what processes should be running?

[dbarton]

I see that

SVCHOST.exe is running
ALG.exe is running
SPOOLSV.EXE is running
VSMON.exe

and others..

How do I know which of these is ok and what may be trouble? Trojans?

 

[drag]

look the proccess name up with google? That's what I do...

 

[MedicBob]

Originally posted by: drag
look the proccess name up with google? That's what I do...

Ditto.

 

[Muse]

Here's a neat site (Black Viper) that discusses each service, it's uses and recommends whether to run it automatically, manually or not at all, depending on what your machine is doing. This is for XP, but he also has a "page" for Windows 2000. Very astute stuff, IMO. Look in his left paine for the Windows 2000 Services link.

 

[LegionX]

i was going to post same url
very good site for info on what is running and why. i wish it went into more detail about the svhost crap though but does give some.

can anyone suggest other sites as well?

 

[Unforgiven]

http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm

svchost.exe = services and controller app (ok to have running)
alg.exe = ???
spoolsv.exe = printer spooling (ok to have running)
vsmon.exe = you must be running zone alarm pro and this is ok to have running

 

[Muse]

vsmon.exe = you must be running zone alarm pro and this is ok to have running

I'm using the freeware version of Zonealarm (zaSetup_37_211.exe). vsmon.exe isn't for that?