Windows XP Annoyance or Virus?

[leech]

Ok, I noticed this one about a week ago. It seems that while I'm just sitting here, using my computer (for whatever purpose) there is a task that opens for about a second, then closes again. Now normally this wouldn't even be something a person would notice. But when I'm watching a movie (via PowerDVD 6) or playing game....

I just finished watching Better Off Dead (love that show) and the first half or so of the movie, I had no problems. But then three times after that, my task bar would flash on the screen (I had it in full screen mode, of course). This task only has a icon that looks similar to a blank window, and no name.

Last week I was playing Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault, along with Raven Shield, and it kept minimizing the games while this empty task came up. So I had to hurry up and alt+tab to get back to the game before I got my head blown off.

Any ideas? I've ran Adaware and Spybot Search & Destroy, but neither of them found anything. It almost seems to me that it happens the same time of day as well, though I'm not entirely sure about this.

I could try a anti-virus program, but I know that I just recently did a fresh install of WinXP on a friend's computer (his hard drive had issues, so I lent him one of mine that I hadn't put into my server yet.) His does the same thing already, and all he's done is install his drivers and ran Windows Update.

Leech

[High_Jumbllama]

What scheduled tasks do you have?

[UtwigMU]

If you're using Parhelia and BS Player uncheck maximize window on specific display and open window on specific display in application specific settings, also get the lattest version of BSPlayer from webteh. I had that problem untill I did this. Apparently Matrox desktop management is special and some programs which are not tested/designed for it have quirks (there is a quirk with the way firefox maximizes under Windows XP classic mode).

Otherwise, open msconfig check for auto startup tasks, check for services, disable alerts from secuirity center if you don't have AV, firewall or automatic updates (assuming you know what you're doing by not having them).

[leech]

I shouldn't have any scheduled tasks. I would say it's that stupid HP updater, but my friend didn't have that installed, and still had that issue. I've gone through and looked at the processes, and disabled the windows security center (which is just an annoying thing anyhow) and the Windows User Mode Driver Framework, that is apparently part of Windows Media Player 10 (which I never use).

My other processes include;

gaim.exe
firefox.exe (which of course is what I'm posting this through.)
jusched.exe
CTHELPER.exe
spoolsv.exe
explorer.exe
alg.exe
svchost.exe (a total of 6 of these, 1 is a Local Service, two are Network Service and the rest are System)
nvsvc32.exe
lsass.exe
services.exe
winlogon.exe
csrss.exe
hpqgalry.exe
YPager.exe

This is Windows XP SP2, and no, I don't have a Matrox Parhelia anymore.

Leech

[dbdg]

OT but gaim.exe is gator isn't it?

[cjolley]

OT but gaim.exe is gator isn't it?

It's AOL Instant Messenger.

http://www.auditmypc.com/process/gaim.asp

[Dilitante1]

take a swing over to spywareguide.com and do the free scan there, I have found a few items Ad-aware and Spybot missed (I know i was shocked too)

[leech]

Yes, Gaim is a AOL Instant Messenger, and Yahoo, ICQ, MSN, etc. It uses GTK2 and I run it in windows and under Linux.

I'll give that spywareguide.com a try as well, thanks for the tip!

Leech

[leech]

Well, that didn't find any either. I pretty much don't even load up IE unless I'm running Windows Update. So unless it's one of those nasty adware/spyware that will infect IE even though I'm running Firefox, then I'm stumped. I wouldn't be too surprised if it were just something stupid Microsoft put into their newest updates.

Leech

[UtwigMU]

It's nothing like that, it must be something you installed, I have SP2 with all updates on 2 boxes and I see nothing like you describe.

[Rob(QG)]

Get rid of Jusched for a kick off. I've had issues with that one.
CTHelper is prime for disabling unless you really need it, too.

[leech]

How lovely, used housecall.trendmicro.com and indeed found a trojan, and it said 6 virii, though these were all some files that were supposedly created by Java.... I cleaned them, but I haven't gone into windows since then. Though I am in WinXP 64 RC2 now (and I must say, it's a lot more responsive than standard XP. Now if only I can get my printer working, and I haven't tried to get my WinTV card working in it yet).

I'm thinking of blaming Byock, I started having this issue after we had a LAN party and during it, we were trying to share some files, and he had me turn off the built-in firewall to see if that was what was causing some issues with the networking. Someone there had the trojan, because my computer was clean before that, and I have a Linux firewall at home guarding me from the outside world.

Lousy chicken!

Leech

[The PIT]

I think some Bird Flu is in order

[Dr Mordrid]

Might be a good idea to get and install Microsofts Antispyware proggie as well. Seems to work very nicely as far as keeping that stuff off the system. The wifes system, which visits a lot more unsecured sites than mine, scored over 300 pieces of spyware the first time it ran. Now it runs much smoother, thank God

Dr. Mordrid

[Gurm]

Microsoft's antispyware is a great little program, believe it or not - just don't let it run in the background, it's a HUGE resource hog.

I swear by Spy Sweeper from Webroot... THIS WEEK.

The programs tend to do little leapfrogs over each other. Spy Sweeper was the first to be able to kill all the CWS variants, then Ad-Aware was the first to be able to unhook the nasties that hook themselves to explorer.exe so that you can't kill them. Spybot hasn't been updated in a long damn time, so I find it more or less useless nowadays, but I'm sure that when 1.4 comes out it'll be the best for a few weeks.