[praxidice]

I am running XP Home. My computer has automatically downloaded the file wsus3setup.cab at startup, multiple times.

I looked up the file online and it seems to be a Microsoft file. The file opens with WinRAR (my default program), and I can extract it.

Now what? I can't figure out what this file is or why my computer wants it.

Thanks!

[Advertisements]

wsus is the Windows Software Update Service...i'm not sure why your system would be downloading it at startup though

have you recently gone to windows update? if so...where you presented with an option to start using microsoft update instead of windows update?

[dsenette]

wsus is the Windows Software Update Service...i'm not sure why your system would be downloading it at startup though

have you recently gone to windows update? if so...where you presented with an option to start using microsoft update instead of windows update?

[diabillic]

Where is it downloading to? Since your on XP Home, you cant be a part of a domain so that rules out group policy being the culprit. It could also be a piece of malware with a disguised file name.

[praxidice]

Thanks for your responses!

@dsenette: Yes, I just updated via automatic updates. There was no option given, it just went on as normal (I used Express Install).

@diabillic: A prompt opens to save or run the file. I save it; it opens in WinRAR by default. I extracted it to the desktop, thinking it was an update of some sort, but haven't done anything with it.

My computer is sort of weird. I'll try to explain but I don't know much about networking so forgive me if I sound like a moron.

This is an office computer on a network, but I work in China and don't speak/read Mandarin. So, my computer has XP Home instead of the Chinese version of Windows that everyone else here uses. I know the internet is from the network; I have to log in to use it. But, there is no file sharing and I can't access my computer from any other computers (so far as I know).

This computer had been off all summer. Automatic Updates ran when I turned it on for the first time, and has run three times total since the initial big catch-up. It was after this third time that it started downloading this file.

If I delete the file, it downloads again the next time I restart my computer.

I just checked the file properties, and the digital signature is Microsoft Windows Component Publisher.

[dsenette]

do you have any contact with your IT group? have they implemented any settings to change where you get your updates from?

being XP home...you can't be part of a domain...so they can't be pushing group policy to you, but they could have messed with the local policy..

i'd contact your IT group and see what they've got to say

[praxidice]

The IT group speaks absolutely no English and I don't speak computer Mandarin.

I showed them but they just shrugged!

The file doesn't seem to be *doing* anything, (although I'm not really sure how to check whether or not it is...?) so maybe it's okay just to leave it...

[dsenette]

The IT group speaks absolutely no English and I don't speak computer Mandarin.

if you were in an english speaking country...you'd have the same issue....we purposely don't speak english

i'm relatively certain that you don't need to worry about the file for now...leave it alone...i'll continue researching to see if i can find a reason that it's downloading it every day

[praxidice]

I knew you people were conspiring to shroud everything in mystery...

Thanks again for your help!