Process lives on

XP Pro on a Toshiba laptop. Internet Explorer Version 8.

I was having a lot of trouble with the computer. It would freeze up, the
quick launch bar wouldn't work, it would take something like 15 minutes
to shut down.

Looking at the processes, I suddenly noticed that the iexplore process
was running when the browser had been closed and was no longer running.
In fact, it was even there multiple times at least once.

When I stopped the iexplore process, suddenly the computer started
acting normal again.

So it seems that after opening Iexplorer and then eventually closing it,
the process stayed alive and wreaked mischief.

Any insights into what might be going on here? What might make the
iexplore process stay alive even after I have closed the browser?

Thanks,

John

Any chance your computer could be infected?
---
Leonard Grey
Errare humanum est

JMF wrote:
> XP Pro on a Toshiba laptop. Internet Explorer Version 8.
>
> I was having a lot of trouble with the computer. It would freeze up, the
> quick launch bar wouldn't work, it would take something like 15 minutes
> to shut down.
>
> Looking at the processes, I suddenly noticed that the iexplore process
> was running when the browser had been closed and was no longer running.
> In fact, it was even there multiple times at least once.
>
> When I stopped the iexplore process, suddenly the computer started
> acting normal again.
>
> So it seems that after opening Iexplorer and then eventually closing it,
> the process stayed alive and wreaked mischief.
>
> Any insights into what might be going on here? What might make the
> iexplore process stay alive even after I have closed the browser?
>
> Thanks,
>
> John

I thought that might be the case and so I did a full scan with Windows
Defender and AVG antivirus overnight. They didn't find anything .. which
of course isn't an absolute guarantee.

But you're right, I was looking at some old threads on this, and people
talked about infections. I'll keep monitoring the situation.

Thanks,

John


Leonard Grey wrote:
> Any chance your computer could be infected?
> ---
> Leonard Grey
> Errare humanum est
>
> JMF wrote:
>> XP Pro on a Toshiba laptop. Internet Explorer Version 8.
>>
>> I was having a lot of trouble with the computer. It would freeze up,
>> the quick launch bar wouldn't work, it would take something like 15
>> minutes to shut down.
>>
>> Looking at the processes, I suddenly noticed that the iexplore process
>> was running when the browser had been closed and was no longer
>> running. In fact, it was even there multiple times at least once.
>>
>> When I stopped the iexplore process, suddenly the computer started
>> acting normal again.
>>
>> So it seems that after opening Iexplorer and then eventually closing
>> it, the process stayed alive and wreaked mischief.
>>
>> Any insights into what might be going on here? What might make the
>> iexplore process stay alive even after I have closed the browser?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> John

"JMF" <> wrote in message
news:e51z5Ne$...
> XP Pro on a Toshiba laptop. Internet Explorer Version 8.
>
> I was having a lot of trouble with the computer. It would freeze up, the
> quick launch bar wouldn't work, it would take something like 15 minutes to
> shut down.
>
> Looking at the processes, I suddenly noticed that the iexplore process was
> running when the browser had been closed and was no longer running. In
> fact, it was even there multiple times at least once.
>
> When I stopped the iexplore process, suddenly the computer started acting
> normal again.
>
> So it seems that after opening Iexplorer and then eventually closing it,
> the process stayed alive and wreaked mischief.
>
> Any insights into what might be going on here? What might make the
> iexplore process stay alive even after I have closed the browser?
>
> Thanks,
>
> John

Try it with no add-ons, if it works ok then you've got an add-on that isn't
closing down when requested. Disable them all, enable each one in turn until
you track down the culprit.

--
Dan

Dan wrote:
>
> "JMF" <> wrote in message
> news:e51z5Ne$...
>> XP Pro on a Toshiba laptop. Internet Explorer Version 8.
>>
>> I was having a lot of trouble with the computer. It would freeze up,
>> the quick launch bar wouldn't work, it would take something like 15
>> minutes to shut down.
>>
>> Looking at the processes, I suddenly noticed that the iexplore process
>> was running when the browser had been closed and was no longer
>> running. In fact, it was even there multiple times at least once.
>>
>> When I stopped the iexplore process, suddenly the computer started
>> acting normal again.
>>
>> So it seems that after opening Iexplorer and then eventually closing
>> it, the process stayed alive and wreaked mischief.
>>
>> Any insights into what might be going on here? What might make the
>> iexplore process stay alive even after I have closed the browser?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> John
>
> Try it with no add-ons, if it works ok then you've got an add-on that
> isn't closing down when requested. Disable them all, enable each one in
> turn until you track down the culprit.


!!!! Absolutely right!!

Actually, I have only just disabled all the add-ons (there were/are a
lot of them), and indeed IE works just fine now - and it's fast, too.

So yes indeed, somewhere in all of those add-ons is the culprit! I'll
slowly but surely work my way through them to figure out which one it
might have been. I did install a couple (like ZoneAlarm and AVG add-ons)
recently so it wouldn't surprise me if it was one of those.

Thanks!

John

Dan,

If Zone Alarm and/or AVG is the culprit you might want to consider
uninstalling both of them and replacing them with free Microsoft Security
essentials and the Microsoft Firewall. I used AVAST! and Zone Alarm for
several years, then went to MSE and the MS firewall and have had no
problems -- and my computer seems quite happy with their small footprint.

================================================== ========

"JMF" <> wrote in message
news:euKYWjl$...


Dan wrote:
>
> "JMF" <> wrote in message
> news:e51z5Ne$...
>> XP Pro on a Toshiba laptop. Internet Explorer Version 8.
>>
>> I was having a lot of trouble with the computer. It would freeze up,
>> the quick launch bar wouldn't work, it would take something like 15
>> minutes to shut down.
>>
>> Looking at the processes, I suddenly noticed that the iexplore process
>> was running when the browser had been closed and was no longer
>> running. In fact, it was even there multiple times at least once.
>>
>> When I stopped the iexplore process, suddenly the computer started
>> acting normal again.
>>
>> So it seems that after opening Iexplorer and then eventually closing
>> it, the process stayed alive and wreaked mischief.
>>
>> Any insights into what might be going on here? What might make the
>> iexplore process stay alive even after I have closed the browser?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> John
>
> Try it with no add-ons, if it works ok then you've got an add-on that
> isn't closing down when requested. Disable them all, enable each one in
> turn until you track down the culprit.


!!!! Absolutely right!!

Actually, I have only just disabled all the add-ons (there were/are a
lot of them), and indeed IE works just fine now - and it's fast, too.

So yes indeed, somewhere in all of those add-ons is the culprit! I'll
slowly but surely work my way through them to figure out which one it
might have been. I did install a couple (like ZoneAlarm and AVG add-ons)
recently so it wouldn't surprise me if it was one of those.

Thanks!

John

Thanks, I'll seriously consider this. I especially like the idea of a
small footprint!

bobster wrote:
> Dan,
>
> If Zone Alarm and/or AVG is the culprit you might want to consider
> uninstalling both of them and replacing them with free Microsoft Security
> essentials and the Microsoft Firewall. I used AVAST! and Zone Alarm for
> several years, then went to MSE and the MS firewall and have had no
> problems -- and my computer seems quite happy with their small footprint.
>
> ================================================== ========
>
> "JMF" <> wrote in message
> news:euKYWjl$...
>
>
> Dan wrote:
>> "JMF" <> wrote in message
>> news:e51z5Ne$...
>>> XP Pro on a Toshiba laptop. Internet Explorer Version 8.
>>>
>>> I was having a lot of trouble with the computer. It would freeze up,
>>> the quick launch bar wouldn't work, it would take something like 15
>>> minutes to shut down.
>>>
>>> Looking at the processes, I suddenly noticed that the iexplore process
>>> was running when the browser had been closed and was no longer
>>> running. In fact, it was even there multiple times at least once.
>>>
>>> When I stopped the iexplore process, suddenly the computer started
>>> acting normal again.
>>>
>>> So it seems that after opening Iexplorer and then eventually closing
>>> it, the process stayed alive and wreaked mischief.
>>>
>>> Any insights into what might be going on here? What might make the
>>> iexplore process stay alive even after I have closed the browser?
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>> John
>> Try it with no add-ons, if it works ok then you've got an add-on that
>> isn't closing down when requested. Disable them all, enable each one in
>> turn until you track down the culprit.
>
>
> !!!! Absolutely right!!
>
> Actually, I have only just disabled all the add-ons (there were/are a
> lot of them), and indeed IE works just fine now - and it's fast, too.
>
> So yes indeed, somewhere in all of those add-ons is the culprit! I'll
> slowly but surely work my way through them to figure out which one it
> might have been. I did install a couple (like ZoneAlarm and AVG add-ons)
> recently so it wouldn't surprise me if it was one of those.
>
> Thanks!
>
> John
>
>