# Weird mystery program in my computer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 14, 2001, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-mystery-program-in-my-computer/87308 "2001-10-14T00:14:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2001, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-mystery-program-in-my-computer/87308/1 "2001-10-14T00:14:43Z")
I’m using Miscrosoft Works and the window goes gray which indicates that something else is running, but there’s no window for this program. When I do the alt-tab thing, I see an icon that looks like a globe. When I select the icon, there’s no indentifying title to tell me what it is. Any clues? BTW, I’m running Windows ME (no hissing, please). ---
**Author:** ![saepiroth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@saepiroth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saepiroth)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2001, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-mystery-program-in-my-computer/87308/2 "2001-10-14T04:12:26Z")
try using the end program window to ID it and dump it. to get to the end program window; press Control-Alt-Delete. it should be up there. (you will also see a lot of system chaff in there at the same time. you really only need “Explorer” to run. well, that and whatever program(s) you want. if you like, you can clear out the chaff when you do this.) also, you might want to run AdAware, to see if you have something ulterior attached to ‘Works’. ---
**Author:** ![Daoloth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/82dd89/32.png) [@Daoloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daoloth)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2001, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-mystery-program-in-my-computer/87308/3 "2001-10-14T05:03:18Z")
And when you identify it, don’t forget to tell us what it is. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2001, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-mystery-program-in-my-computer/87308/4 "2001-10-14T15:07:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by saepiroth \* > \*\*try using the end program window to ID it and dump it. > > to get to the end program window; > press Control-Alt-Delete. it should be up there. > > (you will also see a lot of system chaff in there at the same time. you really only need “Explorer” to run. well, that and whatever program(s) you want. if you like, you can clear out the chaff when you do this.) > also, you might want to run AdAware, to see if you have something ulterior attached to ‘Works’. \*\* I run Ad Aware, but it hasn’t spotted anything. I also did the three finger salute, but I’m not sure what I’m looking for. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2001, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-mystery-program-in-my-computer/87308/5 "2001-10-14T15:20:25Z")
Does it go away when you quit MS Works? Maybe it’s part of Works. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2001, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-mystery-program-in-my-computer/87308/6 "2001-10-14T15:49:44Z")
It did it again while I was online. I did the ctrl-alt-del to pull up the list of currently running programs and noted the ones I didn’t immediately recognize. Turns out it’s a component of the BackWeb Agent. Specifically the program “bwdelay”. Do I need this? ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2001, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-mystery-program-in-my-computer/87308/7 "2001-10-14T16:42:00Z")
[This](http://isyte.gethits.net/thetech/tsr.htm) is a good site to get info on the TSR’s listed in the Close Programs window. According to them: > [@](#): > > The BackWeb agent is the engine that controls the news and information updates for your subscribed channels (Active Desktop) So evidently, no you don’t need it, but your Active Desktop might not work properly without it. ---
**Author:** ![Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2001, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-mystery-program-in-my-computer/87308/8 "2001-10-14T16:44:57Z")
Well, once you cut through the marketing-speak on [this](http://www.backweb.com/products/index.html) page, it becomes pretty clear that it’s probably being used as adware. It goes without saying that you never, ever, need adware. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2001, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-mystery-program-in-my-computer/87308/9 "2001-10-14T16:55:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Some Guy \* > \*\*Well, once you cut through the marketing-speak on [this](http://www.backweb.com/products/index.html) page, it becomes pretty clear that it’s probably being used as adware. > > It goes without saying that you never, ever, need adware. \*\* Thanks for the info! I used Zone Alarm to restrict access by this program. Now, it must ask permission to access the web. Thanks to all! ---
**Author:** ![saepiroth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@saepiroth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saepiroth)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2001, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-mystery-program-in-my-computer/87308/10 "2001-10-14T16:55:38Z")
i guess you need to update your AdAware’s registry files.