# computer question (spyware?)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-spyware/243395>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 4, 2004, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-spyware/243395 "2004-05-04T01:47:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2004, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-spyware/243395/1 "2004-05-04T01:47:27Z")

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If I post the contents of my boyfriend’s computer’s task manager (Ctrl Alt Del) will someone be able to tell me what I should try to delete?

Here’s what I get on startup. Win98, HP Pavilion.

Backweb Agent  
Explorer  
Rnaapp  
Frext  
Iowatch  
wkcalcrem  
Reminder  
Atiptaxx  
rundll  
systray  
Vsstat  
Vshwin22  
Webscanx  
Imgicon  
Msgloop  
Msg32

I’ve run spybot S&D and ad-aware.

I’m a Mac girl. 😃

Humble apologies if this should be elsewhere.

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**Author:** ![RAWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@RAWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RAWDuke)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2004, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-spyware/243395/2 "2004-05-04T02:39:55Z")

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It’s a little bit tedious, but take a look at this site:

[http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist\_pages/tasklist.htm](http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm)

You can look up items listed in the Task Manager alphabetically, and get a very good description of what it is and if you can (and should!) get rid of it.

I found a few things on my system that I was better off without.

Naturally, the one thing on your list - FREXT - wasn’t listed.

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**Author:** ![Daizy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@Daizy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daizy)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2004, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-spyware/243395/3 "2004-05-04T03:54:30Z")

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Just to add to **RAWDuke**'s post…  
You’ll be wanting to go to start…then run…then type in msconfig  
Click on the start up tab.  
Uncheck unneccessary apps from here.

Which is where **RAWDuke** ’s link come in handy. [Sysinfo](http://www.sysinfo.org/startuplist.php) is another good one.

When you’re done unchecking…click apply, and then ok.

It will ask to reboot. Do so.

When it reboots…it will tell you it’s using selective start up.  
Put a check mark in it…and click ok.

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**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2004, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-spyware/243395/4 "2004-05-04T20:36:39Z")

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Thanks.

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**Author:** ![Daizy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@Daizy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daizy)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-spyware/243395/5 "2004-05-05T03:30:27Z")

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> [@FilmGeek](#):
>
> Thanks.

Were you able to figure out what to uncheck?  
When you do a ctrl/alt/del what do you have listed now?

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**Author:** ![critter42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@critter42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/critter42)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-spyware/243395/6 "2004-05-05T03:38:30Z")

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> [@Daizy](#):
>
> When it reboots…it will tell you it’s using selective start up.  
> Put a check mark in it…and click ok.

Minor nitpick - Win98 (or 98SE) won’t show that message - that didn’t come around until Win ME, so don’t freak when you don’t see it 🙂

BTW, none of the items listed are spyware (Backweb and frext can be, but in this case since it’s an older HP, it probably came pre-installed by HP for tech support or for automatically updating the system).

However, just because there’s nothing in the visible processes when you hit CTRL-ALT-DEL does NOT mean your system is clean. Win9x does not show every process that is actually running on the system. A better solution is to get Spybot and Ad-Aware and let them scan.

critter42