newdev.exe

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A new message has appeared in Action Center under the heading “Finish installing device software.” Investigation of details points to a file and path called:
“C:WindowsSystem32newdev.exe” 6

Other details show “Windows hardware driver verification” and “Issued by Microsoft Windows Production PCA 2011.”

I searched the forum for newdev.exe and found nothing. When I did a general web search for newdev.exe, I found some sites that said it is part of the operating system and others that say that it could be malware. Because of the latter, I have been reluctant to take further action, and the Action Center message remains. Shortly before I received this message, I installed a new printer driver, so it would be natural to assume that was the cause. However, the cautions about malware concern me. And a further question: If it’s related to the new driver, why didn’t the printer driver just install normally without need for this further action?

Fafner

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Newdev.exe is the name of a legitimate Windows system file. Here is how details look like in my Windows 8.1 system, which is the same version as Windows 7:

35701-newdev

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Thanks, Rui. I clicked on the Fix button in Action Center, and the message went away, although I can’t tell if anything actually happened. Subsequently, I looked at the printer in Device Manager, and it reports that there is no installed driver for the printer that I just installed. But the printer works as it should, so apparently I can print without a driver.

Fafner

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That’s a bit weird, everything needs a driver. I guess Windows must be giving you erroneous information.

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