to rule out malware masquerading as updater
No, the legitimate onedriveupdater.exe from Microsoft is not a virus. Verify the file path is C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft OneDrive\Updater\onedriveupdater.exe or C:\Program Files\Microsoft OneDrive\Updater\onedriveupdater.exe and that the digital signature shows 'Microsoft Corporation'.
The updater runs to keep the OneDrive client current and ready for automatic synchronization. It may start at sign-in or when an update is available.
Yes, you can disable auto-update checks and startup behavior. Be aware that this may delay security patches and feature updates for OneDrive.
Common locations are C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft OneDrive\Updater\onedriveupdater.exe or C:\Program Files\Microsoft OneDrive\Updater\onedriveupdater.exe. Verify the path matches the official installation.
You can check for updates in the OneDrive app under Help & Settings → About or install the latest OneDrive package from the official Microsoft website.
If you don’t use OneDrive, removing the OneDrive client will remove updater components. If you still use OneDrive but want to manage updates, consider disabling automatic updates instead of removing the updater.