I believe I had something in the ESD folder at one time. Now, if I recall, every time I upgrade Windows, I wind up with an empty ESD folder, and I delete it, along with other nonsense that appears...

Thanks to both. I'll put this thread to bed now.

Thanks again, and to Daymin also. Is it safe to execute this thing and see what it does? Also, I'll probably delete it and leave it in my Recycle Bin for awhile.

MaloK, thanks for responding. Sounds like something I can safely delete. Any idea how this would have gotten onto my machine? I had it custom built, but the people who built it would have had no...

This .exe has been in my Downloads folder a long time, maybe since I got the computer in Sep. 2013. It has a copyright of 2006 from Macrovision. I searched for it online, but not being a...

Over the weekend I decided to delete Microsoft Antimalware (MA) and Microsoft Security Client (MSC), whose names I had modified slightly so they didn't exist.

A new version of MSC had been...

Right you are.

I doesn't know and doesn't know the relevance.

EyeInTheSky, M$ (Steve Ballmer maybe) decided years ago that it had the right to tell us how to use our computers, so that's why threads like this exist.

Fabler2, if it does something for you have...

I've taken a look at the suggestions provided. The tutorials generally are pretty old, and M$ keeps changing how the 'update' process works. Again, all we seem to have access to now in Settings is...

Thanks, guys.

My Member info in the left pane does show that I have Pro, not Home. I went to M$ Store and changed the setting to not update automatically. And it shows a history of downloads, so...

Thanks, dalchina, but that's more than I want to get into. But again, if somebody can tell me how to gain more control over the general update process, I'll certainly listen to that. Lots of...

RobbyK, the only Start menu entry I have for Xbox is Xbox Game Bar. I went into Settings and saw a couple places where, in theory, I could uninstall Xbox. I've done what I can do; whether it did...

I'll mark this issue as 'Solved.' Thanks to those who responded.

NMI, checking, what I found is this:

338983

I clicked on all the others days that have entries; none have the exact entries you mention, but I get the point. Not that I ever thought about it,...

Thanks, NMI.

I may have been in Windows Store a time or two just out of curiosity, but I've never gotten anything from there. I certainly don't have anything 'Xbox' on my machine that...

Thanks again to dalchina and now to Brink.

No, I haven't installed any "apps." I went to Gaming in Settings. The Xbox Game Bar setting was toggled to 'On.' I turned it off and unchecked a box...

Thanks, dalchina.

I neglected to mention that I was so concerned about this that I did 2 security scans on the computer before I used it for anything.

I don't own an Xbox, never used an Xbox,...

Friday night, after a day in the salt mines, I came home, awakened computer from a much-deserved slumber, and saw this!:

338934

I didn't click on anything. I was able to 'X' out of the ones on...

I did mention Defender/MSE in my OP. I don't keep up with that now, but I assume at least one of these is used in W10. For now, I've slightly modified the folder name of Microsoft Antimalware and...

I didn't say I was in a hurry; 6 years is not a "hurry." I don't want garbage on my machine. Anything that hasn't been used in 6 years and was produced by software (Microsoft Antimalware) I no...

Thanks for the quick response. Still would like to get more peoples' input.

Paul, thanks for responding.

I assume you're talking about the MetaStore folder, or is it Microsoft Antimalware? Thanks.

The folder at the end of this path--C:>ProgramData>Microsoft>Microsoft Antimalware>Scans>MetaStore--contains 4 folders named 1, 2, 3, 4. Each of these 4 folders contains a few to a few dozen...

OK, it's been another week now. The computer has been re-started maybe a couple, three times; no new folders have been created, and nothing bad has happened. Basically, RickC had it nailed in post...