More than a year ago, many users started reporting a weird issue where OperaGXSetup.exe keeps downloading automatically on their PC for no apparent reason. Apparently, this problem continues and there are still many users experiencing such automatic downloads.
Now Opera and Opera GX are both legitimate and popular browsers (I, myself, am using Opera right now!). However, the unusual downloads of the OperaGX installer, understandably, cause people to worry about the presence of malware in their systems. But this begs the question, is OperaGXSetup.exe a virus or, at the very least, is a virus causing its recurring downloads?
OFFERI researched this topic extensively and learned there are two possible reasons for the OperaGXSetup.exe downloads. The first one is a bugged updater executable that is set to run automatically through a scheduled task. In other words – not malware.
The other possible reason, however, is a random rogue software, like Civia App or RoxiApp, set to download this installer. In this case, the executable is likely either tampered with or is actual malware in disguise.
Both of those scenarios will be addressed in the detailed guide I’ve prepared for you next, so go ahead and check it out if you are faced with the “OperaGXSetup.exe keeps downloading” problem.
How to Stop OperaGXSetup.exe From Downloading
As I mentioned above, there are two possible reasons OperaGXSetup.exe keeps getting downloaded onto your PC. The first one doesn’t represent a risk to your system security and can be easily dealt with while the second one is a security hazard and will take more time to resolve.
I can help you with both scenarios and I recommend that we first try to deal with the OperaGXSetup.exe downloads the easy way. It’s possible (and very likely) that you can resolve this in only a couple of minutes, so it’s worth the shot:
- Go to your Start Menu, type Task Scheduler, and press the Enter key.
- In the window that opens, click the Task Scheduler Library folder in the top-left.
- Look at the listed tasks in the central panel. Search for a task named Opera Autoupdate or anything similar to that. Generally, look for any tasks that have “Opera” in their names. For example:
- Right-click the task or tasks you find and select Disable.
- Now, one by one, check all other tasks in the list by clicking each one individually, selecting their Actions tab, and looking at what the specific task is set to perform.
- If you come across a task that’s set to run an executable that has anything to do with Opera, delete it.
- Also, delete tasks that are set to run a script file. A script file can execute a download command and if there’s a scheduled task to run such a file, automatic downloads can occur without your input or approval.
- Lastly, go to your Downloads folder and/or any other folders where OperaGXSetup.exe was downloaded and delete all instances of the file.
Video walkthrough for this step:
Once you’ve cleaned the Task Scheduler from tasks that could be responsible for downloading or running OperaGXSetup.exe, restart your PC and begin using it normally
If you eventually notice that the OperaGXSetup.exe issue is still present, this means its cause is likely some form of malware or PUP (potentially unwanted app) installed on your PC.
In such a case, you’d need to perform a more thorough system cleanup by following the detailed malware removal steps I’ve prepared for you below.
SUMMARY:
Important! Read Before Continuing
This guide will help you hunt down any malware in your PC that could be triggering the OperaGXSetup.exe downloads. However, since there could be thousands of different rogue apps that could be responsible for this, the steps below will require you to do some of the legwork and their effectiveness will often depend on your judgment.
Because of this, if you lack at least some technical experience, this guide might not fully rid you of the malware. I, therefore, recommend combining the following steps with a professional anti-malware solution, such as SpyHunter 5 – a powerful removal tool you’ll find on the current page.
How to Remove OperaGXSetup.exe
This is the advanced malware removal guide intended to help you delete any rogue programs currently in your system that could be causing fake/modified versions of OperaGXSetup.exe to be downloaded on your PC.
Take your time to complete all steps and to decide which items (programs, files, folders, etc.) need to be deleted.
Uninstall the OperaGXSetup Virus
First, I recommend going to the Start Menu, searching for Apps & Features, and opening it.
Then sort the list of programs by date and see what’s been installed recently.
If there are any apps or programs that seem suspicious – like they could be related to the OperaGXSetup.exe downloads – click them, click Uninstall, and go through the removal prompts.
Do this for every questionable and potentially unwanted app you might encounter.
Video walkthrough for this step:
How to Delete OperaGXSetup.exe Virus Files
There are two important prerequisites to successfully perform the next steps:
- Download and install LockHunter – a free app that lets you delete files that are still in use.
- Reveal any hidden files and folders on your PC by searching for Folder Options in the Start Menu, opening it, going to the View tab, and enabling Show Hidden Files and Folders.
Video walkthrough for this step:
There are several locations in your system that you must visit and check for malware files:
- C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Roaming
- C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
- C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
- C:\Program Files
- C:\Program Files (x86)
In each of those locations, your mission is to look for strangely-named folders, write down their exact names, and then delete them.
For instance, a couple of recent malware programs we encountered had folders named “Yusiq Axo S” and “Trix Winqz Ro“.
These are only two examples of unusual folder names you can encounter in those folders. If you see anything like this, delete it.
Also, if you notice a folder with the name of the program (or programs) you tried to uninstall at the start of the guide, delete it too.
In case a particular folder can’t be deleted because a file in it is still in use, right-click it, click “What’s locking this folder?” and then click Delete (you need to have LockHunter installed for this).
How to Delete Persistent Files with Lock Hunter
There’s one more folder you must visit:
- C:\Users\*YOUR USERNAME*\AppData\Local\Temp
Here, simply press Ctrl + A and delete everything. It’s all temporary data, so you can delete it safely.
Get Rid of OperaGXSetup.exe Malware Keys From the Registry
Now it’s time to go to the Registry. Type regedit in the Start Menu, right-click the first result > Open As Administrator.
Then press Ctrl + F and start searching for items related to the program you attempted to delete at the start of the guide (search for its exact name).
If you find anything, delete it from the left panel and perform another search. Do this until there are no more results.
Then repeat for any other programs you attempted to uninstall earlier.
Also, search for the names of any rogue folders you deleted in the previous step.
Once all this is done, find the following locations in the left panel of the Registry Editor.
Select each key from the left and then look at its contents to the right. If anything there seems sketchy, delete the respective entry (value) but do not delete the actual key in the left panel.
Video walkthrough for this step:
Uninstall the OperaGXSetup.exe Virus From Your Browser
If you are dealing with a rogue app (such as an adware) it has likely invaded your browser too. Here’s how to deal with this:
First, if there’s a “Managed by your organization” message in the browser, this means there’s a rogue policy you must take care of.
Search for Edit Group Policy in the Start Menu, open it, go to Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates, right-click the latter, and click the Add/Remove option.
In the list that appears, delete everything. This ensures that there are no rogue policies in the browser.
Another way to delete malware policies is to run the free Chrome Policy Remover tool with admin rights. Don’t worry if this triggers a malware warning – just ignore it by clicking More Info > Run Anyway.
Video walkthrough for this step:
Manual Group Policy Removal
Automatic Group Policy Removal
Once unwanted third-party policies are gone, you must clean the browser itself.
Open it, select its menu, go to Settings, and clean the following sections:
- Privacy and Security – Click Delete browsing data, and clear all data types excluding Passwords using the All Time range.
- Site Settings – You’ll find this section under Privacy and Security for Chrome. On Edge, you must go to Cookies and Site Permissions. In there, check each permission type and purge it of unfamiliar URLs that are allowed the respective permission.
- Search Engine – Set your default search engine to something reliable, then open Manage Search Engines, and remove any unknown addresses.
- Appearance and On Startup – Same thing here – delete rogue URLs or URLs not added by you.
Video walkthrough for this step:
Chrome
Microsoft Edge
Mozilla Firefox
This finalizes the removal process and should typically be enough to rid you of any rogue apps that could be triggering the OperaGXSetup.exe downloads. Still, if these steps weren’t enough or if you got stuck at any particular part of the guide, know you can always count on SpyHunter 5 to take care of the rest for you.
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