There are 72 processes running in my Windows 8.1 PC, are they malicious?

Anonymous
2014-03-29T11:05:48+00:00

Dear community,

The computer is new.

Im not computer literate but logic tells me 72 processes running in th e back ground is too many?

I don't wish to start turning on/off processes in case I corrupt the machine or messing with programs to deselect ...

start up has only 3 or 4 processes running so not so bad.

Any suggestions on where i can take it in London, uk to be detoxed?

Can I get Microsoft to fix it remotely?

thank you

<Thread moved to Virus and Malware forums since malware is involved>

[Original Title: I HAVE 72 PROCESSES RUNNING IN THE BACKGROUND on my windows 8.1 computer......... <Malware>]

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Security and privacy

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Anonymous
2014-03-29T18:32:27+00:00

sarah,

CrowdInspect is only meant an an informative utility to let you know what's going on with your system.

You don't need to kill any process, but if you come across any marked with a red dot, run a good anti-malware application like the free version of Malwarebytes to check them out. Download that from here: http://www.malwarebytes.org/free/

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  1. Anonymous
    2014-03-30T21:34:12+00:00

    oh another thing...I get this silly pop up on the top right hand corner coming on all the time

    called INSTANT ON......its got an egg timer inside a little box...very annoying....

    how do i stop that little thing doing that... I have to click the x in the box all the time

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-03-30T21:32:41+00:00

    Okay malware check

    backups - got an external hard drive...and backed up check

    file history... yes got that

    now defrags...

    which one should I use..

    for some reason ive got an iobit smart defrag 3 coming up ...alongside two others...

    should I use the systems own one and if so what does it look like?

    I do have advanced system care loaded on my machine....

    re: Mozilla firefox i will think about that one...probably a good thing... because im finding some websites aren't compatible with internet explorer...

    however how do I bring my favourite task bar with me? or does it copy that as I download it?...

    I would like to know how to save my favourites task bar so that i can bring it to my second laptop...

    its all helping........ believe me!

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-03-30T21:02:15+00:00

    Generally on a week to week basis ....

    what should I be doing to my computer to ensure its all working fine?

    backups? defrag? malware scans...

    what is a general simple list to go by?

    Sarah,

    Malwarebytes is pre-configured to download a daily update and to scan your machine. But you might want to change the time it's been programmed to run just in case you might have gone to bed by then.

    Go to the Settings menu at the top and then click the link to "Automated Scheduling" in the left hand menu. Double click "Automatic Updates" and then make changes in there. Do the same with "Threat Scan".

    Backups are without question a necessary part of life to ensure that if things go pear-shaped and your hard drive fails for example, you have an alternative source where all your personal data resides. If you haven';t got one already, buy an external USB 3.0 hard drive. They're quite cheap these days and you should be able to pick one up for about $70. Just plug it into a USB 3.0 port (USB 3.0 ports are blue while USB 2.0 ports are white).

    You can use the "File History" menu for that which you'll find in Windows Control Panel (small icons view).

    Defrags can be configured to run automatically which is what I do. Hit Windows key to open the Start menu and then just start typing "defragmenter" and you'll see the link appear on the right before you've finished typing the whole word. You can right click it and pin to the Start menu or Taskbar if you want, but if you're going to schedule it to run weekly (my choice), there's no need to really.

    I use Firefox as my default browser because of all the free add-ons I have access to and because I configure it the way I like it. It's a personal choice of course, but you can take a look at it here if you're curious:  https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/products/firefox 

    This link takes you to all the Firefox add-ons: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/

    And you can change its appearance here: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/themes/?sort=popular

    Hope this helps.

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  4. Anonymous
    2014-03-30T20:33:28+00:00

    You can leave CrowdInspect on your taskbar. It's a stand alone program which means it doesn't install. It's always useful to have a utility like that handy for the odd occasion when you want to check to see what's happening on the machine.

    But you can also remove it you wish.

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