Ieuser.exe missing in C:Program Files\Internet Explorer - is my IE compromised?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the absence of the ieuser.exe file in Internet Explorer 9 on Windows Vista SP2. Participants are concerned about whether this missing file indicates a compromised installation of Internet Explorer or if it is simply not included in this version of the software.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants inquire whether ieuser.exe is a component of IE 9, expressing uncertainty about its presence in this version.
  • There are suggestions that the absence of ieuser.exe could imply malware interference with the IE installation.
  • One participant proposes reinstalling IE or switching to Mozilla Firefox as a potential solution, though this is not universally agreed upon.
  • Another participant notes that they can run IE 9 without seeing ieuser.exe in Task Manager, raising suspicions about the integrity of their installation.
  • There is a call for others with IE 9 to verify the presence of ieuser.exe, indicating a desire for collective input on the issue.
  • A participant provides a brief explanation of ieuser.exe's function related to security settings, suggesting it may not be visible during normal operation.
  • One participant mentions they do not see ieuser.exe on their system while using IE 8, implying that the file's presence may be version-specific.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on whether ieuser.exe is a necessary component of IE 9 or if its absence indicates a problem. Multiple competing views remain regarding the implications of the missing file and the appropriate course of action.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in the discussion regarding the assumptions about the role of ieuser.exe and its visibility in Task Manager, as well as the varying experiences of participants with different versions of Internet Explorer.

petergreat
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I'm using Windows Vista SP2 and IE 9. An anti-spyware program alerted me that ieuser.exe, a crucial IE component, is missing. I checked C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer, and indeed there were several .exe files but no ieuser.exe.
First question, is this file present in version 9 of IE?
Second question, does this suggest malware has tampered with my IE installation?
 
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petergreat said:
I'm using Windows Vista SP2 and IE 9. An anti-spyware program alerted me that ieuser.exe, a crucial IE component, is missing. I checked C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer, and indeed there were several .exe files but no ieuser.exe.
First question, is this file present in version9 of IE?
Second question, does this suggest malware has tampered with my IE installation?

http://www.processlibrary.com/directory/files/ieuser/75309/

Can you load IE9?
 
If you download and reinstall IE you should be fine, but I suggest you don't. I suggest you move to Mozilla Firefox.
 
Greg Bernhardt said:

I can open and run IE 9 just fine, but again in Windows Task Manager I don't see the process ieuser.exe. Unless this file is no longer present in the latest version of IE 9, I smell something suspicious.
 
petergreat said:
I can open and run IE 9 just fine, but again in Windows Task Manager I don't see the process ieuser.exe. Unless this file is no longer present in the latest version of IE 9, I smell something suspicious.

Get a second opinion and load a different spyware program.
 
Can anyone who have IE9 installed check whether the file ieuser.exe is one of the installed files? This would be really helpful!
 
If you do a web search for ieuser.exe, it's a process run before running IE (IE9?) that "sets security settings for medium level". I'm thinking it's more generic than that, since why would only medium security require a pre-process when the other security level in IE don't?

ieuser.exe is only going to be running for a very short period of time, so you're not going to see it in your list of processes with task manager unless you get real lucky while launching IE9.

I don't see any instance of ieuser.exe on my system, but I'm using IE8, not IE9. I have a triple boot system, XP 32 bit, XP 64 bit, and Win7 64 bit, so it must be related to IE9, not the OS.
 

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