What's running?!

Isn't there a built-in function in W98 that displays what program stacks are running and what processor-I/O resources they're using? I looked at System Monitor and other system tools but couldn't get that info. After I booted up this morning having been offline for about a week, the system has been showing a high modem activity - even though I have no user programs running, i.e. no OE, IE, etc. Also, even though I have NAV installed, I don't think that the auto-update of it's virus defs could ever take this long!! I've run Spybot and didn't find anything there.

I am going to dump NAV because I don't like it taking it upon itself to keep re-initiating auto-protect every reboot, etc., but I'm sure it's not the culprit here.... also like some advice on a better user-friendly and 'not so invasive' antivirus s/w... Thanks

 

abbeyhurst--

If you mean auto-protect, as opposed to auto update of virus definitions, I would definitely recommend against that. AutoProtect is one of the most helpful and functional features of an AntiVirus program. Nothing unique about NAV having that feature. You can turn off the AutoUpdate feature from NAV's window.
As far as your other questions, you can see which programs are running at boot by clicking Control+Alt+Delete immediately after boot.
Or you can use StartUpCop
http://www.onlythebestfreeware.com/program.asp?program_id=82
You can see most of the programs that are starting at boot from Start|Run|type msconfig|OK|Startup tab. You can refer here to determine which programs really are needed.
http://www.sysinfo.org/startupinfo.html
Only about six are really needed.

If you have a broadband connection, the modem will show activity whenever you turn your PC on (probably does so even with the PC off), whether or not you are using IE/OE. You are "always connected" with broadband. However, I do not believe this (or the modem, per se) involves any CPU usage on your PC. If you have dialup, and you are not connected, then something is strange. Perhaps malware trying to call "home "?
P.S. I download NAV virus definition updates manually from here.
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/download/pages/US-N95.html
I have broadband. Takes about 30 seconds. Of course I then must install from the downloaded file. (I could also run (install) them directly from the web. That might take another 15 seconds.) I also run LiveUpdate manually. If there is nothing new, that also takes only a few seconds. If there is something new, probably a minute at most.

 

Three good links to tool applications for realtime process watching are included in these as well as other thoughts and ideas:

http://www.windowsbbs.com/showpost.php?p=42431&postcount=4

http://www.windowsbbs.com/showthread.php?t=8667&highlight=processes+real+time


While virus/adware/malware should always be suspected and eliminated first, it is possible for almost any application you have and use to be monitoring or polling for a web connection. If options are set to allow this, they will probably be doing this in stealth without letting you know further it may not be listed as a startup. They may do this periodically, at timed intervals, which will result in the executable poping in and out of the list of running processes.

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You have received excellent advice by Jim, about Norton. Remember how important scanning is and any nuisance or performance bog is well worth the trade off. Don't be tempted, as many are, to disable Norton because your computer runs better without it. To many critters are just waiting to get ya' and they will if your caught with your pants down.

 

Welshjim: Thanks for the info… I’d already looked at the running tasks by Ctl-Alt-Del but they weren’t any tasks I recognized… all internal task names.. It’s also a dialup line (I live in RURAL country "“ not even DSL avail!) and it’s not any of my Startup pgms that are consuming the line either; I’m connected but should have NO activity….

As far as my NAV stuff.. I have auto update stopped so it’s not updating my Virus def files….

Goddez1: Thanks for the reply also. The only apps that I use online are IE and OE, and these are both not in the mix, yet the "˜monitor’ icons that show telcom activity were lit almost solidly for MANY minutes. "˜Status" of my connection showed over 20MB of inbound traffic when it was going on….

However, now the system is acting normally so "˜who knows?’…. I am going to look at the suggested sites tho’, and thank you both for your help.

While I’ve got expert attention, NAV s/w seems to really hammer the C drive when starting up.. is it because it’s loaded into a track of the drive far away from all my other apps or something like that? Everything I try to invoke, e.g. Excel, hammers the disk with I/Os the first time, presumably because NAV is pounding the drive heads back and forth checking the integrity thereof..

One more thing.. I "˜passworded’ my system last week while I had a pet-sitter here…. Is there any way I can now "˜un-password’ it so it willbring Windows up w/o asking me for a p/w?, i.e. "˜un-user’ it?