Task List
Name

PROGRAM &
MANUFACTURER

WHAT IT IS
AND WHAT YOU CAN DO
S3syskey S3SysKey.exe

(S3 Inc.)		 Background task found on Toshiba laptops.  We have no idea as to what it does except that it is something to do with the graphics.

Recommendation :
In the absence of any information about it we can only recommend to leave it alone.
Sagent2 SAgent2.exe

(Epson)		 Startup task installed by many Epson inkjet printer drivers and which checks whether you printer port is present, and whether it is set to ECP or EPP (or bidirectional as some BIOSes have).  On completion of the checks it sets options in the Epson printer software.

Recommendation :
The functionality of this task is incorporated in most of the current versions of the programs that make up the Epson printer drivers and utilities, which makes this task unnecessary.  Additionally, on some PCs this task causes boot-up errors such as "Invalid Page Fault", "Error in module <Unknown>", and Blue screen crashes.  If you do not experience problems with SAGENT2, you could elect to leave it alone.  Otherwise disable it with Starter – if your PC, and your printing, behave normally once you have disabled it, leave it disabled.  If not, then see if Epson have more up-to-date drivers you can use.
SaveNow

Save

WhenUSave		 SaveNow.exe

Save.exe

(WhenU.com)		 Depending on the version this will show as SAVENOW, SAVE, or WHENUSAVE in Windows 95/98/ME, and it will show as SAVENOW.EXE or SAVE.EXE in Windows NT4/2000/XP.  In theory SaveNow (also called WhenUSave in newer versions of the program – SAVE.EXE is the newer program file) is a program that brings you relevant coupons and offers and alerts you to various deals and services when you surf the web.  SaveNow is installed on your computer as a module that will have come with WhenUShop or other software that you downloaded from the Internet.  SaveNow intercepts website addresses you type in your browser’s address bar, and search words you enter on search engine sites, and uses those words to display popup advertising of deals and bargains which are related to the type of sites you are visiting, or the type of searches you have been making.  In our opinion SaveNow/WhenUSave is both spyware (what else is it sending to its central site from your PC?) and an intensely annoying parasite while you are browsing the web, and we do mean "intensely" !

Recommendation :
Remove immediately !  Go to "Start \ Settings \ Control Panel \ Add/Remove Programs", select "SaveNow" (or "WhenUSave", or just "Save"), and click "Add/Remove".  Also run either Ad-Aware or Spybot Search & Destroy.
Sbhc SBHC.exe

(Gigatech Software)		 SuperBar Internet Explorer Plugin which purports to enhance your web browser (movie listings, password helper, form filler, search engine enhancement & phrase finder).  Note :  this is a different product from the SuperBar Toolbar management and configuration shareware utility of the same name.  Most users who have SuperBar, the IE Plugin, never willingly installed it, it got installed with other software, typically MP3 software.

Recommendation :
At the time of writing, May 2003, we have only seen this program on a handful of PCs, but every time we have come across it we were able to measure performance degradation directly linked to this program.  Although there is now an uninstall program on the Gigatech site, we ourselves uninstalled it by simply deleting it in Starter, and then deleting the folder "C:\Program Files\Superbar".
Sbserv

ScriptBlocking		 SBServ.exe

(Symantec)		 Norton AntiVirus Script Blocking Service.  From Norton 2001 onward, Norton AntiVirus includes the Script Blocking feature which is turned ON by default.  This feature intercepts script based viruses (e.g. JavaScript, VB Script viruses).

Recommendation :
Essential to the proper protection of your PC against script based viruses, so leave alone.  If you absolutely need to disable it, do so by disabling Script Blocking within Norton AntiVirus.
ScanRegistry

Scanregw		 ScanRegW.exe

(Microsoft)		 Microsoft’s Registry Checker.  This is not a Task List item, but rather a startup item which you can see in MSConfig or Starter.  The Registry Checker, SCANREGW, loads on boot-up and checks that the Windows Registry is in good order.  If it is in good order, it backs up the Registry and then lets Windows continue booting up.  If there are minor problems, it fixes them.  If there are major problems, it prompts the user to restore from a previous good copy of the Registry.  Once SCANREGW has completed one of the above, it terminates, so it should never appear in your Task List.  By default the Registry Checker keeps 5 backup copies of the Registry in the C:\Windows\SysBckup folder – these backups are compressed into single .CAB files called RB000.CAB, RB001.CAB, and so on.

Recommendation :
Leave well alone.  Note, make sure that the name of the program file is indeed SCANREGW.exe, and not some other name like "scanregv.exe" which would indicate a virus.
Sccenter SCCenter.exe

(Compaq & BackWeb)		 Service Connection Center.  This is a re-branded version of BACKWEB (see BACKWEB) which supposedly checks for updates for the setup and software of your Compaq PC whenever your are connected to the Internet.

Recommendation :
We have rarely seen this task to work properly, in most cases it simply does not work.  There are also reports of it preventing ScanDisk and Defrag from completing. As per our comments on BACKWEB we recommend de-installing this task by de-installing "Service Connection Center" in Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel. Alternatively, you can disable this task with Starter.
ScriptBlocking SBServ.exe See SBSERV.
 
Scrsvr ScrSvr.exe

(???)		 You have the OPASERV virus.
Scsiaccess SCSIAccess.exe

(Alcohol Software)		 Virtual SCSI controller used by the Alcohol 120% software from Alcohol Software (a virtual SCSI controller is one that does not exist physically in your PC – it exists purely by software to enable a particular package to perform specific tasks).  Alcohol 120% is software which not only enables you to create and copy CDs and DVDs, but which also enables you to store CDs and DVDs onto your hard disk and then re-create them onto CD-Rs/DVD-Rs at a later stage, or play them directly from the hard disk.

Recommendation :
This task is essential to the proper functioning of Alcohol 120%, so leave it alone.
Scw64 Scw64.exe

(Olympic Technology / A4 Tech)		 System Tray driver for the 4D Mouse which enables the end-user to configure buttons 3, 4, and 5 from the System Tray.  However, this task must also be running for these buttons to operate.

Recommendation :
Down to end-user preference – it can be disabled with Starter.
Sdii Sdii.exe

(Microtek)		 Scanner Detector utility installed by the drivers for the Microtek ScanMaker 4800.  SDII constantly monitors for the presence of your Microtek scanner. With SDII running you can press your scanner GO button on the front of the scanner to start scanning.

Recommendation :
There is a bug in this program which often results in the program consuming most of your memory as well as using excessive amounts of CPU under Windows XP !  SDII is only essential for the GO button; you can otherwise scan via any program which supports scanning, such as Photo Editor.  Therefore, under Windows XP, if you still experience problems with SDII even when you configure it to run in Windows 98 compatibility mode, then disable it with Startup Manager.

Services

Services.exe

(Microsoft)

Windows NT4/2000/XP only.  This is the Services Control Manager which is responsible for starting, stopping, and interacting with system services.

Recommendation : 
An integral part of the operating system, leave alone.
Sexy Sexy.exe

(???)		 You have a virus.

Sgtbox

SGTBox.exe

(Canon)

Canon’s ScanGear Toolbox System Tray application which comes with Canon scanners.

Recommendation : 
If you no longer have a Canon scanner, de-install via the "Add/Remove Program" icon in the Control Panel.
Sgtray SGTray.exe

(Veritas)		 System Tray icon and background monitoring task for Veritas Storage Guard which in most cases gets installed as part of Backup Exec Desktop or Backup Exec Desktop Pro (as well as some of the other Veritas backup products).  When running in the background, Storage Guard alerts you when you have not done a backup of your data for a while. Also, if you decide to do a backup you can do it straight from the System Tray icon.

Recommendation :
Since the regular backup of your data is something we recommend very highly, we feel it is a matter of personal preference as to whether you want to have Storage Guard in the background constantly checking on you, or whether you prefer to rely on your own manual procedures.  In any case, if you have set up regular overnight scheduled backups you definitely do not need Storage Guard in the background, in which case you can disable it with Startup Manager.
Shellmon ShellMon.exe

(AOL)		 Task which gets installed with AOL 8.0 and AOL 8.1.  At the time of writing, June 2003, we do not yet know what this task does.

Recommendation :
As we are not sure about what it does, we can only recommend you leave this task alone.

Sisswled

SiSSwLED.exe

(Silicon Integrated Systems – SiS)

System Tray utility for the SiS 900 network cards (these are usually onboard network cards).  This program displays a network usage LED in your System Tray.  This LED lights up whenever network traffic takes place, much in the same way as Windows 2000 and Windows XP provide by default.

Recommendation : 
Network traffic LEDs are quite useful, particularly when troubleshooting problems. Unless you experience problems with this program, leave it running.  If you are using Windows 2000/XP, however, then disable this utility and use the native Windows network traffic LED instead.
Sistray SiSTray.exe

(Silicon Integrated Systems – SiS)		 System Tray utility which gets installed by the drivers of the latter day SiS VGA cards.  The utility itself is not of much use in our opinion.

Recommendation :
First, do not confuse this task with SYSTRAY also listed later on this page.  Delete using Startup Manager.
Sk9910dm SK9910DM.exe

(Gateway)		 Background task found solely on Gateway PCs and which provides support for the Gateway multimedia keyboards so that you can configure and use the one-touch programmable keys, the volume controls, etc..

Recommendation :
If you only ever use the standard keys on your Gateway multimedia keyboard, then you may wish to disable this task with Startup Manager, otherwise leave it running.
Sllights SLLights.exe

(SmartLink?)		 System Tray icon for modems based on SGS-Thomson Microelectronics’ chipsets (also called STMicroelectronics).  This chipset seems to be used mainly in AMR or USB modems.  The System Tray icon is installed during the modem driver installation.  It enables the end-user to turn ON or OFF features such as the modem speaker, and other minor settings.

Recommendation :
Some users have reported crashes and lockups (freezes) caused by this task, so you may want to disable it with Startup Manager.
Slpcap SLPCap.exe

(Seiko)		 Part of the Smart Label software for the Seiko Smart Label Plus and EZ30 printers, and possibly other Seiko Smart Label printers.

Recommendation :
We do not at this stage know what this task actually does, so can only recommend that you leave it alone.
Slpmonx SLPMonX.exe

(Seiko)		 Part of the Smart Label software for the Seiko Smart Label Plus and EZ30 printers, and possibly other Seiko Smart Label printers.

Recommendation :
We do not at this stage know what this task actually does, so can only recommend that you leave it alone.
Slpservice SLPService.exe

(Seiko)		 Part of the Smart Label software for the Seiko Smart Label Plus and EZ30 printers, and possibly other Seiko Smart Label printers.

Recommendation :
We do not at this stage know what this task actually does, so can only recommend that you leave it alone.
Slserv SLServ.exe

(SmartLink)		 SmartLink’s User-Level Modem Service.  This task runs on Windows NT4/2000/XP system – we are not yet sure as to what it does.

Recommendation :
As we do not know what it does, leave it alone.

Sm56hlpr

SM56Hlpr.exe

(Motorola)

Tray icon which gets installed with the drivers for the Motorola SM56 range of modems.  As with most modem tray icon software, this is of little use and simply clutters the System Tray.

Recommendation : 
Disable using Startup Manager.

SmartCenter97

SmartCtr.exe

(Lotus – IBM)

Lotus SmartSuite 97 Toolbar.  As with the Microsoft Office Toolbar, this toolbar initially sits at the top of your screen and gives you access, from that toolbar, to all the programs in the SmartSuite office suite.  Again, as with the Microsoft Office Toolbar, you can customize it to include non-Lotus programs.

Recommendation : 
This is a matter of pure end-user preference.  If you need to you can disable it with Startup Manager.

Smreminder

Smreminder.exe

(Shockwave.com)

Another registration reminder application, this time from Shockwave’s Shockmachine software.  This background registration reminder program gets installed when you install Shockmachine.

Recommendation : 
Delete using Startup Manager.

Smss

Smss.exe

(Microsoft)

Windows NT4/2000/XP only.  SMSS is the Session Manager SubSystem.  SMSS’s purpose is to start, manage, and delete user sessions (or client sessions under Terminal Server).  Under Terminal Server the management part includes dealing with the different subsystems (OS/2, Win32, POSIX) which a client session may wish to run.

Recommendation : 
An integral part of the operating system, leave alone.
Smsx Smsx.exe

(Security Technology Solutions Co. ???)		 SMSexpress. Standalone software used to send mobile text messages to mobile phones around the world.

Recommendation :
Since the beginning of July 2003 we have been receiving numerous reports of Win2000 fileservers and Win2000/XP PCs stricken down with 100% CPU usage, and massive Internet bandwidth consumption with, alas, the appropriate excess bandwidth ISP bills "in the post", all traceable to an EXE called SMSX.EXE. Further investigation shows that the users of most of those servers and PCs never intentionally installed SMSX.EXE.  Yet more investigation seems to point at SMSX.EXE probably having been dropped onto those machines by a specific virus, trojan, or worm virus; however, since SMSX is not in itself a virus, it does not get picked up by antivirus software !  In short therefore :  we are not certain that the SMSX.EXE that is causing such havoc, is the same one as that from the SMSexpress software, but we are certain that it does cause havoc and that you should get rid of it. Restart your PC/Server in Safe Mode, locate SMSX.EXE and delete it. Next, check "Services" for a service that calls SMSX.EXE, and if there is one, either delete the service or set it to manual.
Smt SMT.exe

(BC Computing)		 Legitimate spy software, Win-Spy.  By "legitimate" we mean software that you buy and willingly install (as opposed to software which is installed without you knowing, while you install some other software).

Recommendation :
If this program is on your PC, and you did not know about it, then you had better investigate what it is doing on your PC, as someone may be spying on you (and this means recording passwords, credit card numbers, in addition to everything you do on your PC) !  You can get rid of Win-Spy with "Spybot – Search & Destroy" available from our Downloads page.
Smtray

Sm tray		 SMTray.exe

(Analog Devices Inc. – ADI)		 SoundMAX System Tray icon which gets installed with the drivers for soundcards or onboard sound based on Analog Devices’ chipsets.  It gives you access to the SoundMAX software suite from the System Tray.

Recommendation :
Down to end-user preference.  You can disable it with Starter.
Snmp SNMP.exe


(Microsoft)		 SNMP Service (Simple Network Management Protocol).  This service/task listens for SNMP requests, obtains the required information and data, and passes it on to the requester.

Recommendation :
In general this task/service is of little use on a standalone PC where we suggest you disable it with Starter in Windows 95/98/ME, or set this service to Disabled or Manual in Windows NT4 (Control Panel \ Services) and Windows 2000/XP (Control Panel \ Administrative Tools \ Services).  If a particular software package requires SNMP, and tells you so, simply re-activate the task/service.
Soundman Soundman.exe

(Realtek Avance Logic Inc)		 Sound Manager System Tray utility installed by the drivers for Realtek Avance Logic based soundcards, mainly onboard soundcards, which enables the user to control the S/PDIF input and output (Sony/Philips Digital Interface – a standard which allows the transfer of an audio file from one medium to another without first converting to and from analogue format with the resulting loss of audio quality that that entails).  SOUNDMAN also allows you to change the function of the input and output ports of your soundcard from Line-In, Line-Out, and MIC to Front, Rear, and Centre speakers.

Recommendation :
Most users do not use any of the features of SOUNDMAN.  If that is your case then disable SOUNDMAN in Starter.
Spdstart SpdStart.exe

(Symantec)

 Norton SpeedStart – part of Norton Utilities and SystemWorks and intended solely for Windows 95 users (and the first version of Windows 98).  As per Symantec’s website  "Norton SpeedStart, which is enabled from Norton Optimization Wizard, tracks how applications load into memory, and optimizes the loading process.  Subsequently, many applications will load noticeably faster".

Recommendation :
If you have a 600MHz or faster PC, with 128Mb of RAM or more, then, as with Microsoft’s TASKMON, we feel that the supposed benefits of Norton SpeedStart will be negligible if not totally unnoticeable.  If that is you, then we advise you disable Norton SpeedStart either via Startup Manager or within Norton Utilities/SystemWorks.

Speedkey

SpeedKey.exe

(Microsoft)

Background driver task for the Microsoft Internet/Natural/Internet Pro/Office keyboards.  This task is installed by the IntelliType Pro software and implements the shortcut keys and keyboard key re-configurations which you programmed within the IntelliType software.

Recommendation :
Required task if you use the IntelliType software.  If you get illegal operations or other similar problems with SPEEDKEY, download from this Microsoft website the latest version of the IntelliType software – it is likely to resolve most problems you may have with SPEEDKEY.
Spool32 Spool32.exe

(Microsoft)		 Spooler Sub System Process for Windows 95/98/ME. SPOOL32 is a hidden task, a task that does not show up when you press Ctrl+Alt+Del, but which will show up in Starter or any Task Process viewer, such as Task Info 2002 or WinTasks.  SPOOL32 manages the spooling of print jobs.  Spooling allows the computer's processor to quickly process a print job by temporarily storing it on the hard disk before sending it to the printer.  This allows the processor to return control to the program from which you are printing at a much faster rate than if the program were to process the entire print job and then send it directly to the printer.  Note that SPOOL32 will only spool print jobs if you configured your printer to spool print jobs.

Recommendation :
Essential – this task auto-loads at boot-up – leave it alone.  If you experience SPOOL32 errors, your problem is not with SPOOL32 but with something else on your PC, quite often the printer drivers.

Spoolsv

SpoolSV.exe

(Microsoft)

Windows 2000/XP only.  This is the Spooler service which manages spooled fax and print jobs.

Recommendation : 
An integral part of the operating system, leave alone.
Sqlmangr SQLMangr.exe

(Microsoft)		 SQL Server Service Manager.  System Tray icon which enables you to start or stop the various Microsoft SQL services directly from the System Tray, saving you the hassle of doing it via the Services panel.

Recommendation :
Extremely useful if you are running SQL Server or Personal SQL Server as it is not uncommon to need to stop SQL and restart it.

Ssdpsrv

SSDPSRV.exe

(Microsoft)

Part of Windows Millennium Edition.  This program only gets installed if you choose to install the "Universal Plug and Play" sub-component of the Communications component in "Add/Remove Programs \ Windows Setup".  SSDPSRV provides Simple Service Discovery Protocol (SSDP) and General Event Notification Architecture (GENA) services for the Universal Plug and Play functionality and is a component designed for the future generation of Plug and Play devices.

Recommendation : 
If you are using standard Plug and Play devices, you do not need this program.  You can de-install it by un-selecting "Universal Plug and Play" in "Add/Remove Programs \ Windows Setup tab \ Communications".
Ssloserv Ssloserv.exe

(Sony)		 Sony Smart Label OServer task found almost exclusively on Sony Vaio laptops.  These laptops come loaded with, amongst other things, a software suite called Sony Smart Labels which enables the user to set up multimedia memos and reminders.

Recommendation :
This task keeps track of when your reminder memos should flash up.  Therefore, if you use Sony Smart Labels, you should leave it running. If you do not, disable it with Startup Manager.
Starteak StartEAK.exe

(Compaq)		 Compaq’s Easy Access Keyboard task which implements the Compaq Easy Access features where you can program those keyboard keys to perform specific tasks (e.g. one key to start your email program, another to start your browser, etc...).  This task is seen primarily on Compaq Presario and Evo laptops, but may be present on other Compaq PCs.

Recommendation :
This is an utterly nightmarish task which can be "annoyed" by almost anything – whether it be the de-installation of software, the installation of software, the installation of a service pack, a system setting or BIOS change, or running Windows Update.  As soon as this task gets "annoyed" it gobbles up almost all your CPU resources (95% and upward) resulting in long long boot-ups, stuttering programs, impossible DVD playbacks, or a virtually unusable PC.  If this task is not causing you problems, you might as well leave it alone.  If it is causing you problems, however, and you are actually using the Easy Access features, then the only solution that seems to work is the messy full de-installation of the Easy Access software and then re-installation.  For those who do not want to run the risk of this task "getting annoyed", and who do not use the Easy Access features, disable this task with Starter.
Starter  (1) Starter.exe

(CodeStuff)		 This is the STARTER startup tasks management program featured in our Downloads page, minimized to the System Tray.

Recommendation :
We do not advise minimizing it to the System Tray – depending on how it is configured it can consume a lot of resources.  It is best to simply use it when you need to, and then close it.
Starter  (2) Starter.exe

(Creative Labs)		 Creative Labs Ensoniq Mixer Tray icon.  Double-clicking on the icon brings up a sound mixer control which is very similar to the one you get when you double-click on the System Tray sound control (yellow loudspeaker), except that it has one or two additional controls that are specific to Creative soundcards.

Recommendation :
Your choice !  However, if you change your soundcard to a non-Creative one, remember to de-install the Creative sound drivers and then delete this entry using Startup Manager if the de-installation process did not delete it.
StateMgr StateMgr.exe

(Microsoft)		 Microsoft’s PC State Manager Stub.  STATEMGR, present only in Windows Millennium Edition (Windows ME), is not a Task List item, it is purely a startup item which does its job at Windows boot-up, and then terminates while Windows continues booting up.  STATEMGR is part of the Windows ME’s System Restore feature and checks on boot-up how much time has elapsed since the last automatic or manual Restore Point and, if necessary, creates a new Restore Point.  STATEMGR also checks whether vital Windows system files were overwritten by older files by a recent installation of 3rd party software, and restores them to their previous level when necessary.

Recommendation :
Essential to the proper and safe running of your Windows ME PC – leave alone.
Stimon

StillImageMonitor		 Stimon.exe

(Microsoft)		 Windows 98/ME’s Still Image Monitor.  Still Image Monitor is a tool which is installed by Windows 98/ME whenever a USB scanner is present and successfully detected.  It starts automatically through the Registry and enables the user (or software) to associate the pressing of the SCAN button on the scanner (if the scanner has one) with a specific Windows program so that, for example, when you press the SCAN button, Adobe Photoshop always gets started and scans the document presently on the scanner.  This is a feature commonly called "one-touch scanning".  Still Image Monitor is also used by the software that comes with some digital cameras so that as soon as the camera is plugged into the USB port, the appropriate software pops up to enable the end-user to download his photos.

Recommendation :
Great in theory, useless in practice when it comes to scanners.  For a start the great majority of scanners do not have a SCAN button !  Additionally, it is our view that the future trends will be for the ability to scan from within almost any application.  Additionally, we have seen STIMON conflict with certain programs, such as the Sage Accounting Software used in the UK (illegal operations and other crashes while exiting Sage).  For all these reasons, unless you do use "one-touch scanning", or you have a digital camera that uses STIMON, we recommend that you disable STIMON using Starter.  (Note: we have had reports of the disabling of STIMON resulting in the scanner or digital camera "not being found" by Windows or not working even if detected or when the device is actually not USB but possibly SCSI or Parallel Port, so make sure you do not delete it in Starter – simply disable it so that you can re-enable it should you need to).
Stisvc Stisvc.exe

(Microsoft)		 Still Image Service.  This is the equivalent of STIMON above but for Windows 2000/XP.

Recommendation :
On Windows 2000 and XP most scanners and many digital cameras will not work if you stop this service, as the drivers integrate tightly with STISVC, so leave it alone.  The foregoing notwithstanding, there are problems with many HP scanner drivers which cause STISVC to run away with 99% of CPU usage – if your PC is sluggish immediately after you have attempted a scan with your HP scanner, then try downloading the latest drivers for your scanner through our Drivers section.  If that does not solve your problem, then de-install your scanner drivers, next go into "Control Panel \ Administrative Tools \ Services" and set the Still Image Service to "Disabled", stop the service, reboot, then re-install the drivers. That may just solve your problems.
Stms Stms.exe

(Epson)		 Epson Background Monitor, also called Status Monitor 2.  This is the print status monitor for some of the older Epson inkjet printers, such as the Stylus Color 600, 640, 740, 800, 1200 printers.  It shows you the progress of your print job as it is printing.

Recommendation :
Although not necessary for most print jobs, empirical evidence shows that you will have less problems if you leave it alone than if you disable it.  If you network your printer, however, this utility then becomes essential as you not only need to use some of its configuration menus, but STMS also needs to be running for the network configuration settings to be used.

Stutfix

(CPQ StutFix)

StutFix.exe

(Compaq)

This is a system patch from Compaq for some of their PCs and laptops.  It runs at start-up and fixes sound stutter on those Compaq PCs that experience the problem.

Recommendation : 
If you have it running, it is required, so leave it alone.
Surveyor Surveyor.exe

(Compaq)		 Compaq Survey Utility service seen only on Compaq ProLiant and ProSignia servers running NT4.  The Compaq Survey Utility, also available for NetWare, is effectively a configuration reporting tool which enables the system manager or Compaq engineer to instantly obtain a LIVE and extremely comprehensive report on the hardware and operating system configuration of the server.  SURVEY.EXE is the user interface part of the utility while SURVEYOR.EXE is the service which goes and gathers the information.

Recommendation :
The use of this software may form an essential part of your Support Contract with Compaq (HP), so as we have not heard of problems with it we suggest you leave it alone.

Suitest

SuiteSt.exe

(Lotus – IBM)

Lotus SuiteStart 97.  System Tray icons which enable you to start all programs in the Lotus SmartSuite office suite, from the System Tray.

Recommendation : 
A matter of pure user preference.  You can disable it with Startup Manager.
Svch0st Svch0st.exe

(???)		 Note :  the letter between the "h" and the "s" in the name of the file is a zero, not the letter "o".

You have one of the Backdoor.Graybird viruses.
Svchost (1) Svchost.exe

(Microsoft)		 Service Host – Generic Host Process for Win32 Services. Windows 2000/XP only.  SVCHOST is a generic process which acts as a host for processes that run from DLLs rather than EXEs. At startup SVCHOST checks the Services portion of the Registry to construct a list of DLL-based services that it needs to load, and then loads them.  There can be many instances of SVCHOST running, as there will be one instance of SVCHOST for every DLL-based service or grouping of services (the grouping of services is determined by the programmers who wrote the services in question).  Under Windows XP Professional you can find out what DLL-based services SVCHOST is running by typing Tasklist /SVC at a Command Prompt (MS-DOS Prompt – this command is not available in Windows XP Home), while under Windows 2000 you need to use the TLIST –s command from a Command Prompt (MS-DOS Prompt).

Recommendation :
An integral part of the operating system, leave alone – multiple instances of SVCHOST is a normal occurrence.  If you experience SVCHOST errors, the problem is most likely not with SVCHOST but with the DLLs it is hosting.
Svchost (2) SVCHOST.EXE

(???)		 Many viruses masquerade themselves as SVCHOST to escape detection.  Some have names that are similar, such as SCCHOST, while others actually drop a program file called SVCHOST in the Windows or Windows System directory.

Recommendation :
The first recommendation is a simple one :  always have a good antivirus product which is regularly updated (automatically preferably) and always renew your updates subscription when it expires.  To detect if you have a virus that calls itself SVCHOST, first see if it shows up in Starter – if it does, then it is almost certain you have a virus.  Secondly, if you have Windows 95/98/ME rather than WinNT4/2000/XP, then it is almost certain you have a virus.  Thirdly, go to "Control Panel \ Administrative Tools \ Services" and look for any of the following services – if you find any of them, then you probably have a virus : 

System Important Message service
Sweepsrv Sweepsrv.sys

(Sophos)		 Sophos AntiVirus Detection System Service for Windows NT4/2000/XP :  the Sweep Service.  This service is the actual process within Sophos AntiVirus which detects viruses.

Recommendation :
Essential for the detection of viruses using Sophos AntiVirus – leave alone. Note that by default some versions of Sophos AntiVirus install themselves configured to run a full virus scan of your hard disk every time you start your PC, resulting in SWEEPSRV showing in the Task List as consuming large amounts of resources immediately after boot-up, and a slow PC !  If this causes you a problem, simply modify or disable the schedule within Sophos AntiVirus.
Switch Switch.exe

(Alphamega Software)		 Switch Manager Pro.  Switch Manager Pro appears as "Switch Manager Pro" in the Task List when you have it open.  When you minimize it to the System Tray, however, it appears in the Task List as "Switch".

Recommendation :
Leave alone.
Swnetsup SWNetSup.exe

(Sophos)		 Sophos AntiVirus Network Support Service for Windows NT4/2000/XP.  This service handles the network interaction of SWEEP and InterCheck.  It is not required, but without it you will not be able to deliver virus reports back to the InterCheck server, and auto-upgrades will not be possible.

Recommendation :
Leave it running if you want your Sophos AntiVirus software to be able to update itself automatically.
Swupdate SWUpdate.exe

(Sophos)		 Sophos AntiVirus Auto-Update Service for Windows NT4/2000/XP.  This service takes care of automatically updating your Sophos AntiVirus software over the Internet, at the specified intervals.

Recommendation :
Up-to-date antivirus protection is an absolute MUST, so leave this service alone.

Sxgdsenu

Sxgdsenu.exe

(?)

MIDI driver for sound cards based on the Yamaha XG chipset.

Recommendation : 
As the XG chipset is an old chipset, we have not had the opportunity to verify what this background task really does.  As a result the only recommendation we can make is that you leave it alone.  Or, if this task appears on your PC and you are prepared to experiment, you could try disabling it with Startup Manager and see if you suffer sound problems.
Symproxysvc SymProxySvc.exe

(Symantec)		 Symantec Transparent Proxy Server.  Although we have not yet been able to obtain full details about this task, we feel from its name that this is probably the most crucial component of Norton Internet Security and Norton Personal Firewall – certainly if you stop it neither works properly, or at all. SYMPROXYSVC is a transparent task under Windows 95/98/ME, visible only through a program like Starter.

Recommendation :
Leave alone – Essential.  Note, however, that SYMPROXYSVC, due to bugs in script blocking, has been known to consume up to 99% of CPU usage, thereby grinding the PC to a halt.  Other problems, including "Invalid Page Faults", involve access to specific or secure sites.  All of these should be resolved if you do a manual LiveUpdate in order to pick up all the latest software updates for your Norton firewall.
Symtray SymTray.exe

(Symantec)		 Norton Tray Manager.  System Tray icon for Norton SystemWorks which enables you to access all the SystemWorks programs from within a single icon in the System Tray.

Recommendation :
Down to end-user preference.  However, SymTray has a history of incompatibilities in certain environments which result in "Invalid Page Faults" at boot-up or when specific applications are run.  Try a manual LiveUpdate if you have this problem. Otherwise you can disable the Norton Tray Manager by either disabling it with Starter, or, from SystemWorks 2000 onward, double-click the icon in the System Tray, choose "Options", then "Norton SystemWorks", then the "General" tab, and take the tick off Use the Norton Tray Manager;  OK your way out and reboot.
Syntpenh SynTPEnh.exe

(Synaptics)		 Synaptics TouchPad Enhancements driver for laptops’ touchpads.  The Synaptics drivers are used by a majority of laptop manufacturers.  There are many problems associated with the Synaptics drivers :  excessive amounts of CPU used by the drivers, inability to install specific software packages (mostly packages which use the Wise installer), and outright freezes of the laptop where often the only solution is to remove the battery as it is impossible to turn OFF the frozen laptop.  Not all laptops exhibit these problems.

Recommendation :
If you experience any of the above, go to our drivers page and download and install the latest Synaptics drivers for your laptop (if you are not sure which one you should download, consult with us).  This solves the problem in a rather low 30% of cases.  If you still have the problem after having updated your Synaptics drivers, and you need to install software, do a Ctrl+Alt+Del and do an "End Task" on both SYNTPENH and SYNTPLPR prior to attempting to load the software you are trying to load (note, this will disable the TouchPad, so make sure you plug in an external PS/2 mouse before starting your PC and killing these two processes) – alternatively disable both SYNTPENH and SYNTPLPR in Startup Manager.  If your problem is freezes, and updating the drivers does not correct the problem, then the only solution is to remove the Synaptics drivers via the "Add/Remove Program" icon in the Control Panel and then see if Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP will be able to handle the TouchPad with their own drivers.  In most cases they do, particularly with Windows ME and XP, but you do lose the ability to use the middle mouse button if you have one.  Removing the Synaptics drivers and having the TouchPad handled by Windows always corrects the freezing problems in our experience.
Syntplpr SynTPLpr.exe

(Synaptics)		 Part of Synaptics TouchPad drivers.  Works together with SYNTPENH.  See SYNTPENH above for more details.

Sysdoc32

SysDoc32.exe

(Symantec)

Norton System Doctor.  Part of Norton Utilities. Heavy on resources in our opinion.

Recommendation : 
Disable it in Startup Manager – you can run it manually through the Norton Utilities.
Sysdown SysDown.exe

(HP / Compaq)		 Task found exclusively on Compaq ProLiant servers running Windows NT4 Server.  Compaq’s own (adapted-by-us) description :  "Adds support to shut down the server before the System Management drivers load in cases when critical system fans have stopped working or were taken out".

Recommendation :
Essential – leave alone.

System

N/A

(Microsoft)

Windows NT4/2000/XP only.  A collective name for all operating system kernel threads.

Recommendation : 
The Operating System !! Leave alone.

System Idle Process

N/A

(Microsoft)

Windows NT4/2000/XP only.  This is a process which runs on each CPU in your PC/Server and whose sole purpose is to total up the amount of time when the processor is not doing anything.  In Task Manager (Task List) this process usually accounts for the majority of processor time.

Recommendation : 
An integral part of the operating system, leave alone.
Systimer Systimer.exe

(eAcceleration Corp)		 At the time of writing, November 2002, we are not yet sure as to which programs drop SYSTIMER on end-users’ systems.  What we do know is that it is connected with eAcceleration Corp and Buttonware.net.  This we have been able to pick up from the firewall logs of the PCs we have seen running SYSTIMER as, as far as we have been able to make out, SYSTIMER connects back to eAcceleration/Buttonware.net servers to seemingly download advertisements. All of this we are yet to be 100% certain of.

Recommendation :
Get rid of it – we did and suffered no adverse effect.  Run SpyBot Search & Destroy, available from our Downloads page, which should rid you of eAcceleration software.  If not, then disable SYSTIMER with Startup Manager.

Systray

SysTray.exe

(Microsoft)

This program runs the Windows System Tray, which is that part of the Task Bar where the Time is displayed.  The System Tray is often used by other installed programs for their icons to be displayed in it.

Recommendation :
Leave untouched.