Member Avatar for hotmatrixx

I have run all the anti malware under the sun. I have disabled every single process at startup. System restore was not enabled. i keep getting an error that .../system32/aekkyo.exe was not found or something to that effect. I have done a search throughout the registry for the key that might activate this popup to no avail.


google gives a result of 2 threads. both have the same question.


maxed out the other search engines out there, also to no avail.


What did I miss, guys?


Thx, Hmx.

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by caperjack

Dani AI

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This error almost always means Windows is being told to launch an executable that no longer exists. Antivirus or a removal tool likely deleted the offending file but left a startup pointer behind. That fits what described, and it explains why the file search and scans came up empty. The replies from , and point in the right directions; here is a concise, practical workflow that fills in the gaps.

  1. Locate the startup pointer: use Autoruns (Sysinternals) and run it elevated. Search for "aekkyo" (Ctrl+F). Autoruns shows the exact registry key, scheduled task, startup folder item or service and the image path; entries can be disabled (unchecked) or deleted.
  2. Manual checks if Autoruns is unavailable: search the registry (regedit Find) for "aekkyo" and inspect these locations:
    • HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and RunOnce
    • HKCU...\CurrentVersion\Run and RunOnce
    • HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services (services/drivers)
    • Winlogon\Notify, Startup folders (All Users and Current User), and Scheduled Tasks (C:\Windows\Tasks or schtasks).
      Always export a registry key before deleting it.
  3. Clean and verify: an SFC run (sfc /scannow) repairs protected system files but will not remove stale startup entries, so treat it as complementary (as @c-tech mentioned). Use a current anti-malware/anti-rootkit scanner (offline rescue media if persistence is suspected). If the entry is a service/driver, check ImagePath before removing—removing the wrong service can break the system.

If the same missing-entry popup returns after removal, that indicates an active remnant or rootkit. In that case, collect Autoruns or HijackThis output for analysis and consider an offline scan or clean OS reinstall. Careful backups and a registry export/system image before changes are strongly recommended.

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Member Avatar for c-tech

hey there hotmatrixx.
this error is certainly due to an infection you had on your PC. i believe this aekkyo.exe is somehow related to whatever malware you might have had on your PC. Please try to run system file checker for windows by typing sfc at the run prompt sfc/ scannow. good luck.

Member Avatar for Bob_180_Bob

Hi,
Either a program that you downloaded or a virus has told your PC to load "aekkyo.exe" at start up but you have deleted this file with a virus cleaner.
You can just ignore this pop-up or run a reg cleaner (www.pctools.com/registry-mechanic) to hopefully remove the request for the file.

Member Avatar for caperjack

try scan with hijackthis and post the log

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