iexplore.exe error help

Fleshstalker · Wed 26/03/2008 18:48:07

Everytime I shut down or restart my PC, I get a End Task window that says it needs to shut down iexplore.exe.

How do I get rid of this? What exactly is it? A trojan? And would a register scan fix this or can I do it on my own?

Lionmonkey · Wed 26/03/2008 19:02:59

Had a similar problem myself, but it resolved somehow. This link may help.

Radiant · Wed 26/03/2008 19:09:15

Use firefox instead.

http://mozilla.org/firefox

Oliwerko · Wed 26/03/2008 19:16:09

Which system are you running? I haven't this process under XP running unless I run IE, it gets shut down after shutting down IE.

Radiant - I guess it has nothing to do with IE, from the site it seems that it is running wheter you run IE or not?

But - I totally agree - IE is EVIL. I personally use Opera, cause it is much more sophisticated than Firefox, it handles everything easily, and it is...how to say...neater and more to my taste. I find it better than Firefox. (I did not like the poor RSS support in firefox) It is also more "all-in-one" software. You have everything nicely in one program. I guess you have most of this stuff also in FF, but it seems to me that in Opera it is taken more seriously and into greater detail. It is simply very well-arranged and I am totally Operish.

Lionmonkey · Wed 26/03/2008 19:18:22

Quote from: Radiant on Wed 26/03/2008 19:09:15
Use firefox instead.

http://mozilla.org/firefox

IE often launches itself automatially even if people don't use it. And deleting it may be very troublesome. Anyway, what we've got here is most likely a trojan, masking as an IE process.

Oh, and don't buy these cheap ~~loes~~ (ZOMG, I've created a new word again) lies about Mozilla's uber-bestness. Use Opera instead.

http://www.opera.com/

Arboris · Wed 26/03/2008 19:23:33

Quote from: Lionmonkey on Wed 26/03/2008 19:18:22
Oh, and don't buy these cheap loes about Mozilla's uber-bestness. Use Opera instead.

http://www.opera.com/

I second that notion

Radiant · Wed 26/03/2008 20:38:41

Quote from: Lionmonkey on Wed 26/03/2008 19:18:22
IE often launches itself automatially even if people don't use it.

No it doesn't. If that happens, you've got some malware on your hands.

Quote
Oh, and don't buy these cheap loes about Mozilla's uber-bestness. Use Opera instead.

I'm not sure what a "loe" is, but Firefox is definitely better than IE.

Fleshstalker · Wed 26/03/2008 20:43:15

It does launch by itself even if I only use firefox which I do. I open the Task Manager and don't see it, but if I go to processes, I see it running. It's obviously a trojan. Will a scan register fix this or not? I don't have one because they charge to get them, but I will probably get one by the end of next month.

What I'd really like to know is, if I keep having to end the task when I turn off my PC, will it hurt it in the long run. It's not so bothersome, but I would like to get this out.

Oliwerko · Wed 26/03/2008 20:50:28

Try running virus and spyware checks of any type. When you have trojan on your PC, I really suggest to back up everything and prepare for formatting. Maybe a bit drastic, but I do not trust infected (and maybe healed afterwards) system anymore. That is how I do it. Save what I can and reinstall. Fresh OS install is good from time to time.

Fleshstalker · Wed 26/03/2008 20:57:55

Backup is not an option for me, I have no external HD to save my junk. I guess I'll have to wait to buy the register scan.

Tuomas · Wed 26/03/2008 21:06:38

Well you should probably start by checking the windows/system and windows/system32 folders and see if it's there. Basically iexplore.exe runs from program files, so if it's in the system files it's probably a trojan of some kind. Question: if you run IE, do you have a dublicate iexplore.exe in your task manager as running processes?

Fleshstalker · Wed 26/03/2008 21:16:38

I'm performing a sypware scan at the moment to see if that fixes it. Then I'll run a virus scan which will take like 30 minutes.

And yes, when I open multiple windows with explorer, more iexplorer.exe show up.

I should also add that I did see the file in my progams file in the explorer and I deleted it yesterday, but it still shows up.

thebaddie · Wed 26/03/2008 21:20:01

first of all go to your system manager tool and change the process from automatic start to manual start

this may help

Tuomas · Wed 26/03/2008 21:21:15

Quote from: Fleshstalker on Wed 26/03/2008 21:16:38And yes, when I open multiple windows with explorer, more iexplorer.exe show up.

Yes, well that shouldn't happen

Also, I might not sound very pro here, but what's a progams file?

Fleshstalker · Wed 26/03/2008 21:27:47

Quote from: thebaddie on Wed 26/03/2008 21:20:01
first of all go to your system manager tool and change the process from automatic start to manual start

this may help

How do I find the system manager tool? I'm not too good with the PC tech.

Tuomas · Wed 26/03/2008 22:05:34

well the autostart I usually manage through Run -> regedit, then go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and remove what I don't want running on startup, which is all listed there. Local Machine does it for all the users of the windows... But then this won't remove the problem imo. Or I don't see how it would.

Khris · Wed 26/03/2008 23:08:52

Or go to Start -> Run, enter "msconfig" and hit enter. This will open the System Configuration Utility. Select the Startup tab and check the list.
To remove spyware and stuff, I recommend Superantispyware. Despite the name and the cheesy look of the homepage, it's a superb and professional tool; it saved my PC after I got that fucking Vundo trojan and everything else had failed.

Fleshstalker · Thu 27/03/2008 01:40:10

Well spyware did detected malware, but it can't delete it, but quarantine it which does nothing to it. Virus scan found no viruses.

Do you think if I buy a scan registry, will it fix the problem? Will this mess up my PC if I just leave it the way it is and end the task every time I shut my PC?

CodeJunkie · Thu 27/03/2008 05:06:58

This combination has kept my PC safe for many years, and many of those years I spent without any service packs or Windows updates. They're also all free:

1) AVG
2) Spybot
3) Ad-Aware
4) Downloading only things that look like they're safe. If in doubt, Google for forum topics on the thing in question.

There are plenty of other free things too. If you know the name of the malware/virus you have then just Google it and you'll usually find instructions for removing it. The majority of occurences of a virus filename on the Internet is in discussions or guides on removing it.

If you don't know the virus name, check all of your processes in the Task Manager and msconfig > startup against something like the startup list at http://www.sysinfo.org/.

Oliwerko · Thu 27/03/2008 10:22:05

Actually, I only run Avast home and sometimes spybot. I do not go to unsafe sites. The best, and I mean the truly BEST antivirus technique is not going anywhere unsafe. Oh, and I am permanently under firewall just to be sure

Seriously, I am always prepared for a failure. I have my documents backed up and I burn anything I can (films, large pdfs...). You know, I am totally paranoid in this. I have experienced some bad failures in the past and I do not trust one OS on one disk, that is too unsafe for me.

Anyway, you cannot avoid all viruses and if you get seriously infected, you are in trouble. Then, it is good when you have to back up only a few things you havent backed up/burned yet and you can format/reinstall immediately afterwards without any pain or worries.

I definitely recommend this technique, it saves you much pain in your ass.