Added by the MKMOOSE-A WORM! Note - has a blank entry under the Startup Item/Name field

DiamondCS ProcessGuard security software - stops malicious worms and trojans from being executed silently in the background, as well as a variety of other attacks. You will see one instant of pgaccount.exe for every active account on your system, and this is essential for PG to work properly

DiamondCS ProcessGuard security software - stops malicious worms and trojans from being executed silently in the background, as well as a variety of other attacks

PrivateEye surveillance software. Uninstall this software unless you put it there yourself

PowerKey utility for Acer TravelMate notebook PCs. Allows the user to quickly switch between different power schemes by pressing Fn+F3

Used by HP Instant Support

Added by a variant of the IRC.BOT TROJAN!

Detected by Kaspersky as the SLAPER.AI TROJAN! See here

Added by the DREF-U VIRUS!

Altnet TopSearch adware

Altnet TopSearch adware

Added by the DLOADER-MW TROJAN!

Ashampoo popup blocker, part of Magical Security (was Privacy Protector Plus)

Popup blocker, part of Asmw Soft PC Optimizer

Utility to fix vCard Export in MS Outlook 2000 - although why are these together?

Added by the MYDOOM.AD WORM!

Added by the MYDOOM.AD WORM!

Dialer for PeoplePC ISP

PrecisionPop adware

Added by the RBOT.BLJ WORM!

Added by a variant of the IRCBOT TROJAN!

Added by the PPDOOR-P TROJAN!

IBM Lotus SmartSuite related. In a LotusOrgReg folder. Unclear what exactly it does?

Adult content dialler

People Near Me Microsoft(r) Windows(r) Peer-to-Peer Networking platform for Windows Vista

Privacy Mantra keeps your computer clean from online and offline tracks

Puts printer icon in the System Tray. When this option is disabled you will no longer be able to access the Control Program or Printer Driver directly from your desktop

Added by the BIZVES-B TROJAN!

Browser hijacker, redirecting to loadcash.biz

Added by the DLOADER-OI TROJAN!

Added by the DLOADER-RA TROJAN!

Added by a variant of the DLOADER-RA TROJAN!

Country selection for a PCtel HSP56 based modem. Often found in OEM (Dell,Compaq, HP, etc) systems for their modems included on the motherboard or as a separate card. Once you've set the modem up to the chosen country it's not required

Country selection for a PCtel HSP56 based modem. Often found in OEM (Dell,Compaq, HP, etc) systems for their modems included on the motherboard or as a separate card. Once you've set the modem up to the chosen country it's not required

Added by the KELVIR.AI WORM!

Added by the GRUEL WORM!

Dialgo Wave Modem ActiveX - "Telephone Answering Machine for scripting your own professional call center business scripts using a voice modem. Features Caller-ID, Wave Playback, Wave Recording, Digit Monitoring, POP3 e-mail Manipulation, Speech Recognition and Synthesis"

Dialog Helper from PowerDesk Pro by Ontrack. Helps with the standard Open and Save As dialog boxes by showing recently used files and folders. Available via Start -> Programs

Added by the SDBOT.D TROJAN!

Added by a variant of the IRCBOT TROJAN!

PaperMaster is an application for the PC designed to automate the process of organizing, archiving, and retrieving digital versions of files. Start manually if needed

Added by the RBOT.CYA WORM!

??

Added by the MAILBOT-BX TROJAN!

Win32 cabinet self extractor. More info here

PestPatrol real-time protection feature. "Stops spyware before it infects your system"

Sierra Event Planner tray icon

A calendar/alarm program that installs with Brøderbund Printmaster

WinSpyControl spyware remover - not recommended, see here

Gadwin PrintScreen - utility to capture, print or save the current window

Added by the PSW-ED TROJAN!

Boomerang Software's Guardian PC Security Tools - now rebranded as the eXtendia Security Suite

From a visitor - "I must keep it active in start up or my Lexmark printer and RCA Cam program cannot discover a working port to work". From the file properties, the file is known as "Smart Thru Fax Drive Spy" and is supplied by Samsung

HP Omnibook related: "Press a dedicated button above the keyboard and the system will instantly load your presentation software and change the screen resolution to match your display device"

Proven Internet Marketing software

IBM Password Manager

Added by the RBOT-AYO WORM!

Added by the SDBOT-AER WORM!

Added by the RBOT-ATF WORM!

McAfee QuickClean 3.0 - removes internet clutter and unwanted programs

Pinnacle InstantCD/DVD disc creation software. Tray icon enabling a pop-up menu that lets you call up any of Instant CD/DVD's tools with one click. Can be started manually

Intel Ping Discovery Service (PDS). Part of Intel's LANDesk Management Suite 6 and the Common Base Agent (CBA) - used for communicating between the core server and managed clients. Will start the dial-up if installed and enabled

System Tray icon for Intel PRO series ethernet adapters giving access to the diagnostic features

Microsoft Intellipoint software for their Intellimouse series of mice - required if you use non-standard Windows driver features

Added by the IRCFLOOD-O TROJAN!

Part of Spyware Doctor anti-spyware from PC Tools

Have a job that should be run exactly once each day? Karen's Once-A-Day II is just what you need! Scheduler that lets you specify progams, web pages and files that be run or opened automatically, the first time

Added by the LEGMIR-BN TROJAN!

Millenium Multi-Function Keyboard driver

KnowledgePanel online survey software

Part of "Kodak Picture Easy" software for digital cameras. Includes the display of an icon in the System Tray to quickly transfer photos to a PC

Part of "Kodak Picture Easy" software for digital cameras. Includes the display of an icon in the System Tray to quickly transfer photos to a PC. *.* represents the version

Looks for Kodak camera connection and media insertion. Available via Start -> Programs

Added by the RBOT.BQD WORM!

Lexmark Printer icon in the System Tray for quick access. Not required - uncheck via Printer configuration rather than MSCONFIG. Can also be listed as PrinTray

A utility for configuring certain HP notebook models to enter Standby mode when the lid is closed only when running on battery

Media detector for Picasa's automatic photo organizer

Added by a variant of the RBOT WORM!

ProxyTools is a package of Perl network utilities designed mainly to assist those whose Internet access is censored, unreliable, or otherwise damaged. Uncensored access is provided to any outside service required (Usenet News, Web browsing, IRC, Socks etc.). Setup requires installation of Perl and some modules

Looks for Kodak camera connection and media insertion. Available via Start -> Programs

??

Related to Samsung laptops. Provides ability to program keys to perform specific functions

Added by a variant of the SDBOT WORM!

Added by a variant of the RBOT WORM!

For Matrox video cards. Quick access to tweak your card to your liking

McAfee QuickClean 3.0 - removes internet clutter and unwanted programs

Added by the GRUEL WORM!

Added by a variant of the RBOT WORM!

Added by the SDBOT.CN WORM!

Added by the RBOT.DWK WORM!

Added by the CHECKOUT WORM! See here

Added by a variant of the IRCBOT TROJAN!

Added by a variant of the RBOT WORM!

Added by a variant of the AGOBOT/GAOBOT WORM!

Added by the SDBOT.AFO WORM!

Added by a variant of the RBOT WORM!

Added by the RBOT-AWV WORM!

Added by the RBOT-GQK WORM!

Added by the SDBOT-ZY WORM!

Added by the SDBOT-AAH WORM!

Added by the SDBOT-ZL WORM!

Added by the RBOT.BZT WORM!

Added by the NIOVADOOR TROJAN!

??

Mouse driver. Appears to cause a behaviour where the desktop suddenly flips back up when playing DirectX associated games

Added by a variant of the SDBOT WORM!

Added by a variant of the AGENT.AH downloader TROJAN!

Added by the CHOKE.C WORM!

Added by the SDBOT.AKJ or RBOT-VJ WORMS!

Added by a variant of the MASTAK VIRUS!

Added by the IRCBOT-VE WORM!

Added by the RBOT-WV WORM!

Added by the ZOTOB.O WORM!

Transparent icon background feature of Ashampoo'sPowerUp XP (WinNT/2K/XP) and PowerUp Deluxe (Win98/Me)

Related to Ashampoo's PowerUp XP

Ashampoo's PowerUp XP is a "tool for fine-tuning your Windows NT4, 2000, 2003 Server and XP configuration"

Related to Ashampoo's Magic Defrag Utility

Added by the SMALL.IQ TROJAN!

Added by the DIALCAR-M DIALER!

Added by the LINEAGE-AT TROJAN! Note - This trojan file is found in the Windowsjava or Winntjava folder

Related to ProCoder 2.0 from Canopus. "ProCoder 2.0 software combines speed and flexibility into a streamlined video conversion tool for professionals. Featuring, extensive input/output options, advanced filtering, batch processing and an easy-to-use interface, ProCoder 2.0 is the ideal solution for high-quality multi-format video creation"

Adult content pop-up dialler

POP3 E-mail part of Eset's NOD32 virus-scanner

Norton Antivirus related. What does it do and is it required

Proxy E-mail protection from Norton Anti-Virus (prior to 2002). If you have it installed, leave it enabled to automatically check for suspect attachments in E-mails that may contain viruses. It downloads the E-mail into poproxy, which serves as a proxy server on the local machine, before scanning it

Added by the PUPER-E TROJAN!

NoWayVirus misleading security software - not recommended, see here

Trend Micro antivirus OfficeScan

Trend Micro OfficeScan Antivirus real-time scan monitor

Added by a variant of the RBOT WORM!

WinSecureAv spyware remover - not recommended, see here

P2kCommander a filemanager application for Motorola p2k mobile phones

Peer to Peer (P2P) sharing of files on the internet

Peer to Peer (P2P) sharing of files on the internet

Added by the RBOT-ECP WORM!

P2P Networking2.exe is an advertising program by Joltid. This process monitors your browsing habits and distributes the data back to the author's servers for analysis. This also prompts advertising popups. This program is a registered security risk and should be removed immediately

P2P Networking, a component bundled with Kazaa that enables other applications to use Peer-to-Peer functionality. Not required - see here

Added by the ALCAN.A WORM!

Added by the RBOT-AFL WORM!

Added by the GEMA TROJAN!

Added by the CRYPTER.A TROJAN!

PacerD Media/Pacimedia.com adware installer

Toshiba Touch and Launch - offers easy movement and freedom of programs navigation with TouchPad

Added by the AGENT-EOT TROJAN!

PageKeeper Jobs is a separate PageKeeper program that handles the analysis of new documents and keeps track of the location and content of current documents in PageKeeper. Pagekeeper comes bundled with scanners such has HP, Microtek, etc

PageKeeper Jobs is a separate PageKeeper program that handles the analysis of new documents and keeps track of the location and content of current documents in PageKeeper. Pagekeeper comes bundled with scanners such has HP, Microtek, etc

Scans your hard drive for the popular P2P file-sharing applications BearShare, Grokster, Kazaa, Limewire and Morpheus. After searching the entire local filesystem for any files with those names it connects to the DownloadWare servers and tells it what, if anything, is found

Pagoo - internet call waiting. Intercepts telephone calls like an answering machine and plays the voice message on your PC. Only required when you're on-line and via dial-up modem

Paintingroom.com smiley software - not recommended as the site tries to drop a trojan on you...

Paintingroom.com smiley software - not recommended as the site tries to drop a trojan on you...

Palm Desktop Software for use with Palm handheld devices. Available via Start -> Programs

PalTalk adware - as included in Morpheus

Voice chat program. This program stores all buddy list info apparently on the server itself so you never lose your buddy list should you need to reinstall the program due for whatever reason or even reformat. Available via Start -> Programs. Delete the shortcut in Start -> Programs -> StartUp as well otherwise it will be reinstated

Pamela is a plug-in or add-on that adds features to Skype peer to peer voice service

AntiSpam software, part of Panda Platinum Internet Security

Panda software related - possibly Panda ActiveScan

Panda Antivirus

Panda Antivirus scan scheduler. Required if this is your virus scanner program and you have scans scheduled on a regular basis. I recommend that you scan manually so you don't need this but if you tend to forget then leave it

Added by the RBOT-ATZ WORM!

Added by the NETSKY.R WORM!

Panda Antivirus scan scheduler. Required if this is your virus scanner program and you have scans scheduled on a regular basis. I recommend that you scan manually so you don't need this but if you tend to forget then leave it

Pando is free software that lets you send and receive files and folders of any size* with your existing email address

Added by the SDBOT.AYN WORM!

PaperPort software associated with scanners

PaperQuote is a "wallpaper" changer with daily quotes that are either for inspiration or motivation

Added by the SMALL-CJ TROJAN!

Crawler Parental Control - "Get perfect control of websites your children browse, software they use, and folders they access. Regulate the time when they can use your computer and connect to the Internet. Hide content on your computer that you don't want them to see"

ParetoLogic Anti-Spyware delivers Active Protection in the form of real-time blocking

System backup for Sony Vaio PCs. Adds a recovery mechanism for users over and above any System Restore features - allowing users to revert a drive back to the state it was when bought form the factory by hitting F10. The user obviously loses any data stored if not backed-up elsewhere

PassLocker is a complete password manager helping you to manage and safely store your passwords

Password Door - password protection software

Password Tracker Deluxe stores passwords and usernames neatly and securely (encrypted) on your computer

PasteLister - clipboard extender. Start manually when required

Targetsaver adware variant

Related to Panda Security Software - part of Panda Administrator 3

SystemDoctor is a security risk that may give exaggerated reports of threats on the computer. The program then prompts the user to purchase a registered version of the software in order to remove the reported threats

Added by the NETBUS WORM!

Added by the IRCCONTACT TROJAN!

Appears to be related to Nvidia Gigabyte Video card. Typical file location is the Program FilesGigabyteNvidia folder

PER Antivirus

Panda Antivirus

Panda Antivirus

Panda Antivirus

Panda Antivirus

Panda Antivirus

Panda Antivirus

Added by the STARTPA-YR TROJAN!

Bluebeam PDF software printer support. Prints AutoCAD ".dwg" to PDF

Probot keystroke logger/monitoring program - remove unless you installed it yourself!

Scheduler for CyberLink PowerBackup - archiving/backup utility

PC Booster from inKline Global - "easy-to-use computer system optimizer that gives your system the extra speed and stability you want while ensuring that your computer is kept clean and in tip-top condition"

PC Doc Pro (now Win Doc Pro) - system health check and fix utility

PC Pitstop Optimize - "an application that will make your PC run faster, make it more stable, and clean up hard drive space"

System Tray access to Nokia PC Suite. PC Suite lets you synchronize, edit, and back up many of your phone's files on a compatible PC through a wireless or cable connection. PC Suite can also be launched through Start Menu

Installed by SpeedItUp without permission, along with Search Defender - which is detected by DrWeb as the STARTPAGE.ORIGIN TROJAN!

PC-Cleaner spyware remover - not recommended, see here

Part of pcAnywhere 9.0 or later. This process listens for incoming PC Anywhere connections if your PC is configured as a PC Anywhere host

PC Bodyguard from Calluna - protects system files and settings from being deleted, modified, etc

PC Bodyguard from Calluna - protects system files and settings from being deleted, modified, etc

PCBoost from PGWARE, LLC increases computer performance by allocating higher portions of CPU power to active applications and games

PC-Cillin 2002 antivirus software

PC-Cillin 2002 antivirus software

PC-Cillin 2000 antivirus software. This is the actual virus-scanner

Trend Micro PC-Cillin Internet Security

Trend Micro PC-Cillin Internet Security

Trend Micro PC-cillin Internet Security

PCEye 2000 - parental control utility

Used by HP Instant Support

This is a "scheduler" and does not turn off PC Health. For more information refer here

Associated with Lucent based Aztech MDP7800-U PCI modems. Is it required?

Pinnacle Systems PCI Performance Enhancer. "This tool helps to increase the PCI Busmaster performance of all Pinnacle PCI boards."

Added by the LEGMIR-BL TROJAN!

PC MightyMax misleading security software - not recommended, see here

PC MightyMax - diagnostic program that identifies and fixes problems. However, some users report it does the opposite and messes up their systems (see here) and they also have problems removing it (see here)

Part of Cyberlink's Power Cinema. Commonly distributed with the Dell MultiMedia software suite. It is used to watch movies, play music and even watch TV in a central location

PC Accelerator 2007 from DefendGate Inc. "Powerful all-in-one PC performance and Internet acceleration solution designed to help increase your system and online performance and security"

PC PitStop Erase is both a free privacy scanner and paid tracks cleaner

PC Pitstop Optimize - "an application that will make your PC run faster, make it more stable, and clean up hard drive space"

??

Part of the IBM/XPoint Rapid Restore backup utility. If you choose, you can use it to create a "clean" backup of your hard drive. The process involves the software partitioning your hard drive, making a compressed image of the working drive which will then allow you to revert to that should you need to

Runs as part of PCMonitor which is a program for monitoring your activity on your system. It makes screen dumps and key logging. It can hang-up your system because the screen dump page gets VERY big

Delfin Media Viewer or "Promulgate" adware

If a Nokia phone has been connected, synchronises the phone with MS Outlook or other organiser software. It is installed by the Nokia PC Suite, and the tray icon shows if a phone has been connected. Available via a desktop shortcut or Start -> Programs

Added by the RBOT-XJ WORM! Note - do not confuse with the Nokia application described here

If a Nokia phone has been connected, synchronises the phone with MS Outlook or other organiser software. It is installed by the Nokia PC Suite, and the tray icon shows if a phone has been connected. Available via a desktop shortcut or Start -> Programs

Related to PC TOOLS Antivirus software

PCThrust from SwiftDog - "increases computer performance by allocating higher portions of CPU power to active applications and games"

Used for modems based upon PC-TEL chipsets. Normally used for some Voice and Speakerphone functions and also for some Power management options. If you remove it you may not be able to use any of those functions

The program PCTVoice is used by the modem to interface with your computer and also used for some V.80 functions for Video Conferencing. if you uncheck it, it comes back. It's better to leave it

PCWatch surveillance software. Uninstall this software if you did not install it yourself

Creative Technology Ltd installation plug-in related

Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1 sound card control panel

PdaNet from June Fabrics Technology Inc. Use Windows Mobile Smartphone or PocketPC Phone as wireless modem for your PC

Added by the AGOBOT-QY WORM!

Patchlink Update - "core product of the leading patch and vulnerability management software solution for medium and large enterprise network security"

PerfectDisk from Raxco - disk defragmenter. Only required if you schedule disk defragmenting at re-boot

PowerDesk Pro by PowerDesk Pro by Ontrack. Enhanced desktop and file manager. Available via Start -> Programs

PDF-XChange - create Adobe compatible PDF files from virtually any Windows software such as MS Word, Excel, AutoCAD, MS Publisher etc

IBM Presentation Director software

Related to Utimaco Safeware Easy. "Your electronic safe for protecting confidential data"

Canon PIXMA iP6000D printer memory card utility

Canon PIXMA iP6000D printer memory card utility

Related to Cyberlink PowerCinema. Possibly the driver for a remote control where included?

Remote Control background application for Cyberlink's PowerDVD version 5 and above. Enables you to use a remote control with your DVD drive if your drive came with one. Not required if you don't have a remote control, or don't wish to use one

Adware - see here

In a "Koptimizer" folder in Program Files. What does it do and is it required?

PeerGuardian - IP blocker for Windows. Used to protect privacy on P2P networks by blocking IP addresses specified in blocklists. Features support for multiple lists, a list editor, automatic blocklist updates, and blocking all of IPv4 (TCP, UDP, ICMP, etc)

PeerGuardian - IP blocker for Windows. Used to protect privacy on P2P networks by blocking IP addresses specified in blocklists. Features support for multiple lists, a list editor, automatic blocklist updates, and blocking all of IPv4 (TCP, UDP, ICMP, etc)

Pent@VALUE Digital Satellite Internet PC Receiver

Added by the ENVID.D WORM!

PER Antivirus

Print engine used by Corel WordPerfect 7 and Presentations 7

Added by the MUTECH-E TROJAN!

MindStorm AnalyzerPro from Secure Associates. "A security management tool for customers easy to manage report and analyze security events across heterogeneous security devices"

MarketscoreRelevantKnowledge adware

Kerio or Tiny Personal Firewall

Added by the SDBOT.XY WORM!

Pest-Capture misleading malware remover - not recommended, see here

PestPatrol Control Terminal - utility that launched PestPatrol features such as PPMemCheck and CookiePatrol before CA's acquisition

PestPatrol's command line scanner, combines with the Windows Task scheduler and is required in cases where schedules for regular scanning are set

Spyware remover - not recommended, see here

Personal Firewall related?

Personal Firewall related?

Delfin Promulgate adware variant

PGPsdkServ.exe is the new SDK service which is responsible for performing all PGP key management and cryptographic functions. This functionality was moved into a service to allow multiple modules simultaneous read/write access to the keyrings, among other things. As you can imagine, it is necessary for PGPsdkServ to be running in order to perform practically any PGP functionality

PGPservice.exe has two main purposes: (1) it handles a large part of the PGPnet functionality (along with the PGPnet driver) and (2) it allows efficient access to the PGP preferences database. The individual PGP modules normally access the preferences through PGPservice, but they are capable of a "fall-back" mode where they can handle such access on their own. Thus, if you are not running PGPnet, you may not immediately notice much of a difference if you disable PGPservice. If you are running PGPnet, you will notice a big difference

PGP 7.x. Provides icon tray shortcuts to PGP programs from Network Associates. Available via Start -> Programs

Added by the PQN TROJAN!

AdRotator adware variant