New user account created, not by me.

[Davren]

Switched computer on today and a screen appeared with a button for my account and another button for a password protected administrator account named "PQBSUPDATE".

I've never seen this screen before, it usually goes straight to my desktop when I switch on and I've no idea what this new account is and it isn't shown in the list of users.

Google search for PQBSUPDATE returns numerous identical posts from the same person on lots of different forums but no answer to the problem.

The only out of the ordinary thing I did yesterday was try (unsuccessfully) to install a GM Vauxhall/Opal EPC (Electronic Parts Catalogue) program. A search for "PQBSUPDATE" or "PQBS" in the files for that program returns nothing.

Any thoughts what this could be and/or how I remove it without the password?

PC is running Vista Home Premium.

 

[dave]

control pannel, user accounts, remove accounts

 

[Davren]

Just looked at Control Panel\User Accounts, It only shows an icon for my account.

Clicked the "Manage another account" link and it shows my account and a "Guest" account. I've never seen that before either but Google says the guest account is supposed to be there.

 

[dombooth]

Switched computer on today and a screen appeared with a button for my account and another button for a password protected administrator account named "PQBSUPDATE".

I've never seen this screen before, it usually goes straight to my desktop when I switch on and I've no idea what this new account is and it isn't shown in the list of users.

Google search for PQBSUPDATE returns numerous identical posts from the same person on lots of different forums but no answer to the problem.

The only out of the ordinary thing I did yesterday was try (unsuccessfully) to install a GM Vauxhall/Opal EPC (Electronic Parts Catalogue) program. A search for "PQBSUPDATE" or "PQBS" in the files for that program returns nothing.

Any thoughts what this could be and/or how I remove it without the password?

PC is running Vista Home Premium.

Go to Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > System Tools > Local Users and Groups > Users.


Under 'Description' it should give a brief description of what the account is used for. If there's no description with something along the lines of 'built in account' you should be able to delete it from there by right-clicking it and clicking delete.

Hope it helps
Dom

 

[volxstu]

There is something a bit fishy about the Google search isnt there

 

[dave]

some thing sounds fishy, dont think this is google though, what porn sites you been on?

 

[udtrev]

Take a look here - Vauxhalls EPC is not the only one !

http://forums.mazdaworld.org/100-millenia/79742-mazda-usa-epc-2009-a.html


Trev

 

[Davren]

Take a look here - Vauxhalls EPC is not the only one !
http://forums.mazdaworld.org/100-millenia/79742-mazda-usa-epc-2009-a.html

Trev

At least that suggests it did come from the EPC program I tried to install.

Go to Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > System Tools > Local Users and Groups > Users.

Hope it helps
Dom

I got as far as 'System' Tools, but there's no 'Local Users and Groups' or 'Users'
.

 

[dombooth]

At least that suggests it did come from the EPC program I tried to install.




I got as far as 'System' Tools, but there's no 'Local Users and Groups' or 'Users'
.

Windows Vista? If so the only way that I know of to the Users is in Control Panel > User Accounts.

Dom

 

[Oakley28]

Windows Vista :yuck:

Can you not just System Restore it to before you did the install, and then run MalwareBytes just to be safe?

 

[jip0]

try booting up in safe mood and gong through control panel (f8 key on boot up)

also pm sent for security reasons as this a public forum

 

[Davren]

Windows Vista? If so the only way that I know of to the Users is in Control Panel > User Accounts.

Dom

Tried that.

Just looked at Control Panel\User Accounts, It only shows an icon for my account.

Clicked the "Manage another account" link and it shows my account and a "Guest" account. I've never seen that before either but Google says the guest account is supposed to be there.

Windows Vista :yuck:

Can you not just System Restore it to before you did the install, and then run MalwareBytes just to be safe?

I was going to try that next, but after I'd switched the PC off and back on the next day, the account had gone.

Still need to try to get the EPC program installed so will see if it comes back again.

As the User Account that gets created is a password protected Administrator Account, could it be doing anything in the background that I don't know about?

I don't see why the program needs to create an account if it's just to update the software.

 

[jip0]

As the User Account that gets created is a password protected Administrator Account, could it be doing anything in the background that I don't know about?

I don't see why the program needs to create an account if it's just to update the software.

yeah it could although if your account has administrator powers then you should be able to see what its doing

so it doesn't have to ask you for administrator privileges and can update in the background silently

personally i wouldn't trust it, the producer has a very strange way of going about things

 

[Oakley28]

Your Púter always has an Account with higher privelliges that any other account running in the background so maybe whatever you're installing is somehow using this? But yeah - as said if you make sure your local account is within the Admin Group then you should be able to see what is going on with this account and maybe delete it.

I would read into it more first though, as I wouldnt be happy using a program that is creating a locked ADMIN account on my system.

 

[Davren]

I no longer get the PQBSUPDATE account being created now, but I still can't get the EPC program to work.

All parts of the program (4 .msi files) install OK but then I need to run a .bat file which is supposed to create a URL from which the program is run. All it creates though is " http://server.port/dir ". It's supposed to create something like this " http://127.0.0.1:XXX/PQMace "

Searching the web, I've found 2 slightly different versions of the .bat file.

SET PATH="C:\Program Files\Snap-on Business Solutions\Global EPC\GM\jre1.6.0_02\bin";%PATH%
c:
cd "C:\Program Files\Snap-on Business Solutions\Global EPC\GM\Configurator"

java -jar Configurator.jar

The other version is the same as above but has a blank line instead of the c: at line 2.

Any thoughts on which one would be correct, and does rest of the format of this file look OK?