Windows Event ID 7043 AsusUpdateCheck Service did not shutdown properly

Windows Event ID 7043  AsusUpdateCheck
The AsusUpdateCheck service did not shut down properly after receiving a preshutdown control

Discussion:
This message only happens on workstations running an Asus-brand motherboard (in my case, a PRIME Z390-A).  The AsusUpdateChecker runs as a Windows service and cannot be disabled via normal techniques.

No matter how hard you try to disable this service, it re-appears, and is active.
It generates frequent errors in the Event Logs, especially at startup.

These attempts all failed:
a.  Start, Run, "SERVICES.msc".  Disable the AsusUpdateCheck service
b.  In MSConfig, unchecking in Services
c.  In Task Manager, Services
d.  Delete/rename C:\Windows\system32\AsusUpdatecheck.exe  (cannot be renamed/deleted)
e.  Delete this Registry key:  HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Shared Tools\MSConfig\Services\(asus)
f.  Booting in Safe Mode and deleting or replacing the file.

It appears the motherboard/hardware can reach inside the disk and re-enable.  The file is re-installed if missing.  If I were a virus, this is where I would want to live.  This service is tenacious.

Solution:

1.  Cold-boot the computer, press F2 at hardware banner to enter into BIOS setup

2.  Open "Advanced" settings
     Tools
     Look for "ASUS Q-Installer".  Disable

On older ASUS motherboards, disable in BIOS "Armory Crate", or "ASUS Grid Install Service"  These may also be in Add-remove-programs; I do not have these boards and could not test.

3.  Boot into Windows normally

4.  Start, type/search "services.msc".  Run as administrator
5.  Locate the AsusUpdateChecker Service.  Set to Disabled.


Possible Drawback:

By disabling, you will have to manually retrieve and install BIOS updates from the Vendor's website.  Honestly, you want to do it this way because after (a year), the vendor is unlikely to have a BIOS update ever again.  No sense checking for updates 15 times per day.

As of 2022.01, ASUS PRIME Z390-A BIOS is at version:  2021/05/11  12.0.81.1753v4

Related articles:

For other Windows 11 Tuning tips, see
https://keyliner.blogspot.com/2021/11/windows-11-tuning.html

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