Unsolved
12 Elder
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45.2K Posts
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172.6K Points
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1500
October 17th, 2023 16:30
Killer Updates - Win 10
Windows Update forcibly installed Intel Corporation - SoftwareComponent - 3.1423.712.2 on my XPS 8930/Win 10 22H2 today, even though WU had listed it as "optional" for a few days.
Checking in services.msc, all 4 Killer services were running, and their Startup type was set to Automatic, even though I had previously set them all to disabled.
Didn't wait to see what/any network connection issues this update would cause this time, so I stopped all 4 services and reset their Startup type to disabled.
So if anyone starts seeing slow internet download or upload speeds, or other network connection issues, check in services.msc to see if Killer (and xTend, if listed) services are running. Stop them, change their Startup type to disabled, reboot, and see if that fixes the problem.
NOTE: Any similar Win 11 Intel (Killer) update may have a different version number.
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JOcean
11 Legend
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69.5K Points
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October 17th, 2023 19:05
Great information, and sneaky little way that happened.
garioch7
7 Practitioner
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305 Posts
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1.5K Points
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October 20th, 2023 16:41
@RoHe
Running Windows 11 Pro. Thanks to your post, I went and checked. The Killer Services on my computers were re-enabled: two set to Automatic and two to Manual. All are disabled again.
Thanks for the heads-up. Have a great weekend.
Regards,
Phil
JOcean
11 Legend
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69.5K Points
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October 20th, 2023 19:15
@garioch7 Happy to help out and a wish for a great weekend to you as well!
RoHe
12 Elder
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45.2K Posts
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172.6K Points
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October 20th, 2023 19:29
@garioch7 - Please look in Windows Update>View Update History>Driver Updates to find and post the Win 11 version number for Intel Corporation - SoftwareComponent which was recently installed on your PC.
That way Win 11 users will know which Intel update is enabling those Killer drivers again.
Thanks!
garioch7
7 Practitioner
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305 Posts
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1.5K Points
2
October 21st, 2023 17:03
@RoHe
Here you go: Intel Corporation - SoftwareComponent - 3.1423.712.2
It was installed on the 17th of October.
Thanks again, and have a great day.
Regards,
Phil
garioch7
7 Practitioner
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305 Posts
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1.5K Points
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October 21st, 2023 17:48
@RoHe
Just noticed that the Microsoft Store reinstalled the Killer Intelligence Center app. That thing is insidious, almost a virus, and definitely a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Program). Uninstalled it again.
Have a great day.
Regards,
Phil
RoHe
12 Elder
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45.2K Posts
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172.6K Points
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October 21st, 2023 19:38
Thanks for the info that the same Intel (Killer) version number applies to both Win 10 and Win 11.
KIC was likely installed by this new Intel (Killer) SoftwareComponent which Windows Update installed. Killer drivers weren't updated by this new update.
Wouldn't be so bad if KIC didn't kill upload/download speeds every single time it gets installed. Oh, maybe that's why they call it "Killer"...? And we have to play whack-a-mole...
(edited)
ispalten
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October 21st, 2023 21:51
Ron,
Looks like Windows 11 Moment 4 might have changes some stuff?
Zelig Smith
1 Rookie
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3 Posts
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October 27th, 2023 23:10
I just can't stop Dell/Intel/Rivet/Killer (or some conspiracy thereof) from crippling my ethernet connection.
I had everything removed and disabled, including Windows Update of manufacturer drivers, and observed this sequence of crippleware getting installed:
---
---Scanning for installed Killer Software components---
Installs present:
No previous installs found
Killer Network Extension driver found.
---Scan Complete.---
---Scanning for installed Killer Software components---
Installs present:
No previous installs found
Killer Network Extension driver found.
---Scan Complete.---
---Scanning for installed Killer Software components---
Installs present:
No previous installs found
Killer Network Extension driver found.
---Scan Complete.---
---Scanning for installed Killer Software components---
Installs present:
No previous installs found
Killer Network Extension driver found.
---Scan Complete.---
---Scanning for installed Killer Software components---
Installs present:
No previous installs found
Killer Network Extension driver found.
---Scan Complete.---
---Scanning for installed Killer Software components---
Installs present:
No previous installs found
Killer Network Extension driver found.
---Scan Complete.---
---Scanning for installed Killer Software components---
Installs present:
No previous installs found
Killer Network Extension driver found.
Killer Network Component driver found.
Killer Network Service found.
Rivet Folder in System32\Drivers found.
---Scan Complete.---
When initially only the "Killer Network Extension driver" was installed, I still had >900 Mbps upload. But once this crap appeared
Killer Network Component driver found.
Killer Network Service found.
Rivet Folder in System32\Drivers found.
Upload speed dropped to 0.62 Mbps. That's right, a 1000X slowdown.
This is insane! They've made a perfectly good PC unusable.
RoHe
12 Elder
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45.2K Posts
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172.6K Points
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October 28th, 2023 19:57
@Zelig Smith PC model and version of Windows?
Set the Startup type for all Killer services (and any xTend services, if listed) to disabled in Start>Run>services.msc. Exit services.msc and reboot.
Every time Windows Update installs a new Intel (Killer) update, all those services get enabled again. So if you see a speed drop, just disable those same services again...
The only thing you must keep is the Killer driver for both Ethernet and WiFi card (if you have the optional Killer WiFi card) that are listed in Device Manager for each of them.
Yes, this is a royal pain...
Zelig Smith
1 Rookie
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3 Posts
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October 28th, 2023 22:05
@RoHe
Dell System Model XPS 8930
MS Windows 10 Home
Version 10.0.19045 Build 19045
I'll stop & disable all the Killer* services again. I had done that before and gave up when they kept getting turned back on. Sounds like vigilance is the only workaround at present.
Thanks for all your help here.
RoHe
12 Elder
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172.6K Points
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October 29th, 2023 01:21
@Zelig Smith - Vigilance is the only option we have. So if you notice Windows Update installed a new Intel SoftwareComponent, that's a good time to check the Killer services in services.msc again.
The latest update was offered as "optional" on my XPS 8930 (Win 10 22H2) for about a week. I searched for that version number and saw it was another Killer update. So when WU force-installed it, I didn't wait for the speed problems to start. I just immediately disabled all Killer services again...
Oldster1500
1 Message
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November 1st, 2023 23:12
Thanks for the information above. My PC was also having issues with upload times recently while using Ethernet. I use Duolingo.com (for language learning) on my PC and in the past couple of weeks, the language lesson would never complete. The lesson is supposed to upload my lesson completed information to the cloud, but the upload would time out and the info would never record. On my laptop I don't have the Killer services, so duolingo.com and others would work just fine. After I disabled the Killer services using the info above, Duolingo.com and my upload times returned to normal. Hurray!
Dell System Model XPS 8930
MS Windows 10 Home
OS Build 19045.3636
Thanks for all the support and information!!
RoHe
12 Elder
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172.6K Points
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November 1st, 2023 23:48
@Oldster1500 - Glad that worked for you, too...
XPS9300VA
16 Posts
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November 28th, 2023 18:42
There USED to be a way to tell Windows to ignore updates. It's been awhile since I needed to so don't remember how or possibly it's no longer possible to do it.?
See this article. There is a link for a Microsoft tool that can hide updates...
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/removal-and-blocking-of-unwanted-updates-in/227b5c5e-2799-4b0d-a2b9-058889fa7bc6