DelphiFAQ Home Search:
Windows
    Apache (6)
    File Types (33)
    Internet Explorer (6)
    Network (11)
    Passwords (6)
    Printing
    Processes (13)
    Programming (318)

 
Exchange Links
 
About this site

Links to us


 

 

 General :: Windows :: Processes
Do you wonder what that long list of processes in your task manager comes from? Are all those programs running there really needed or are they a virus, adware, spyware.. recording all your keystrokes and then sending your passwords to a remote server? Read the articles below and learn about some of those processes.

Articles:

This list is sorted by recent document popularity (not total page views).
New documents will first appear at the bottom.
Featured Article

What is WinFixer 2005? It warns me about errors in my registry

Question:

I had a message box pop-up that supposedly (?)comes from Internet Explorer and warns me about errors in the registry database. It offers then to install a tool (?) WinFixer 2005 to check my computer for free (Recommended). The message box was a real message box (not a browser pop-up window) – here is a screenshot:



Answer:

Anything that offers itself (as it is likely in this scenario) sounds suspicious. There is nothing wrong with free software. I am a big fan of open source software which can be both free like a free beer or free like a free human being (free from license limitations).
However, software that comes uninvited for free may not be so free after all. It probably wants to install further spyware or send data back to advertising servers. And yes, it is possible that they try to send back the user ids and passwords that browsers store for in local files for your convenience.

That WinFixer tries to also install an Active-X control from WinSoftware, certified from Thawte Code Signing CA. ‘Certified’ only means that this download indeed comes from WinSoftware.com. It is not any kind of endorsement of this software.



What is WinFixer? WinFixer falls in the category advertising software. It secretly installs itself or any other item without the user permission or knowledge. You probably got it from a web site by accidentally clicking on a confusing ad (you know, those seemingly uncloseable browser windows). When WinFixer is not running, popup and popunder ads are displayed while the main product is not running. That way it seems not to be related to the popups that it pretends to cure. Once you actually 'install' (activate) WinFixer, it keeps coming back, warning you about problems with your registry.

Below is a list of files and registry entries associated with WinFixer 2005.

// Files on hard disk to detect WinFixer
 
 c:\Program Files\Winfixer 2005\install.exe
 c:\Program Files\Winfixer 2005\sr.exe
 c:\Program Files\Winfixer 2005\unins000.exe
 c:\Program Files\Winfixer 2005\updater.exe
 c:\Program Files\Winfixer 2005\wfx5.exe
 c:\Program Files\Winfixer 2005\compcln.dll
 c:\Program Files\Winfixer 2005\df_fixer.dll
 c:\Program Files\Winfixer 2005\df_proxy.dll
 c:\Program Files\Winfixer 2005\ffcom.dll
 c:\Program Files\Winfixer 2005\ffwraper.dll
 c:\Program Files\Winfixer 2005\fixcore.dll
 c:\Program Files\Winfixer 2005\ftrec.dll
 c:\Program Files\Winfixer 2005\idletrac.dll
 c:\Program Files\Winfixer 2005\mmfix.dll
 c:\Program Files\Winfixer 2005\oedrop.dll
 c:\Program Files\Winfixer 2005\strres.dll
 c:\Program Files\Common files\winsoftware\crxml.dll
 c:\Program Files\Common files\winsoftware\pcheck.dll
 
 
 // Entries in the registry:
 
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\compcleancore.appcleaner.1\clsid
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\compcleancore.appcleaner\clsid
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\compcleancore.appcleaner\curver
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\compcleancore.filecleaner.1\clsid
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\compcleancore.filecleaner\clsid
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\compcleancore.filecleaner\curver
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\compcleancore.inetcleaner.1\clsid
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\compcleancore.inetcleaner\clsid
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\compcleancore.inetcleaner\curver
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\compcleancore.regcleaner.1\clsid
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\compcleancore.regcleaner\clsid
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\compcleancore.regcleaner\curver
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\compcleancore.systemcleaner.1\clsid
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\compcleancore.systemcleaner\clsid
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\compcleancore.systemcleaner\curver
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\df_fixer.fixer.1\clsid
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\df_fixer.fixer\clsid
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\df_fixer.fixer\curver
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\df_proxy.drivermanipulate.1\clsid
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\df_proxy.drivermanipulate\clsid
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\df_proxy.drivermanipulate\curver
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ffcom.flfixer\clsid
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ffwraper.ffenginwraper.1\clsid
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ffwraper.ffenginwraper\clsid
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ffwraper.ffenginwraper\curver
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\fixcore.mmfixcore.1\clsid
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\fixcore.mmfixcore\clsid
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\fixcore.mmfixcore\curver
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\interface\{1ce1c25b-f8b4-4974-99d2-5d4ae96b9900}
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\interface\{9e984934-cd94-4763-9dbc-618e483d4b7f}
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\typelib\{30ed49a5-ca6c-4918-b5f3-5e6818c91d8b}\1.0
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\typelib\{6a077841-5016-42c8-92c8-f2d6b865bcd1}
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\typelib\{ad70ac89-f460-4e7e-b5a5-7eaf7e207736}
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\typelib\{b6625280-8cd8-4632-97c0-83cec12a49a3}
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\typelib\{f458adae-d53b-4859-b99f-9fa127791278}
 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\typelib\{fc76a5b8-db35-4f3e-8b9a-bf0eea098d64}
 HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\winsoftware\winfixer 2005

Most recent comments
2009-11-07 12:00:16:
by anonymous
in Dating Scams
on Dating scammer Rhoda Naa from Accra, Ghana:
Je pense que dans l'amour, nous devons se lancer avec notre cœur, et non pas réfléchir pour trouver absolument un raisonnement. La seule raison de l'Amour c'est en notre cœur et non pas dans notre ... read more
2009-11-07 11:59:28:
by [hidden]
in Dating Scams
on Dating scammer Osei Kwesi Accra Ghana kind_osei@hotmail.com from Accra, Ghana:
END OF A RELATIONSHIP
This illustrates a typical bit of minor scamming on Saymehi

2009-11-07 11:57:24:
by anonymous
in Dating Scams
on Dating scammer Vida Awabu:
I have a lot of pictures of this scammer esther ansomaa, rahinatu or what ever she calls herself. and would be happy to share them
2009-11-07 11:45:33:
by anonymous
in Passwords
on Need password for encrypted RAR or ZIP archive:
The Hangover[2009]DvDrip-aXXo what is password for this torrent.

2009-11-07 11:29:08:
by OJAS
in Dating Scams
on Is this Russian girl scamming me? How to recognize scammers:
@RealMadrid,
Dirk is helping us, he WON'T get scammed, no worries there. But the concern should be for the Brasileiro, he maybe a newbie, cold lose money, simply for emailing to a photo, and some ... read more
2009-11-07 10:59:47:
by venezolano
in Dating Scams
on Dating scammer Anna Ogannisyan:
I think that lopitropi7777@yahoo.com is trying to get fishes in the middle of the Sahara desert. If Boris was a little bit smarter, he should make a change.

Perhaps it is hunting season
... read more
2009-11-07 10:00:28:
by anonymous
in Dating Scams
on Dating scammer Osai Williams from Ghana:
is she a scammer?
she write me on tagged.com
iam not sure,she want married me and children
2009-11-07 09:55:44:
by srt8
in Dating Scams
on Dating scam artist Sindy Becky Green in Ashley, Ohio (Lagos, Nigeria):
this is jessica scottman the above one is jamie Peterson
2009-11-07 09:32:05:
by anonymous
in Dating Scams
on Various dating scammers:
confirmed fake and scammer by russian embassy in london
2009-11-07 08:45:17:
by srt8
in Dating Scams
on Scam Artist Anna from Yoshkar-Ola:
and yet another of JESSICA SCOTTMAN UK who is she really?