If you don't know what a process is, search the name using Google, BC's File Database
, File Research Center
or the Process ID Database
. Also see How to determine what services are running under a SVCHOST.EXE process
Determining whether a file is malware or a legitimate process sometimes depends on the location (path) it is running from. One of the ways that malware tries to hide is to give itself the same name as a critical system file. However, it then places itself in a different location on your computer. A file's properties may give a clue to identifying it. Right-click
on the file, Properties
and examine the General and Version tabs.
You can download and use Process Explorer
or Glarysoft Process Manager
to investigate all running processes and gather additional information to identify and resolve problems. These tools will show the process CPU usage, a description and its path location
. If you right-click on the file in question and select properties, you will see more details about the file.
The Process Explorer window shows two panes by default: the upper pane
is always a process list and the bottom pane
either shows the list of DLLs loaded into the process selected in the upper pane, or the list of operating system resource handles (files, Registry keys, synchronization objects) the process has open. In the menu at the top select View > Lower Pane View to change between DLLs and Handles.
Anytime you come across a suspicious file which you cannot find any information, the file has a legitimate name but is not located where it is supposed to be, or you want a second opinion, submit it to jotti's virusscan
. In the "File to upload & scan
" box, browse to the location of the suspicious file and submit (upload) it for scanning/analysis.
Post back with the results of the file analysis.
If your computer seems to be slow, read Slow Computer/Browser? Check here first; it may not be malware
. There are reasons for slowness besides malware - i.e. disk fragmentation, disk errors, corrupt system files, too many startup programs, unnecessary services running, not enough RAM, dirty hardware components, etc. As your system gets older it becomes filled with more files/programs and has a natural tendency to slow down so cleaning and regular maintenance is essential.