Geek's Advice

Elara — pre-installed touchpad app that stops Windows from shutting down

Elara is a pre-installed application on Windows that controls one of the touchpad components. It is manufactured by a Japanese developer and can usually be found on HP, Samsung, and Dell computers. The application is running as ApntEX.exe process in the Task Manager and can be found in the Program Files folder along with the touchpad driver.

Even though the app is not malicious and cannot be categorized as a virus some malware tend to imitate this touchpad program. It can operate under the same or similar name and corrupt the operating system. Inexperienced computer users usually are not able to distinguish the difference. Thus, it is important to occasionally check your system for malware.

First Elara virus, that imitates the original and official program, signs are significant performance slowdowns or blue screen of death (BSoD) system crashes. These are the critical issues malware can cause on your operating system.

Less destructive problems can be trojan or adware program installations. These applications can also imitate the Elara app name and cause multiple issues, such as:

• Record your keystrokes;
• Gather browsing-related data;
• Start bombarding your browser with unlimited ads.

The advertisements could promote scam products and services as well as redirect to unverified sites. Despite the potential threats that could be caused by malware, most people report on Elara app Reddit themes that this application can prevent Windows from shutting down properly. 

Summary

Name	Elara
Type	Touchpad-related app
Process	ApntEX.exe
Compatibility	Windows Vista/XP/7/8/10
Danger level	The original version is a safe pre-installed app; Yet, malware can use the same name to trick inexperienced computer users into downloading malicious programs
Distribution	Malware spreads through multiple distribution channels, such as infected ads, spam emails, or disguising as well-known software
Removal	You don’t need to remove Elara app if it is safe; however, you should scan your OS with an anti-malware like Malwarebytes to check if malware is not posing as this software

Reasons why this app prevents Windows shutdown

Since Elara app continuously runs in the background as ApntEX.exe process, Windows might categorize it as a sensitive task. Once the person tries to turn off the computer, the operating system cancels the shutdown and warns about sensitive tasks running in the background.

If you aim to remove Elara app by manually killing the process in the Task Manager, it should not affect the computer’s or the trackpad’s performance. However, we do not recommend uninstalling the application completely on your own.

Some people report that while trying to uninstall Elara app manually they have caused trackpad malfunctioning. Therefore, it is essential to be careful with this pre-installed application. Otherwise, you might encounter issues with the trackpad.

Although, you should monitor your computer’s performance and behavior. If you notice any suspicious activity that could be caused by malware posing as Elara — remove all related processes and apps.

Malware distribution channels

As you probably already know and we have mentioned before, malicious programs can imitate original applications. It happens in a sense that hackers name them under the same name and then distribute through the network.

People who are not experienced in cyber security and have never encountered cyber threats could not be able to tell the difference between the original app and malware using Elara’s name. Thus, hackers using this technique have significantly higher chances to infect more computers.

Usually, malware spreads through multiple channels to increase the multitude of infections. Our experts have prepared a guide of steps that you should take to avoid malware:

• Download software only from official and verified websites;
• Do not attempt to get paid software for free through cracks;
• Refrain from clicking on ads that promote questionable applications and all ads in general;
• Always have a robust antivirus installed and running on your system;

Elara app removal instructions

You should only remove Elara app if it is causing trouble or you suspect that it could be malware. In case of virus infection, you should run a full-system scan with a reliable antivirus software.

If Elara app prevents Windows from shutting down, there might be issues in the Registry. Therefore, our team has prepared an easy step-by-step guide to fix related issues. Follow the instructions below to edit the Registry:

1. Click Windows key and R buttons at the same time;
2. Type Regedit to open the Registry key editor;
3. Open HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop which should be located on the left-side of the panel;
4. Then right-click on empty space;
5. Select New and create DWORD (32-bit) Value;
6. Name it AutoEndTasks and set the value to 1;
7. Click Ok and restart your computer.

After editing the Registry keys Elara app should not prevent Windows from shutting down. If the guide did not help, there is a high chance that Elara-posing malware has infected your computer. In this case, get rid of it with an antivirus.

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