Yet another dumb computer question

[Gilliangirl]

When I open the Task Manager, why do I have two explorers running? One is iexplore.exe and the other is explorer.exe. Why do they both have to be running? Those, combined with my F-Secure AV, sure suck up a lot of power :mad:

[devnulljp]

When I open the Task Manager, why do I have two explorers running? One is iexplore.exe and the other is explorer.exe. Why do they both have to be running? Those, combined with my F-Secure AV, sure suck up a lot of power :mad:explorer.exe is your window manager -- the thing you interact with in windows.
iexplorer is spyware it belongs to AdClicker and monitors your browsing habits and distributes the data back to the author's servers for analysis. This also prompts advertising popups.
Go get adaware and search & destroy and get rid of it.

[Vincent]

Sounds like your computer could possibly be hijacked...are you getting any pop ups...just wondering.

I recommend joining bleeping computer...they will basically get you to download hijackthis program and then get you to post the results from the scan and help you to fix any problems.

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/

I also recommend downloading superantispyware...to me its one of the best free programs around for getting rid of bugs.
http://www.superantispyware.com/?tag=GOOGLE-SUPERANTISPYWARE

[SinCron]

LAWL!!! Oh my I am laughing. You silly. IExplorer is Internet Explorer. Use Firefox. It's better.

[devnulljp]

LAWL!!! Oh my I am laughing. You silly. IExplorer is Internet Explorer. Use Firefox. It's better.That's what I thought, but she said she's having trouble, so...

iexplore.exe is MSIE
iexplorer.exe is malware

Agree about firefox though.
Dump Windows altogether and notice how all the net nastiness just disappears ;)

[Gilliangirl]

It is running really slow but I don't have any pop-ups and F-Secure is the same as Adaware, isn't it? Not sure. I'm just looking for ways to eliminate all the stuff that's running in the background that really doesn't have to be. Well, I won't delete Internet Explorer, I guess :smile: I know everyone keeps saying use Firefox but then I'd have a huge learning curve and some sites don't like it, etc. Six of one, half dozen of the other. I moved all my music (over 1.5 g) to a flash drive, that helped a bit but there's something wrong with the computer, I think. I get tired of hauling the d*** thing in to Staples all the time. Oh to hell with it, I'm going to go play my guitar.

Thanks for the replies! :wave:

[NB-SK]

LAWL!!! Oh my I am laughing. You silly. IExplorer is Internet Explorer. Use Firefox. It's better.

Don't be so fast to laugh if you're using Windows.

[gramatica]

Have you tried defragmenting? That will slow your system down. Rather, not defragmenting will - you get the idea. :smile:

And let me cast a vote for firefox too. It is less of a hastle than you think, you can always leave IE installed in case some site doesn't want to play with FF.

Now that I think about it, if you are running windows you will have a very hard time (if it is at all possible) uninstalling IE.

[keeperofthegood]

Yes, you cannot uninstall IE on a windows machine, they are integrated. The only real use of IE is for running system updates on otherwise. It is broken, open portal to ooodles of nasties and simply better let otherwise untouched.

FireFox or SeaMonkey are so much better!

>.> I hope you are not using outlook express thats another massive vulnerability on your computer!

However, if you are loading this forum to post with any browser OTHER than IE and you are still seeing iexplore in the tasks, it could be an infection. There are many programs available for dealing with that, and it is strongly recommended you use multiple programs to do so too. Modern hacks tend to first hack your anti virus ... then they get gnarly with the rest of the computer.

:D

[SinCron]

Don't be so fast to laugh if you're using Windows.

Oh I know IE is slow. I just found it amusing that it was said IExplorer was spyware when it might as well be. I suggest looking at what takes up most of your CPU power. Open up Task Manager and arrange by what's using the most processing power (by clicking the CPU tab). Leave IE open on a site like google and see if it fluctuates for no noticeable reason. Another good thing to do is get a program specific firewall. It will let you know when new processes are trying to access the internet. Also, create another user account for browsing with no admin privileges. Makes it near impossible to get weird stuff installed then.

[Geek]

Immunize yourself from viruses, adware and spyware (http://www.debian.org) :wink:

[noobcake]

avast home edition is a great all-in-one anti-virus + firewall package and it's completely free

deleting temporary files can also help speed things up (google "ccleaner")

minimizing programs at boot can make boot times quicker too, (eg. disabling programs like steam and msn at start up can speed up boot times drastically)

there is usually an option to disable programs at start up in the options menu of a program (eg. msn and steam have a checkbox that says someting along the lines of "open program at start up" this box is checked by default but if you uncheck it then the program will not start up on it's own when the computer's booted

you can adjust boot parameters by going start>run<msconfig (but this is not reccomended for non-tech inclined people since there's alot of other stuff in msconfig)

as stated before, defragmenting on regular basis keeps your computer running smooth

but all in all if your computer's so full of junk that it's running at a snail's pace then your best bet is to just backup all important files and format the computer, formatting is pretty much the universal solution to fixing all non-hardware problems, but you do lose all your data (so you have to backup everything you need beforehand)

[Robert1950]

Might be spyware if you don't have a program to get rid of it. It can slow you down - like trying to get out of Toronto on a late Friday afternoon before a long weekend.

[GuitarsCanada]

LAWL!!! Oh my I am laughing. You silly. IExplorer is Internet Explorer. Use Firefox. It's better.

To be clear. iexplore.exe is actually windows web browser. iexplorer.exe is malware

[PaulS]

To be clear. iexplore.exe is actually windows web browser. iexplorer.exe is malware

This is absolutely correct... Avast is a good option for anti virus but i always liked zone alarm for a firewall, also does spyware.

[Apostrophe (')]

My two cents:

1) I'd defrag like someone suggested. Start -> All Programs -> Accessories ->
System Tools -> Disk Defragmenter.

When it opens, select the C: drive, then click Analyze. If it tells you to Defrag, click the Defragment button and wait until it's finished. It may take some time. You should run this at least once a month.

2) I'd also try to clean up your startups, also suggested. It seems like every piece of software tries to add itself (usually updaters) to the startup list when it's installed. Most people should have few to no programs running on startup. (at least that show up on the tray)

This link should help you out:
http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php

3) I remember trying F-Secure years ago - it's a pig that I'd recommend uninstalling. To tell you the truth, I don't even think AV software is necessary, unless you're downloading from some file sharing place all the time. Firewall software shouldn't be needed if you're behind a router and follow step 4.

4) The best way to prevent spyware is to disallow all cookies in your browser, and then selectively allow the sites you need/trust. (whitelist - there's an add-on in FireFox to help with this) I haven't had anything bad show up in a spyware scan since I've been doing this - it's reached a point where I don't even do spyware scans anymore. The downside is, you may run into problems on some Web sites - my bank doesn't like it when you shut off cookies in FireFox, but it works in IE.

[Stratocaster]

I recommend Spybot: Search and Destroy for spyware!

Free and it works great

http://spybot.com/index2.html

[drak10687]

And if you want to try defraging your hardrive, I would recommend trying this:
http://www.auslogics.com/en/software/disk-defrag/download

its free, and its a lot faster than the windows defrager

[Red Foreman]

I found this site for the top ten freeware apps in a bunch of different catagories.I've downloaded Advanced windows care 2 and it has really helped my computer out.There's a bunch of good free peograms on here.

http://www.techsupportalert.com/

[Gilliangirl]

Thank you so much for the responses. I have been doing a disk clean and defrag (windows) periodically, which seems to help a bit. The computer makes a really loud noise whenever I hit a site that taxes it. The other day something clinked inside the tower and then quite obviously tinkled down and kerplunked on the floor of the tower (inside) I'm not sure how much longer the poor old thing has. I don't know if I'd buy a Hewlett Packard ever again either. This one was a replacement of the first one which crashed after two months. I'll try keeping this one alive a while longer (using the resources in this thread... thank you :smile: ) but I think it's days are numbered.

Anyone know which is the best brand to buy nowadays?

[SinCron]

To be clear. iexplore.exe is actually windows web browser. iexplorer.exe is malware

D'oh. I just thought it was a typo along with not saying if she was using any other browser so I just went with the information on hand. I can't wait till IE stops being mandatory for windows. Especially those stupid sites that wont work unless you're using IE.

[Apostrophe (')]

I usually buy custom - most of my family/friends buy Dell. They actually have a sale on right now.

http://www1.ca.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/inspndt_530s?c=ca&cs=cadhs1&l=en&s=dhs

If you went with something like this:
http://configure.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=ca&CS=cadhs1&l=en&OC=D530SDV_F_1E

Processor - Upgrade not worth the price

Operating System - Upgrade to Home Premium a must. I don't know how others feel, but I actually uninstalled Vista and went back to XP, so XP Home may be something to think about.

Memory - 2GB should be fine

Hard Drive - Upgrade to 250GB

Sound Card - Probably not needed; MIDI quality might be better - uses a PCI slot

Graphics Card - Should be fine unless you're a gamer

Optical Drive - Should be fine

Monitor - Should be able to use your old one. If not, it's something that can be bought at any time from just about any electronics store on the planet.

Modem/Wireless - Unless you're living in the dark ages, you shouldn't need a modem. Unless you have a router that's completely wireless, you shouldn't need a wireless card.

Floppy/Media - I haven't used a floppy in years. Media reader might not be a bad thing to get for cameras. Some digital multitrackers use media that are read by this.

Firewire - Some mixers/audio interfaces use it as it's supposed to be better than USB. Some cameras do as well. Uses a PCI slot

Media Center - Watching TV on your computer is cool, but optional. Uses a PCI slot

Expansion - 2 PCI slots, 1 PCI-e, 1 PCI-e (video)

Should cost somewhere around $500. Can't believe how cheap they're getting.

[Gilliangirl]

Thank you for the reply Apostrophe!

I have actually copied that post to Notepad and printed it off, and it will go with me when I shop next month. :banana:

[Hamm Guitars]

If you think you have spyware/malware issues try the following (windows XP)


Update your virus/malware scanners.
Turn off System restore.
Start in safe mode
Delete all temp files and temporary internet files
run your virus/spyware/malware scanner and clean things up
do any manual cleaning of host file, registry start up keys etc.
restart in normal mode and re-enable system restore
apply all windows updates and security updates for all of your software.
You can defrag after it's clean and updated if need be.

[Apostrophe (')]

Thank you for the reply Apostrophe!

I have actually copied that post to Notepad and printed it off, and it will go with me when I shop next month. :banana:

All those suggestions are based on that particular Dell machine and their cost of upgrades, so you may want to print out the Dell specs. There's a print summary link on the right side of the page.

And that sale ends on the 19th if you want to save $.

[devnulljp]

Memory - 2GB should be fineHa! Anyone remember the days of "640k should be enough for anyone"?:D
I just built a bunch of servers and we put 8 Gigs of RAM into each of them. 6 months later we upped the lot to 16 GB each. Holy cow. The first hard drive I remember seeing was 20 MB. Each of those servers has 4x500GBdrives in a RAID. Things sure do change fast.

[Vincent]

If your looking to buy a computer I would recommend LU Computer...I ordered mine online...you can customize as well.

I had a p3 which wasnt really that great for recording so I bought a p4...I could of got a dual core however the p4 is good enough for now.

Please note that most of these computer dont have a windows operating system and you have to buy that seperately however its great if you dont want vista...they sell XP home edition for around $130 however if you already own a copy of XP then you wont need to buy a copy.

The computer we bought came to $388 and that includes taxes and shipping...only $388

Pentium 4 3.4GHz,1GB,160GB
$288.89 before taxes and shipping
http://www.lucomputers.com/Product_detail.asp?parent_id=243&id=2952&class=1

INTEL PENTIUM DUAL CORE 2160 1.8GHZ,1GB,160GB $316
before taxes and shipping...shipping is around $30

http://www.lucomputers.com/Product_detail.asp?parent_id=242&id=2886&class=1

These computers are not brand names like dell or HP...they use the same type of parts however your not paying for a name like dell and so on.

Also wanted to mention if you do get a new computer when you download things and then decide you dont want them anymore remove downloads from control panel first (when possible) then delete any files or folders left behind...if you cant find the files/folders do a search of the program you dumped and get rid of any left overs.

I still recommend superantispyware...Its one of the best free programs...sbybot would be 2nd after that for me.

http://www.superantispyware.com/?tag=GOOGLE-SUPERANTISPYWARE

you could also try a free trial drive scrubber program and choose to scrub away parts of deleted programs that didnt go away when you uninstalled and "removed them"

You probably need to repair your registry as well.

[Gilliangirl]

do any manual cleaning of host file, registry start up keys etc.


How do I do a manual cleaning of registry keys?

[Gilliangirl]

If your looking to buy a computer I would recommend LU Computer...I ordered mine online...you can customize as well.

I had a p3 which wasnt really that great for recording so I bought a p4...I could of got a dual core however the p4 is good enough for now.

Please note that most of these computer dont have a windows operating system and you have to buy that seperately however its great if you dont want vista...they sell XP home edition for around $130 however if you already own a copy of XP then you wont need to buy a copy.

The computer we bought came to $388 and that includes taxes and shipping...only $388

Pentium 4 3.4GHz,1GB,160GB
$288.89 before taxes and shipping
http://www.lucomputers.com/Product_detail.asp?parent_id=243&id=2952&class=1

INTEL PENTIUM DUAL CORE 2160 1.8GHZ,1GB,160GB $316
before taxes and shipping...shipping is around $30

http://www.lucomputers.com/Product_detail.asp?parent_id=242&id=2886&class=1

These computers are not brand names like dell or HP...they use the same type of parts however your not paying for a name like dell and so on.

Also wanted to mention if you do get a new computer when you download things and then decide you dont want them anymore remove downloads from control panel first (when possible) then delete any files or folders left behind...if you cant find the files/folders do a search of the program you dumped and get rid of any left overs.

I still recommend superantispyware...Its one of the best free programs...sbybot would be 2nd after that for me.

http://www.superantispyware.com/?tag=GOOGLE-SUPERANTISPYWARE

you could also try a free trial drive scrubber program and choose to scrub away parts of deleted programs that didnt go away when you uninstalled and "removed them"

You probably need to repair your registry as well.

I've heard nothing but bad things about Vista. I'd probably buy XP. I did have Spybot on my computer for awhile but it conflicted with F-Secure so I uninstalled it. Hmmmm....

Haven't heard of LU? Will check it out. Thanks Vincent!

[NB-SK]

Oh I know IE is slow. I just found it amusing that it was said IExplorer was spyware when it might as well be. I suggest looking at what takes up most of your CPU power. Open up Task Manager and arrange by what's using the most processing power (by clicking the CPU tab). Leave IE open on a site like google and see if it fluctuates for no noticeable reason. Another good thing to do is get a program specific firewall. It will let you know when new processes are trying to access the internet. Also, create another user account for browsing with no admin privileges. Makes it near impossible to get weird stuff installed then.


I only use Windows at the office because I have to. At home, I use Linux. For browsers, get Firefox and follow these instructions to speed up the page display:

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9020880&pageNumber=2


You'll never use Explorer again unless you have to.