Another possible option is to replace the Windows Task Manager with a more powerful application that would load when pressing the CTRL ALT DEL keyboard shortcut. Anvir Task Manager Free is such a possibility. It adds much needed functionality to the Task Manager which reveals additional information.

The interface looks a bit overloaded at first glance but it’s rather easy to get used to it. The software has five main tabs: Startup, Processes, Applications, Services and Log.

If you take a closer look at the Processes tab you notice several additions. You might remember that the Windows Task Manager displays the process name and the memory used by the process.

The Anvir Task Manager displays if the process was automatically started and by which service or application, the executable file, the window name (if any) and much more. That’s only the information that you receive at first glance. If you mark a process you receive additional information such as a security risk analysis, information from a startup / services database, process properties, product information and files related to that process.

As you can see the Task Manager offers a wealth of information that makes live much easier. I could go on and explain other settings but that would lead to far in my opinion. Some other useful features are a menu that displays all connections of the system with the option to kill the process responsible, writing the traffic details to a log or to close the connection.

The right-click menu offers additional information and functions. You can perform web searches, send files to Virus Total to check them for viruses and much more.

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Let’s say you’re curious to know exactly what each entry does. In that case, head over to Exelib. This site is a database of executable programs. When you type in the name of an exe file, you get information about what that file does, where it is located, what effect does it have on your system, and how much of a threat it is to your machine.

Take svchost.exe for example. This entry in the Task Manager scans the ‘to be started’ section of your machine and creates a list of processes to launch. While this application itself does not pose a threat, it may occasionally launch a critical process.

Exelib helps you determine what executables your computer is running or possesses. While it is always good to keep track of executable files, this site can also help protect your computer. You can check new executables that have newly appeared to see if they are viruses or have spyware properties. Occasionally, you may come across an exe file that isn’t in the database. However, the database is always being updated so you can always check back later.

Do you have any special way to check what your executable files can do? How do you deal with unknown files?

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A click on any process kills that process after verification that you really want to do that. The main purpose of Task Killer is to be quickly able to terminate hung processes and windows without having to load the Windows task manager. I like the display of all running processes and their memory consumption which really aids in finding out which tasks use a lot of resources.

This was actually the way that I found that MediaAgent.exe was running on my system which lead to another article I posted earlier today. Users can change the default behavior of Task Killer in the options. It is possible for instance to disable the confirmation dialog or to create shortcuts to access functions even faster.

via Lifehacker

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One way to find out additional information is to use a program like process explorer which displays more information about the processes currently running on your system. Process Explorer adds a description and company tab which reveals some information about the process.

You can configure process explorer to replace the task manager. Still, you might have information about the company and a description but sometimes there is no information about the process. What if there is no description but a company name like CMCEI. Would you be suspicious abot it ? I definately would be and now we come to websites that contain process lists of nearly every process on windows machines.

I would like to start with the list of the websites that are not spam, some websites give you some information but their main purposes is to sell a product. Two of the following sites have buttons to purchase products but they contain valuable information that make up for that. Don’t click on those buttons and you have nothing to fear.

• Process Library
• Windows Process and Task List
• Castle Cops
• Sysinfo

All but one of the websites mentioned above have a site search – simply enter a filename that you don’t know about and they will display the information they have about it. It is a very good idea to cross-check the results before you take action.

If the information states that the file could be a virus, trojan or worm you should take appropriate measures. The first one would be to download a anti-virus program like Free AV (AVG Antivirus, Avast)and scan your system using that tool. Make sure the antivirus software is up to date. You might also want to take a look at my article about free online scan websites, most require Internet Explorer but some work in Firefox as well.

You should also download and run anti-spyware programs like Spybot Search and Destroy or Adaware. I’ve written another article “how to detect and remove spyware” which might be helpful as well.

To sum it up:

• Download process explorer
• Use the websites mentioned above to find out more about the process in question
• Scan your system with antivirus software
• Scan your system with anti-spyware software

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