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    InstallTAPAdapter.exe self-generates and tries to install network adapters on my computer

    Discussion in 'Security and Anti-Virus Software' started by ignorant, May 19, 2017.

  1. ignorant

    ignorant Notebook Consultant

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    Long ago I had discovered that something kept creating new entries of "TAP Network Adapter" under Network Adapters in Device manager. I had tried to search what was the cause of that but never found it. Recently I updated my version of Kaspersky and it started notifying me about what certain programs were trying to do.

    So finally after like 2 years I have finally been able to discover that there's a file in C:\Windows\Temp called InstallTAPAdapter.exe that is responsible for creating all of these obsolete (and possibly malicious?) extra network adapters. Google searches say this program is called 7-Zip SFX and it's part of the 7-Zip package. I uninstalled 7-Zip already and deleted this file and a few associated folders from the Temp folder but every time I reboot my computer this file is there again and trying to install these nasty network adapters that I don't even know what they do.

    How can I get rid of this evil thing? How can a program be re-created on its own after you delete it? There must be another program creating it somewhere. How can I find it?

    I'm on Windows 10 v1703.