Task List
Name

PROGRAM &
MANUFACTURER

WHAT IT IS
AND WHAT YOU CAN DO
Tapisrv TAPISRV.exe

(Microsoft)		 Telephony API Server (in full :  Telephony Application Programming Interface Server) which you will find in Windows 98 and Windows NT4.  It is an essential task used by all telephony services (eg. Dial-Up networking via any type of modem) in these two operating systems.

Recommendation :
Leave alone.
Taskbar TaskBar.exe

(Virus!!!!)		 You have the W32.Frethem.L@mm virus.

Recommendation :
Update your antivirus software and then run a full virus scan on your PC.
Taskmgr TaskMgr.exe

(Microsoft)		 The Windows NT4/2000/XP Task Manager.  This is the very Task Manager itself, the one that you brought up to see what background tasks were running !  In Windows 95/98/ME the Task List does not show up as a separate process when you press Ctrl+Alt+Del, but in Windows NT4/2000/XP the Task List is a separate process called the Task Manager in the shape of the TASKMGR.EXE and which runs permanently.

Recommendation :
Leave alone, obviously.

Taskmon

TaskMon.exe

(Microsoft)

The Windows Task Monitor.  In theory the Task Monitor monitors your hard disks accesses.  This information is then passed on to the Disk Defragmenter to supposedly enable it to defragment and rearrange the information on your hard disk in such a way that the programs and files you access the most, will load faster. First introduced in Windows 98.

Recommendation : 
In rare cases Task Monitor has been shown to cause problems, so if you are troubleshooting a hard to find problem, disable it using Startup Manager – not only is it not a necessary item, but we also feel that on modern PCs the supposed benefits are negligible, if not totally unnoticeable.
Taskswitch TaskSwitch.exe

(Microsoft)		 Microsoft’s enhanced Alt+Tab for Windows XP which is part of the Microsoft PowerToys for Windows XP.  Whereas the standard Alt+Tab facility simply lists the names of opened programs that you can switch to, TaskSwitch goes further by showing a preview window of each program you can switch to with Alt+Tab.

Recommendation :
None. If you do not want this task, de-install the TaskSwitch PowerToy via "Add/Remove Programs".

Tbctray

TBCtray.exe

(Voyetra Turtle Beach)

A program that gets installed into your Tray when you install a Voyetra Turtle Beach sound card.  This programs is not vital and all its features can be accessed through the Control Panel.

Recommendation :
Disable or Delete using Startup Manager.
Tbnote TbNote.exe

(SPIS Ltd.)		 TurboNote System Tray icon which enables you to do all TurboNote activities from that icon.

Recommendation :
Essential to the use of TurboNote.
Tcpsvcs TCPSvcs.exe

(Microsoft)		 Microsoft TCP/IP Services Application for Windows NT4/2000/XP. This task loads if you have configured  Windows with special TCP/IP services, such as the DHCP Server, Simple TCP, TCP/IP Print Services to print to a printer using an internal or external print server (a print server is, effectively, a network card for a printer), etc...

Recommendation :
Essential – Leave alone.
Teekids Teekids.exe

(???)		 You have the W32.BLASTER.C virus.
Tesckey TEscKey.exe

(Toshiba)		 Toshiba Escape Key handler.  Enables you to program and use the <FN><Esc> key combination to perform a specific function.

Recommendation :
You can disable it with Starter if you have not programmed that key.
Tfswctrl Tfswctrl.exe Background task for Hewlett-Packard’s DLA software (Drive Letter Assignment).  HP’s DLA gets installed when you installed the software that comes with their CD/DVD Writers.  HP’s DLA is packet writing software which enables you to store data onto CD’s directly from within Windows applications, without using the actual CD Writing software (much like Roxio’s DirectCD.

Recommendation :
Many users have reported shutdown problems caused by TFSWCTRL "not responding".  In all cases, since they were never using the DLA software and were instead using the CD Writing software to create their CDs, they simply de-installed HP’s DLA and that solved all their problems with TFSWCTRL.
Tfunckey TFuncKey.exe

(Toshiba)		 Toshiba Function Key handler. Enables you to program and use the <FN><F1> to <F4> key combinations (e.g. <FN><F1> to start email, <FN><F2> to start your browser, etc...).

Recommendation :
You can disable it with Starter if you have not programmed any of those keys.

T g c m d

T g c m d.exe

(Tioga software)

This is the sort of software we classify as spyware.  It is part of Tioga Software’s remote support and management tools (Tioga.com, Support.com, and SupportSoft.com are one and the same company) and is installed by the setup CD of the @Home ISP (@Home and MediaOne are now part of Comcast, with the ComcastSupport software being the main culprit for introducing T G C M D on a PC).  The Tioga/SupportSoft.com software is also included in the Sony Support software that comes with some Sony Vaio’s and HP Pavillion’s.  The original intention of T G C M D is to have your @Home service or systems software automatically updated when you are online, to provide a remote support technician with setup information about your PC, and, in some cases, to allow the remote support technician to connect to your PC and see what you are doing – in short, technical support is indeed the original intention; unfortunately, its features are also very useful to advertisers and so, depending on who supplied it, T G C M D will also collect information from your PC, which web pages you have visited, what you have downloaded, and permission based information about your system, its software, its settings, etc...,  As if that were not enough for us to recommend disabling it, it has additionally also been known to create a WININIT.INI file in the Windows folder, something which straight away prevents Windows ME users from using the extremely valuable System Restore feature of Windows ME.  Finally, many users have also reported : being unable to clear the Internet history files when it is running, Eudora startup problems, SDCSchedulerWindow error messages on shutdown of Windows, and inability to delete video, audio, or graphics files.

Recommendation :
If you are a Comcast customer, de-install "Comcast Support" through the Add/Remove icon in your Control Panel.  Next, look up BJCFD in these Task List pages. If you have a Sony Vaio, de-install the "Vaio Support Agent" through the Add/Remove icon in your Control Panel.  In all cases, if the de-installation of Comcast Support or Vaio Support Agent does not remove T G C M D after a reboot, then Immediately disable T G C M D using Starter !
TkBellExe Evntsvc.exe

(Real Networks)		 Read EVNTSVC for full details.
Tkonnect TKonnect.exe

(Tiscali.co.uk)		 Straight from the Tiscali UK website, 27-Nov-2002 :  "A small program that allows you to always keep your Tiscali dial-up settings up-to-date ensuring you always have a fast and reliable connection.  By downloading TKonnect, your dial-up number will automatically be kept up to date.  Tiscali is committed to continually improving your internet experience and ensuring your Tiscali service is second to none.  Therefore this software allows you to connect on the numbers that will provide you with the best available service automatically".

Recommendation :
Has anyone told Tiscali UK that one of the golden rules of being an ISP is that they should change access numbers only extremely rarely with the emphasis on "never", instead of spending money on developing a program which will automatically update end-users’ dial-up connections with new access numbers !!  As an AnswersThatWork user put it :  "It's small and relatively harmless, but if everyone took liberties with your system in this way you would have no memory left.".  We have worked with Tiscali UK users and you definitely do not need this piece of software. You will find the instructions on how to uninstall it here.
Toshibsu ToshibSu.exe

(Toshiba)		 Task found on Toshiba laptops and which handles hibernation by saving all data to disk after the specified hibernation delay.

Recommendation :
Only ever disable if you do not use any power saving or hibernation settings (ie: they are all OFF).
Tp4mon TP4Mon.exe

(IBM???)		 We think this is the TrackPoint Monitor background task for older IBM ThinkPads.

Recommendation :
None, as we are not yet sure as what this task really does.
Tphkmgr

Tphotkey		 TPHKMgr.exe

(IBM)		 ThinkPad Hotkey Manager task.  This background task handles the FN keys on your IBM ThinkPad laptop.  Some of these FN keys are programmed to do specific tasks by default, such as bringing up the Help, putting the laptop "to sleep", or playing with your audio settings, but you can re-program these keys to perform other tasks if you wish – TPHKMGR must be running for your settings to be implemented every time you hit an FN key combination.

Recommendation :
Leave alone – some of the default FN key combinations are extremely useful, if not essential sometimes; you may need them one day !
Tppaldr TPPaldr.exe

(DataStor)		 TPP Auto Loader Application. Background task installed with the drivers for DataStor’s USB 2.0 based external cases for DVD, CD-ROM, and CD-Writer drives, or also installed by the Ahead’s InCD packet writing software (direct write to rewritable CDs).  Many DataStor products are re-badged by other manufacturers so this task will be found in other manufacturers’ products (e.g LaCie).

Recommendation :
If you save documents and files directly to CD (via InCD) rather than through CD-Writing software, then you will need this task running.  If you always use CD-Writing software, then disable TPPALDR with Startup Manager.
Tppstray TPPstray.exe

(DataStor)		 TPP System Tray. Background task installed with the drivers for DataStor’s USB 2.0 based external cases for DVD, CD-ROM, and CD-Writer drives.  Many DataStor products are re-badged by other manufacturers so this task will be found in other manufacturers’ products (e.g LaCie).

Recommendation :
We do not know enough about this task to recommend anything other than to leave it alone.
Trayclnt Trayclnt.exe

(Microsoft)		 System Tray icon for MSN subscribers which gives users a quick way to connect to MSN.  Microsoft produce wonderful software sometimes, but when are they ever going to get their act together with MSN ?  From the resources crusher LOADQM to the often hanging, not responding, illegal operation culprit TRAYCLNT, MSN beggars belief and frustrates too many users.

Recommendation :
Many users will at some stage or other experience problems with TRAYCLNT. Sometimes re-installing MSN cures the problem, at other times extracting the MAILCOM.DLL file with the System File Checker or MSCONFIG also does the trick.  Our advice, however :  if TRAYCLNT is giving you problems, disable it with Startup Manager – you do not actually need it.

TridTray

TridTray.exe

(Aztech)

Utterly useless System Tray icon which gets installed with some Aztech sound cards.

Recommendation : 
Delete using Startup Manager.

True Vector

VSmon.exe

(Zone Labs)

Essential component of the Zone Alarm Internet firewall software.  It is started via the registry in Windows 9x/ME, and as a service in NT/2000/XP.  This program enforces the security rules which you configured on the Zone Alarm screens.

Recommendation : 
Essential to the proper running of Zone Alarm;  leave well alone.
TSAdBot TSADBOT.EXE

(Conducent / TimeSink)		 This is about the worst type of advertising spyware (adware) you can find on the web.  Difficult to de-install, significantly hammers your network with connection attempts if it operates behind a firewall and cannot connect to Conducent’s ad servers, and a significant proportion of the ads that it displays on your PC are full page ads.  TSADBOT comes with free versions of software packages such as PKZIP for Windows.  As if the above problems were not enough, at the time of writing of this page TimeSink / Conducent seem to have gone out of business with the result that TSADBOT makes endless attempts to connect to non-existing servers, thereby seriously degrading the performance of your Internet connection.

Recommendation :
While the software manufacturers who use TSADBOT will sing a different tune, we feel no-one should ever use software which makes use of such ill-behaved adware.  Look for alternatives, there usually are some pretty good ones, and the reason for this advice is that most products which use TSADBOT will not work if you de-install, delete, or try to disable this advertising spyware. As a result our advice is :  check with us to see if we know an alternative "free" product for the product you are using – if we do know one, then de-install your present software, download, install, and run SpyBot Search & Destroy from our Downloads section to remove TSADBOT and all other TimeSink advertising spyware, and then install the alternative product we have suggested.
Tsircsrv TSIRCSrv.exe

(Laplink)		 Internet Remote Connection Server task for Laplink Gold 11.

Recommendation :
Essential for the proper functioning of Laplink Gold 11 when connecting two computers over the Internet rather than via cable.  If you do not use the connection-via-the-Internet feature, you can disable this task with Starter.
Tsircusr TSIRCUsr.exe

(Laplink)		 Internet Remote Connection User task for Laplink Gold 11.

Recommendation :
Essential for the proper functioning of Laplink Gold 11 when connecting two computers over the Internet rather than via cable.  If you do not use the connection-via-the-Internet feature, you can disable this task with Starter.
Tsystray TSysTray.exe

(Real Networks)		 System Tray icon for Real Jukebox.

Recommendation :
We have absolutely nothing good to say about Real Jukebox.  In our experience all versions of the software contribute to an incredible slow-down of the PC, sometimes making it unusable.  We can make only one recommendation and that is to de-install Real Jukebox.
Tvwakeup TVWakeUp.exe

(Microsoft)		 Microsoft’s Hidden TV Control.  Installed when you install WebTV in Windows 98/ME.

Recommendation :
We do not know what this task does, but we do know that if you do not use Microsoft’s WebTV then you can disable/delete this task with Starter.
Type32 Type32.exe

(Microsoft)		 Background task which is installed as part of the Intellitype software which comes with the Microsoft Office Keyboard.  The Microsoft Office Keyboard enables you to program specific keys to perform specific functions, and TYPE32 needs to be running in the background for the keys you have re-programmed to work exactly as you intended them to.

Recommendation :
Absolutely necessary if you use the Hot Keys.  If you do not, then you can disable TYPE32 with Startup Manager.