C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\OSA.EXE

Discussion in 'other security issues & news' started by Nikilet, Jan 2, 2009.

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  1. Nikilet

    Nikilet Registered Member

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    I run Windows Vista Home Premium.

    I have no idea if I'm in the right forum. It seems to be every time I open CCleaner (free version) I get a notification from Win Patrol that C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\OSA.EXE wants to be added to my start up programs. I started off clicking no but it just kept popping up, so now I've been clicking yes, and it still keeps happening.

    I don't think I even have Microsoft Office. Seems like I uninstalled it awhile back because Secunia PSI said it was not secure and I have never used it so I uninstalled. When I look in "Uninstall Programs" it isn't listed. When I go to C/Program Files there is a folder there called Microsoft Office but there doesn't appear to be an actual application in the folder.
     
    Nikilet, Jan 2, 2009
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  2. JRViejo

    JRViejo Super Moderator

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    Nikilet, try using MSCONFIG to prevent osa.exe from loading at startup and see if that cures your problem.
     
    JRViejo, Jan 3, 2009
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  3. Nikilet

    Nikilet Registered Member

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    I do not have an item called osa.exe in my msconfig start up items. But it's still happening.
     
    Nikilet, Jan 25, 2009
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  4. JRViejo

    JRViejo Super Moderator

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    When you go to the C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office folder, are there any files at all inside that folder or is it empty?

    I ask because if you find files there, the program was not completely uninstalled and you need to see if Office is still found in Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features and uninstall it. You could also use Revo Uninstaller, in advanced mode, to do the same thing.

    If the folder is empty, then there might be a errant Registry key causing the problem. You could try Autoruns for Windows to see if the osa.exe shows up in the Everything tab.

    BTW, Office10 was Office XP (2002) for XP only. Office11 is Office 2003 for XP & Vista and Office12 is Office 2007 for XP & Vista. Just FYI.
     
    JRViejo, Jan 25, 2009
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  5. FiOS Dan

    FiOS Dan Registered Member

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    This article is for XP but it probably is still relevant to Vista. If so, sounds like you can just delete osa.exe. HTH
     
    FiOS Dan, Jan 25, 2009
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  6. JRViejo

    JRViejo Super Moderator

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    FiOS Dan, yes, I too saw that article and it should be the same for Vista, but if I read Nikilet's first post correctly, that osa.exe was not inside the folder so it could be a left over Registry key. Let's see how Nikilet responds.
     
    JRViejo, Jan 25, 2009
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  7. Nikilet

    Nikilet Registered Member

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    I never received any more notifications of answers to this problem so I just gave up on it and have been putting up with it. But it has continued and so I did a search and found this original post to Wilders.

    JRViejo: When I go to C/Program Files/Microsoft Office there are 4 folders: Media, Office 10, PowerPoint Viewer and Templates. Under Office 10 there are several folders and all are empty. There are also two DLL files labeled AW.DLL and HLP95EN.DLL. The only folder that has anything in it is PowerPoint Viewer.

    I ran the autorun for Windows and looked through the Everything tab and didn't see anything labeled Microsoft Office or osa.exe.
     
    Nikilet, Apr 19, 2009
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  8. JRViejo

    JRViejo Super Moderator

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    Nikilet, long time, no see; welcome back!

    OK, looks like Microsoft Office did not uninstall cleanly. The simplest thing you can do is to move that entire Microsoft Office folder from Program Files to say, My Documents, and run CCleaner to see if WinPatrol still warns you about osa.exe. If it does not, you can delete that Office folder but if the warning continues, then it's a Registry key.

    Using the article that FiOS Dan provided, if you are comfortable with modifying the Registry (make sure to back it up first and keep in mind that you are modifying it at your own risk), see if the 2 Registry keys, near the bottom of that article, are there and change the values to 0 (zero) and try CCleaner again. Keep us posted.

    Re: Windows registry information for advanced users | How to back up and restore the registry in Windows.
     
    JRViejo, Apr 19, 2009
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  9. Nikilet

    Nikilet Registered Member

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    Things keep getting stranger. I didn't do as you said because my problem quit happening; however, other strange things are going on.

    Recently I started getting the message "Windows Explorer has stopped working" ... followed by "Looking for a solution" ... followed by "Windows Explorer is restarting." My desktop would flash like it had refreshed itself but if I'd try to do anything the Windows Explorer boxes would just keep coming and the only way I could get out of the loop was to restart. After restarting everything would be fine -- for a while. Then too, just before I would get this Explorer message my WinPatrol would beep like it does when it's going to show a pop up, but nothing would happen and then I'd get the Explorer message and my WinPatrol icon would disappear from the task bar.

    Just before this started happening I had updated/upgraded Java, WinPatrol, RoboForm, Firefox and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware. (My default browser is IE 7. I have Firefox but rarely use it.) After doing some searching and reading I couldn't really find anything specific to my particular problem, but I did completely uninstall and then reinstall Java, WinPatrol and Malwarebytes and the Windows Explorer problem seemed to stop.

    Last night I spent a long time online shopping and then a long time going through my email box, all without incident. I then ran Secunia PSI and was advised that I needed to update Adobe AIR. I had uninstalled Adobe AIR quite some time ago and have been getting this advisory from Secunia so I did some research on this problem and decided to just uninstall Adobe Reader 9.1 and reinstall it. I did that and then went ahead with the update to Adobe AIR and the Windows Explorer problem started all over again, including the problem with WinPatrol.

    I tried several restarts but this just kept happening so I again uninstalled WinPatrol and reinstalled it and haven't had any problems since. But would you have any idea what could be causing this? I have had WinPatrol for several years and have never had a problem with it.

    Just before posting here, I ran Registry Mechanic and CCleaner and I did not get the pop up from WinPatrol stating that the OSA.exe wanted to run at startup.
     
    Nikilet, Apr 24, 2009
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  10. JRViejo

    JRViejo Super Moderator

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    Well, if you had both WinPatrol and Office around the same time, perhaps WP still kept an errant leftover from when Office was uninstalled. Also, WP 2009 was just updated to version 16.0.2009.2 on April 20th, and that could have cleared your issue. Sometimes uninstalls and re-installs cure lots of ills. Be happy... but be on the lookout.

    FYI. Adobe Reader 9.1 has had printing problems lately and in case you have to revert back to version 8.1.3, here it is from FileHippo or Adobe. Then, you'll have to update to version 8.1.4 via this Security Bulletin.
     
    JRViejo, Apr 24, 2009
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  11. Nikilet

    Nikilet Registered Member

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    Perhaps uninstalling WinPatrol and reinstalling cleared something so that I no longer get this message about osa.exe. But I can't figure out the rest. Seems like every time I update/upgrade something WinPatrol has been going completely whacky and giving me the Windows Explorer problem, etc. It could get to be pretty tiresome of I have to uninstall and reinstall WinPatrol every time I do an upgrade/update on a program. Like I said, I've never had any problem with WinPatrol until that evening when I upgraded several things, including WP. I do now have that latest upgrade, the 1.60.2009.2. So I guess I'll just wait to see what happens the next time I have to update a program.

    Thanks for your help.
     
    Nikilet, Apr 24, 2009
    #11
  12. Joeythedude

    Joeythedude Registered Member

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    If a version of a program is working ok , i normally disable automatic updates.
    Firefox would be one exception.
    I def say you don't need to be updating WP all the time it changes.
     
    Joeythedude, Apr 24, 2009
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  13. JRViejo

    JRViejo Super Moderator

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    Nikilet, you're welcome! If you want to let Bill Pytlovany what's happening with your WinPatrol, here's the email contact info: support at winpatrol.com.
     
    JRViejo, Apr 24, 2009
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  14. Nikilet

    Nikilet Registered Member

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    I did uninstall and reinstall the newest update on WinPatrol and so far no problems.

    I don't have auto updates enabled on WinPatrol, but it had been so long since I'd done anything I thought maybe I'd better check so I did that update all on my own.

    Anyway, hopefully the problem is solved. Thanks, everyone, for your help!

    Nikilet
     
    Nikilet, May 3, 2009
    #14
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