A few months ago, I installed a program called Driver Update. Not cool; ever since I installed it, I've had a cmd.exe screen fly across my screen every once in a while. I think I've traced it to cmdkey files being strewn across my computer's C drive. I've included here a couple of screen shots of where I found them. If anyone (Scook?) has any ideas on this, please feel free to let me know your thoughts. Recently, there has been an uptick in the number of cmd.exe windows blipping in and out on my screen, so I thought I'd have another whack at it. 
 
Thanks in advance.


 
 
BTW, Are the above links visible?

Cant see the pics.
 
Not sure where cmd.exe kept anymore as nowadays its opened from a run program prompt.

cmd.exe is still in the same place it's always been: \windows\system32

Bhav
Cant see the pics.
 
Not sure where cmd.exe kept anymore as nowadays its opened from a run program prompt.

Thanks for the feedback; the images should be fixed now (I hope).
 
 

bitflipper
cmd.exe is still in the same place it's always been: \windows\system32

Thanks, Bitflipper. I did know that and I think my images are fixed now. Can you look at them and see what seems weird for me? Seems to me that there is a bunch of extraneous stuff there.
 

On my Win 10 system:
 
C:\WINDOWS\system32>where /R C:\ cmd.exe
C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\cmd.exe
C:\Windows\WinSxS\amd64_microsoft-windows-commandprompt_31bf3856ad364e35_10.0.14393.0_none_b8813238310f2dd6\cmd.exe
C:\Windows\WinSxS\wow64_microsoft-windows-commandprompt_31bf3856ad364e35_10.0.14393.0_none_c2d5dc8a656fefd1\cmd.exe
 
 
C:\WINDOWS\system32>where /R c:\ cmdkey.exe
c:\Windows\System32\cmdkey.exe
c:\Windows\SysWOW64\cmdkey.exe
c:\Windows\WinSxS\amd64_microsoft-windows-s..line-user-interface_31bf3856ad364e35_10.0.14393.0_none_0a5bde3ff38aa7b4\cmdkey.exe
c:\Windows\WinSxS\x86_microsoft-windows-s..line-user-interface_31bf3856ad364e35_10.0.14393.0_none_ae3d42bc3b2d367e\cmdkey.exe

Thanks, Dave. I'll compare lists when I get home. Any idea about the "cmdlkey.exe" files?
 

Not sure if cmdlkey is legitimate. It does not appear in your OP file list.
On my Win 10 system:
 
C:\WINDOWS\system32>where /R c:\ cmdl*
c:\Windows\System32\cmdl32.exe
c:\Windows\System32\en-US\cmdl32.exe.mui
c:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\Modules\NetworkSwitchManager\CmdletHelpers.psm1
c:\Windows\SysWOW64\cmdl32.exe
c:\Windows\SysWOW64\en-US\cmdl32.exe.mui
c:\Windows\WinSxS\amd64_microsoft-networksw..anagement-component_31bf3856ad364e35_10.0.14393.0_none_78d1b18d6d81c47f\CmdletHelpers.psm1
c:\Windows\WinSxS\amd64_microsoft-windows-r..onmanager.resources_31bf3856ad364e35_10.0.14393.0_en-us_5b914fea19d8d333\cmdl32.exe.mui
c:\Windows\WinSxS\amd64_microsoft-windows-rasconnectionmanager_31bf3856ad364e35_10.0.14393.0_none_8c94aaec77383156\cmdl32.exe
c:\Windows\WinSxS\wow64_microsoft-windows-r..onmanager.resources_31bf3856ad364e35_10.0.14393.0_en-us_65e5fa3c4e39952e\cmdl32.exe.mui
c:\Windows\WinSxS\wow64_microsoft-windows-rasconnectionmanager_31bf3856ad364e35_10.0.14393.0_none_96e9553eab98f351\cmdl32.exe
 
C:\WINDOWS\system32>where /R c:\ cmd1key*
INFO: Could not find files for the given pattern(s).
 
C:\WINDOWS\system32>where /R c:\ cmdLkey*
INFO: Could not find files for the given pattern(s).
 
cmdl32.exe is a standard Windows file. 

OK, I can see your image now.
 
Yup, you've got multiple "cmd.exe"s. However, it'll be the one in system32 that almost always gets executed. The copy in SysWOW64 is the 32-bit version, for compatibility with 32-bit applications that might invoke cmd.exe. cmdkey.exe is an unrelated Microsoft utility. What those others are, I don't know.

bitflipper
OK, I can see your image now.
 
Yup, you've got multiple "cmd.exe"s. However, it'll be the one in system32 that almost always gets executed. The copy in SysWOW64 is the 32-bit version, for compatibility with 32-bit applications that might invoke cmd.exe. cmdkey.exe is an unrelated Microsoft utility. What those others are, I don't know.

Okay, Dave(s) (and anyone else with a knowledgeable opinion), do you think it safe to remark the unidentified "cmd-type" files with an "x" to see if said flying command window goes away without destroying the file permanently? Are there any that look dangerous (potentially)? Do you have any other recommendations for checking this? Have you ever had the flying command window issue?

 
Again, thanks for any help with this you can give.