Calcheck

CalCheck.exe

(ULead Systems)

ULead Photo Express Calendar Checker (versions 2 & 3).  This tray icon gets installed when you install the ULead Photo Express software which comes with many scanners.  Ulead’s own description of the Calendar Checker :  “If you create multiple Weekly/Monthly/Yearly calendars to be your wallpaper, Photo Express will replace the wallpaper automatically. Thus there is a calendar checker in Photo Express 2.0/3.0, which checks the dates of the system, and you don’t need to change the wallpaper manually.”.

Recommendation : 
An interesting feature in theory, not so good in practice.  CALCHECK often comes up with errors at boot-up under Windows 2000/XP, particularly XP.  Additionally, it is responsible for very slow boot-up times as it checks whether the wallpaper needs to be switched.  We strongly recommend not using this feature of ULead Photo Express and deleting this entry with  The Ultimate Troubleshooter.

Capfaem

Capfaem.exe

(Computer Associates)

Computer Associates Personal Firewall.  This is the core firewall engine of your Computer Associates Internet Security which protects you against Internet threats.

Recommendation :
Leave alone.

Ccapp

ccApp.exe

(Symantec)

Symantec’s Common Client Application for Norton AntiVirus 2003/4/5, Norton Personal Firewall 2003/4/5, and Norton Internet Security 2003/4/5.  This task is, effectively, the “master” task in these products as its role is to call the different program features of the above products.  For example, if Auto-Protect and E-mail Scanning are enabled, then  CCAPP  makes sure that those programs are running.  If  CCAPP  is disabled, then Auto-Protect and Email Scanning will not run.

Recommendation :
Leave well alone – this task is crucial to the proper working of your Norton 2003/4/5 security product.  We recommend, however, that you do a manual  LiveUpdate  every so often in order to pick up software updates (and not just virus definitions updates) as this task has had a few irritating bugs in the past.

CCC

CCC.exe

(ATI Technologies)

ATI Catalyst Control Centre.  The ATI Catalyst Control Center is a program through which you can fine tune and customize different display features of your ATI graphics card, or overclock it, or set up programmable function keys which will implement specific settings, as well as also being able to create various profiles for various usage requirements (e.g. to suit the different requirements of various games).

Recommendation : 
Down to end-user preference and requirements.  First, your graphics card will work without problems  if this task is not running.  Secondly, the ATI Catalyst Control Center is used primarily by gamers, by dual-display or rotated‑display users,  and, occasionally, by graphics designers when calibrating their monitors.  Most other types of users do not need it and do not use it.  If you are in the latter category, on some PCs you can disable this task on the  Startups   tab of  The Ultimate Troubleshooter,  or, alternatively, you can right-click the icon in the System Tray and configure the Catalyst Control Centre not to start up at Windows boot-up.

Note :   At the time of writing, 21-Apr-2007, on Windows Vista the ATI Catalyst Control Center has a tendency to crash if you have User Account Control enabled – to cure the problem disable Vista’s User Account Control  (check the Vista library of our Libraries section,  www.ATWLIBRARIES.com,  for more details on how to disable UAC).

Ccevtmgr

ccEvtMgr.exe

(Symantec)

Common Client Event Manager Service for Norton AntiVirus, Norton Personal Firewall  and Norton Internet Security.  This task is responsible for keeping track of all events that are occurring within the above products and then writing the details of those events to the Activity Log.  The end-user can view the Activity Log through the Reports section.

Recommendation :
Leave alone – essential to the proper functioning of your Norton security product.

Ccproxy  (1)

ccProxy.exe

(Symantec)

Common Client Network Proxy Service.  Background task/service (Windows 2000/XP/2003) seemingly introduced by Symantec with the 2004/5 versions of Norton Personal Firewall and Norton Internet Security.  From what we have seen this task seems to be the 2004/2005 version of the  CCPXYSVC  service in the 2003 version of the same products.  It implements the  Content Filtering  features of these products (such as those found in the  Parental Control  section where you can block inappropriate web pages based on specific words and expressions) and also implements domain blocking features  (where you can prevent access to specific websites).

Recommendation :
Essential to the proper functioning of the firewall, so leave it alone.

Ccproxy  (2)

CCProxy.exe

(YoungZSoft)

Main component of  CCProxy  the Internet Connection Sharing software from YoungZSoft.  CCProxy enables you to share an Internet connection so that all the PC on a network access the Internet through the PC that is connected to the Internet and which is running CCProxy.  In short CCProxy is an alternative to Microsoft’s Internet Connection Sharing which comes bundled with Windows 98/ME/2000/XP.

Recommendation :
Absolutely essential for the proper working of CCPROXY – Leave alone.

Ccpwdsvc

ccPwdSvc.exe

(Symantec)

Common Client Windows Account Validation Service.  Task which is part of the Norton 2003/4/5 security products  (AntiVirus, Personal Firewall, Internet Security) and used on Windows 2000/XP/2003.  Although we are not 100% certain, from what we have observed  CCPWDSVC  is used when you configure the Norton Firewall to only allow access to the Internet to specific users.  When that is the case, and when the Norton Firewall has been configured to check a user’s username and password against the ones defined on the Windows PC, then this task is invoked to validate the password entered by the user who is trying to access the Internet.

Recommendation :
Essential – leave alone.

Ccpxysvc

ccPxySvc.exe

(Symantec)

Common Client Proxy Service.  This service is found in Norton Personal Firewall 2003 and Norton Internet Security 2003 under Windows 2000/XP.  It implements the  Content Filtering  features of these products (such as those found in the  Parental Control  section where you can block inappropriate web pages based on specific words and expressions) and also implements domain blocking features  (where you can prevent access to specific websites).

Recommendation :
Essential to the proper functioning of the firewall, so leave it alone.  That said, this task has been shown to be  “not responding”  on some PCs;  when this happens, start any Norton program and do a  manual LiveUpdate  to pick up the latest software updates (as opposed to virus definitions which are the only item “Automatic LiveUpdates” pick up) – this usually solves the problem.

Ccregvfy

ccRegVfy.exe

(Symantec)

Common Client Registry Integrity Verifier.  This is not a Task List item, it is purely a startup task which, on Windows boot-up, checks the integrity of the Windows Registry entries for Norton AntiVirus 2003/4/5 and Norton Internet Security 2003/4/5 in case they may have been modified by a hacker or a new as yet unknown virus.  Once done, this task terminates.

Recommendation :
Leave alone – essential to the safety of your PC.

Ccsetmgr

ccSetMgr.exe

(Symantec)

Symantec Settings Manager.  Task first introduced in the 2004 edition of Norton’s security products  (AntiVirus, Personal Firewall, Internet Security, Ghost).  We do not yet know what this task actually does.

Recommendation :
Although we do not know the exact role of this task, we do know that many Symantec products do not work if this task is not running.  Therefore leave it alone.

CEC_MAIN

CEC_MAIN.exe

(Chicony)

You have the   Camera Assistant  currently open or minimized to the System Tray.  You will find this program on many laptops where the integrated webcam is made by Chicony.  For example you will find it on laptops made by Gateway, Toshiba, and Viewsonic amongst others.  Using the Camera Assistant you can adjust brightness, contrast, colour, hue, etc...  You can also take a video of what the laptop screen is pointing to, or you can take pictures.

Recommendation :
Down to end-user preference or requirements.  Although most users are unlikely to be using the Camera Assistant on a daily or even weekly basis (if only because nowadays the  Automatic  setting of most webcams results in a very good picture in almost all prevailing conditions), the fact is that on the very day that you actually need to increase brightness, contrast, or take a video or still picture, etc..., you may not want to spend your time finding this program through  “Start \ All Programs \ Camera Assistant”  as, most likely, you will be at in the middle of a video conference or video call when you urgently need to adjust a setting because the picture is not as good as normal (e.g. dark picture caused by a gloomy overcast rainy day outside).  For this reason, although the Camera Assistant takes up to 42Mb of memory, many users will elect to keep this startup task so that the  Camera Assistant  is available at all times in the System Tray  or through the left edge of the screen.  Your choice.  You can disable this task by disabling the  Camera Assistant TrayBar  startup on the  Sartups  tab of  The Ultimate Troubleshooter.

CFP

CFP.exe

(Comodo)

Comodo Firewall Pro.  This is the main program of the  Comodo Firewall Pro  which runs in the background and protects your PC against Internet threats.

Recommendation :
This is the main firewall program.  Leave alone therefore.

CFSwMgr

CFSwMgr.exe

(Toshiba)

Toshiba ConfigFree Switch Manager.   Background program started by the Toshiba ConfigFree service and whose role is to manage the switching from one network to another when the user changes network.

Toshiba ConfigFree is a set of utilities which can help fix networking problems, which allow the user to enable/disable network adapters, which enable you to connect your laptop to a wireless Toshiba Projector (not all versions of ConfigFree), and, most importantly, which allows you to setup network configuration profiles.  Profiles are aimed at laptop users who connect to entirely different networks during their travels [corporate; home; wireless hot spots; wireless services in hotels, cafes, or clients; etc].  With ConfigFree you can set up once and for all a number of different network configuration setups and/or different ways of accessing the Internet and then, through one or two clicks, switch the configuration of your laptop depending on where you are located, thereby doing away with endless and complex reconfigurations of your laptop’s setup.

Recommendation :
Leave alone – Most users will have a use for ConfigFree one day.  This program normally uses between 6Mb to 10Mb of memory.

Cg16eh

CG16eh.exe

(Symantec)

Norton Crash Guard Deluxe.  This program gets installed with Norton Utilities 3.0.

Recommendation : 
Norton Crash Guard is automatically installed with Norton Utilities 3.0 and there is no option not to install it.  If CG16EH causes you a problem, upgrade to the latest version of Norton Utilities.

Channelup

ChannelUp.exe
 

See   IWAR.

Chcenter

Chcenter.exe

(IMSI)

Part of the Image Capture module of IMSI’s Hijaak series of graphics software.

Recommendation :  
We do not yet know what this program does, so we can only recommend to leave it alone.

Chknet

CHKNET.EXE

(Microsoft)

Truly ancient item of networking software which used to come with Microsoft’s LAN Manager 2.x Enhanced Workstation software.

Recommendation :
If you are still running this piece of software, then check with your network manager as you are unlikely to still be on a LAN Manager network in 2002, and the presence of CHKNET.EXE probably means an incorrectly configured network card.  CHKNET.EXE in a Win9x/ME environment can result in serious performance degradation.

Chrome

chrome.exe

(Google)

You have the Google   Chrome   web browser currently opened  (or set as a startup item).

Note :   At the time of writing, 4-Sep-2008,  Chrome will appear on the  Tasks  tab of TUT as many times as you have tabs opened in  Chrome  + 2, which is an absolutely crazy situation.  If you have 20 tabs opened it will appear 22 times on the  Tasks  tab !   This is totally silly and we hope Google will quickly correct this lunacy.

Cissi

Cissi.exe

(???)

You have the  W32.Cissi.A@mm  virus.

ClamTray

ClamTray.exe

(alch)

Clam Antivirus Auto-Protect.  Real-time protection program of the  Clam AntiVirus  antivirus program.  This program, which shows as an icon in the System Tray, protects your PC by virus scanning files as you open, save, or download them.

Recommendation :
Essential for the proper protection of your PC with Clam Antivirus – Leave alone therefore.

Note :  on the overwhelming majority of PCs where we have seen it running, this program is actually residual from a time when the PC used to be protected against viruses with Clam Antivirus but is no longer (the user is now using a different antivirus product).  If you fall into this category, then simply disable this program on the  Startups  tab of  The Ultimate Troubleshooter.

Clipsrv

ClipSrv.exe

(Microsoft)

Windows NT Clipboard DDE Server.  Windows NT4/2000/XP/2003 service, installed by default as an Automatic service under Windows NT4 but as a Manual service from Windows 2000 onward.  It enables ClipBook Viewer to store information and share it with remote computers.

Recommendation :
In 2005 there are very few instances, if any, where this service would ever be used.  It is a relic from the Windows LanManager and NT 3.5 days and is available purely for backward compatibility purposes – it has been replaced by other technologies.  If it is not already set to Manual, set its Startup Mode to  Manual  on the  The Ultimate Troubleshooter. 
Note :  if you are one of the rare users who uses the ClipBook Viewer, our recommendation still stands as, provided you set the Startup Mode of this service to  “Manual”  rather than  “Disabled”  then, whenever you decide to use  Clipbook Viewer,  it will be able to automatically start this service if it finds it in a  “Stopped”  state.

Cmmpu

CMMPU.exe

(C-Media Inc)

C-Media’s MPU-401 Emulator for MIDI driver for the CMI-8330 and CMI-8338 C-Media chipsets.

Recommendation : 
This is a Windows 95 only driver, and is necessary only under Windows 95.  If you are running a later version of Windows and are not experiencing any problems with sound or CMMPU, then leave it alone.  Otherwise de-install the drivers, then delete CMMPU with  The Ultimate Troubleshooter, and finally go through the DRIVERS section of this website to download more up-to-date C-Media drivers.

COCIManager

COCIManager.exe

(Logitech)

Logitech Camera Control Interface.  Program installed by the QuickCam drivers for Logitech webcams.  This program interfaces the webcam with the webcam‑enabled program that is currently running (it provides it with sound, image, zoom, and camera manipulation features.

Recommendation :
Leave alone – this program, which is crucial to the proper functioning of your webcam, will appear on the  Tasks  tab of  The Ultimate Troubleshooter  only when there is a webcam‑enabled program currently running (or minimized to the System Tray).

Combobutton

ComboButton.exe

(Maxtor)

Maxtor’s OneTouch Detection background task installed with the software for Maxtor’s  OneTouch  range of USB and FireWire backup drives.  This task detects when the user has pressed the  Backup  button on the drive and immediately activates the Maxtor backup software  (a rebadged version of Dantz’s Retrospect Backup software)  to start the relevant backup.

Recommendation :
Essential if you want your OneTouch Maxtor backup drive to work exactly as designed and expected.

Companion

AOL companion

Companion.exe

(AOL)

AOL Companion.  AOL startup task which brings up a mini-AOL screen from which you can access all AOL programs and functions.  First introduced with AOL 8.0.

Recommendation :  
There is nothing good we can say about this task as it is responsible for an interminable wait at boot-up from the moment that the  START  button appears till the time you can actually use your PC.  And when you can start using your PC, absolutely everything runs slowly when this application is around – shocking.  Since, in addition to the Companion, the installation of AOL also installs a System Tray icon which enables the user to call AOL programs, we cannot understand why AOL thought it a good idea to introduce this terrible task.  Disable immediately either with  The Ultimate Troubleshooter, or by clicking on  Settings  on the mini‑screen and unchecking  Autolaunch AOL Companion  that comes up when you choose Exit.

Comsmd

COMSMD.exe

(3Com)

3Com Tray icon installed by the drivers for the 3Com 3C9xx series of network cards.  That tray icon gives you access to various 3Com diagnostics for your 3Com network cards.

Recommendation :
A waste of time, it just adds to the clutter and sometimes is actually the cause of [minor] boot-up errors on NT4.  Disable or Delete with  The Ultimate Troubleshooter.

Comsocks

ComSocks.exe

(Linkbyte)

ComSocks Internet proxy/NAT and simple firewall program.

Recommendation :
Essential.  Leave alone.

Config32

Config32.exe

(LGS/Telegraphics)

System Tray icon installed by the drivers for some Internet mice, notably Mitsumi.  It enables the end‑user to configure the buttons on the mouse as well as other aspects of the behaviour of the mouse.

Recommendation :
Down to end-user preference.  Most users simply use their mouse in its default configuration and never bother with the more advanced functions that their mouse is capable of – for these users this System Tray icon is of little or no use and can be disabled on the  Startups  tab of  The Ultimate Troubleshooter.  Note that LGS/Telegraphics’ mouse drivers have not been supported since 2004 and they may not work properly on versions of Windows that are more recent than Windows 95 and Windows 98 (original edition).  Thus, for Windows 98SE or later, our advice is to de-install these drivers altogether via the  “Add/Remove Programs”  icon in the Control Panel (look for XMOUSE drivers) and to delete this entry from the  Startups  tab of The Ultimate Troubleshooter if it still remains after the de-installation of the drivers.

Couponica

Couponica.exe

(??)

Adware software responsible for popup and popunder advertisements while browsing the Internet.

Recommendation :
Use either Ad-Aware or SpyBot from our  Downloads  section to remove this pest (update either product online before running it).

CPMonitor

CPMonitor.exe

(Sonic Solutions)

Cine Player Monitor.  Startup program installed by Roxio Creator 2009.  This program monitors your DVD drive for the insertion of a movie DVD upon which it starts Cine Player.

Recommendation :
This is a useless task which consumes 4Mb to 5Mb of memory unnecessarily.  This facility is inbuilt in Windows XP and Vista.  Simply right-click on your DVD drive in  My Computer  or  Windows Explorer,  then choose  Properties  and then the  AutoPlay  tab in XP, or choose  Open AutoPlay  in Vista.  Then disable this program on the  Startups  tab of  The Ultimate Troubleshooter.

CPQInet

CPQInet.exe

(Compaq)

Compaq Internet Keys support task.  Part of the Compaq’s Easy Access Button Support software which enables the user to program the extra  “Easy Access keys”  on the Compaq multimedia keyboards.  This particular program supports the Internet keys on a Compaq multimedia keyboard, such as the  Internet,  E-Mail,  and  Web URL  keys when present.

Recommendation :
As this program uses very little memory, 5Mb to 6Mb, we advise to leave it running for the day when your mouse breaks down and you can only use the keyboard to do things (till the next morning when you will be able to buy a replacement mouse!) – it will allow  you to quickly access the Internet or your E‑Mail with a one-touch of a key on your Compaq multimedia keyboard.

Cpunumber

Cpunumber.exe

(Compaq)

Intel Pentium 3 Serial Number Blocker.  This background task which can be seen on Pentium 3 based Compaq PCs and laptops, prevents programs from obtaining the serial number of your Pentium 3 CPU.

Recommendation : 
Leave alone – no known conflicts.

Createcd

CreateCD.exe

(Adaptec / Roxio)

System Tray icon for Adaptec Easy CD Creator.  This icon enables you to start Easy CD Creator from the System Tray.

Recommendation :
This task often gets in the way of other Windows programs which need to use the CD‑Writer, yet you can start Easy CD Creator through  “Start \ Programs”.  Delete on the  Startups  tab of  The Ultimate Troubleshooter. 

Createcd50

CreateCD50.exe

(Roxio)

This is either the Roxio Project Selector System Tray icon for Roxio Easy CD Creator 5, or you have the Project Selector window currently open.  The System Tray icon enables you to either start the Project Selector through a double-click, or to choose a particular Easy CD Creator task through a right-click.  The Roxio Project Selector itself, when open, is an easy to use menu which prompts the user as to what he wants to do – create a CD or DVD, data or music or video, or copy a CD – and then starts Easy CD Creator in the appropriate mode.

Recommendation :
If this item shows on the  Startups  tab of  The Ultimate Troubleshooter  then it is down to your own preference – if you are totally at ease with Easy CD Creator and on how to use it in different modes, and do not feel you need the Project Selector as a  “mode chooser”, then reduce System Tray clutter and disable this icon by right-clicking on it in the System Tray and then choosing  Disable Project Selector Icon.  You can re‑enable the icon by starting the Project Selector through  “Start \ Programs \ Roxio Easy CD Creator \ Project Selector”  and then clicking the icon in the top left corner of the Project Selector and choosing  Icon in System Tray.

Creative Launcher

CTLauncher.exe

(Creative Labs)

This is the Creative Launcher toolbar which is installed with the drivers for some of the Creative sound cards.  When active the toolbar appears every time you take the mouse to the top of your screen and you are then presented with a toolbar which enables you to launch some of the Creative audio programs.

Recommendation : 
This is the most irritating toolbar ever – the toolbar appears when your mouse nears anywhere the top of your screen, and it overlays the whole area at the top of your screen (till you realise you may be able to move it).  This means you cannot close programs, you cannot minimize them, etc...  What an irritant !!  Delete or Disable with  The Ultimate Troubleshooter  – you can launch all those audio programs from Start \ Programs.

Crypserv

CrypServ.exe

(CrypKey (Canada) Inc, formerly Kenonic Controls)

Background server task/service for the CrypKey Software Licensing System.  If you have this task running on your PC it is because you are using software which is protected against piracy through CrypKey (Canada)’s  CrypKey  software protection system.

Recommendation :  
Essential for the proper operation of one of the programs that you use – Leave alone.  If you terminate this task/service, one of the programs you are currently using will not work.

Cseraser

Cseraser.exe

(SysShield Consulting)

Background task for the  AbsoluteShield Internet Eraser  product which erases all traces of your web activities when you exit your Internet browser and/or Windows.

Recommendation :
This task is necessary for the proper functioning of AbsoluteShield Internet Eraser.

Csinject

CSInject.exe

(Symantec)

Component of the Norton Clean Sweep software.  In our experience CSInject is sometimes incompatible with other software, and at other times causes serious performance problems, if not outright crashes.

Recommendation : 
Disable using  The Ultimate Troubleshooter.

Csksvr

Csksvr.exe

(LinkByte)

ComSocks Service on Windows NT4/2000/XP.  This service is installed by the  ComSocks  Internet sharing (via NAT) and firewall software.

Recommendation :
Absolutely essential for the proper functioning of ComSocks – Leave alone.

Csrss  (1)

Csrss.exe

(Microsoft)

Windows NT4//2000/XP/2003 only.  CSRSS is the Client Server Runtime SubSystem.  CSRSS is started by SMSS.  When the user application makes a Win32 API call, it is usually CSRSS which communicates with the operating system’s Kernel to execute the API call.  CSRSS is also known as the Win32 Subsystem.

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

Csrss  (2)

BagleAV

Key Logger

Krnlcheck

Csrss.exe

(???)

You have a virus, such as the   Trojan.Gutta    or   W32.Netsky.AB@mm    or   W32.Buchon.A@mm    or  Backdoor.Botnachala   virus, or some other virus, if you have Windows 95/98/ME or if the full path to this program is  either  C:\Windows\csrss.exe   or  C:\WinNT\csrss.exe.

Css_1630

CSS_1630.exe

(Authentium)

One of the central programs of the  Command AntiVirus  software for Windows NT4/2000/XP.

Recommendation :
Essential to the proper functioning of your Command AntiVirus software – Leave alone.

Css-avs

CSS-AVS.exe

(Authentium)

CSS AVScheduler Service of the Command Antivirus software.  This service runs scheduled antivirus scans of the hard disk using the  F-PROT32.EXE  program.

Recommendation :
Down to end-user preference.  If you do not have any schedules defined for antivirus scans of your system, then you can set this service to  Disabled, otherwise leave it alone.

CTAELicensing

CTAELicensing.exe

(Creative Technology)

Creative Audio Engine Licensing Service.  Background service installed by the drivers CD of Creative sound cards.  The CD normally installs a number of extremely useful and advanced free audio software which allows you to make the most of your Creative sound card.  The software is free but with a restriction that you can only use it with Creative hardware.  This Licensing Enforcement service is installed at the time same as you install the software.  Whenever you start Creative software, this service starts and checks that you have appropriate Creative sound hardware in your PC.  If you do not (ie. you have the Creative software installed but you use a non-Creative sound card), it does not allow you to open the Creative program you tried to open;  if you have a Creative sound card, the program opens.

Recommendation :
Leave alone – you will not be able to run the Creative Audio programs without this service.  This service is installed with a  Startup Mode  of  Manual  which means that it does not start automatically at every Windows boot-up;  it only starts as and when you try to open a Creative program.

If you no longer have a Creative sound card in your PC then uninstall the Creative Audio software from  “Add/Remove Programs”  in the Control Panel since the lack of a Creative sound card means that you will in any case no longer be able to use the software.

CTAudSvc

CTAudSvc.exe

(Creative Labs)

Creative Audio Service.  Service installed by the drivers for Creative X-FI sound cards.  We have no idea as to what this service does.  Most importantly, disabling it does not seem to have any effect on anything whatsoever :  the sound works with no difference in quality, strength, or pitch, games are not affected, applications are not affected, and consoles are not affected.  As a result we normally disable it, which saves anything up to 16Mb of memory.

Recommendation :
Disable this service.  It has no purpose that Creative has been able to explain and disabling it causes no loss of performance or features, and it will save you anything from 1Mb to 16Mb of memory.  To disable it, set its  Startup Mode  to  Disabled  on the  Services  tab of  The Ultimate Troubleshooter.

Ctdvddet

CTDVDDet.exe

(Creative Labs)

Background task installed when you install the full suite of software for Creative’s  SoundBlaster Audigy 2  soundcards.  This task detects the insertion of a DVD in your DVD drive and starts up Creative’s DVD Audio.

Recommendation :
If you do not have a DVD drive, you can disable this task straightaway on the  Startups  tab of  The Ultimate Troubleshooter, otherwise this is down to end-user preference.  For the record, in our case, because of our generally troublesome historical experiences with Creative background CD detection tasks over the years, in March 2005 we still always disable this task.

Ctfmon  (1)

CTFMon.exe

(Microsoft)

CTFMon comes with Microsoft Office XP and Windows XP – it activates the Alternative User Input Text Input Processor (TIP) and the Microsoft Office XP Language Bar.   As long as the  Text Services & Speech  are enabled in the Control Panel, this program will force itself back into your list of background programs.

Recommendation :
In 2006 CTFMON is needed on many PCs for Windows Update to work – we suggest, therefore, that you leave it running.

Ctfmon  (2)

Ctfmon.dll

(???)

You have the   W32.Mydoom.B@mm   virus.

Cthelper

CTHelper.exe

(Creative Labs)

CTHELPER is a background task that is a plug‑in manager for Creative drivers.  It first appeared with Creative’s SoundBlaster Live and Audigy soundcards.  The theory is that 3^rd party manufacturers can use the CTHELPER plug‑in interface to produce drivers, add‑on features, and fixes that will integrate with a tighter fit with Creative’s sound drivers and utilities.  One of the very first uses of this interface was for InterVideo’s WinDVD in the shape of a fix called  “WinDVDPatch” and, at the time of our original write-up, 12‑Jan‑2003, there had not been other uses for it yet.  At the time of our revised write‑up, 3‑Dec‑2006, we do not know of other manufacturers having taken up this feature.

Recommendation :
Given its purpose CTHELPER would normally be classified as a  “leave alone”  background task.  Unfortunately, as with many other Creative background tasks, there are often problems with CTHELPER.  The most common complaint is random excess CPU utilization, up to 100% !   We have also had complaints of PCs freezing when CTHELPER is around, although that is probably another case of 100% CPU utilization.  Finally, on PCs running Intel’s Pentium 4 Hyper-Threading CPUs, the sound stutters.  In short :  CTHELPER is far more trouble than it is a help.  Disable on the  Startups  tab of  The Ultimate Troubleshooter.

Ctltray

CTLTray.exe

(Creative Labs)

System Tray icon installed by the drivers for Creative SoundBlaster Audigy soundcards.  This icon enables you to access some of the Creative utilities that get installed at the same time, and it also allows you to configure some of your soundcard settings (volume, equalizer, effects, etc...).

Recommendation :
While this task does not cause problems for many users, we ourselves do not trust it as our own experience on a number of PCs (but not all) is one of boot‑up errors with  CTLTRAY  complaining that the soundcard is not installed properly when it actually is installed properly and works !   Since very very few users have a need to tweak their soundcards on a regular basis, if ever, we disable or delete this task on the  Startups  tab of  The Ultimate Troubleshooter.  The features available via this System Tray icon can all still be accessed through the  “Start \ Programs \ Creative...”  program group and through the Creative SoundBlaster icon that gets installed in the Control Panel.  Your choice !

Ctnotify

CTNotify.exe

(Creative Technology)

"Disc Detector" from Creative Technology.  This System Tray icon gets installed with the drivers of some of the Creative Sound Cards and, wait for it, detects when you insert a CD !

Recommendation : 
This is the worst type of System Tray software – a useless program which causes problems to end users.  In every single case that we have ourselves seen this program in the Task List, the end-user could not use the Windows CD Player (Win95/98) or the Windows Media Player (WinME/2000) to play music CDs.  No sound would come out.  In some cases the mere presence of this task prevented any sound coming out of the ..... Creative sound card !!!  Software this bad defies belief.  Delete with  The Ultimate Troubleshooter.

Ctsvccda

CTsvcCDA.exe

(Creative Technology)

Creative Service for CD-ROM Access.  This background task gets installed by the Windows 9x/ME drivers of some Creative SoundBlaster soundcards.  It also sometimes gets installed, in error, on Windows 2000/XP by non-driver related Creative software suites, such as Creative Jukebox, etc..  The purpose of this task is to provide better performance for your CD-ROM or CD/DVD-Writer drive though data caching.

Recommendation :
With modern CD-ROM and CD/DVD‑Writer drives (36‑speed and above) this task is of absolutely no use to any system, so on Windows 9x/ME PCs we recommend you disable it on the  Startups  tab of  The Ultimate Troubleshooter.  On Windows 2000/XP PCs, particularly if you have just upgraded from Win9x/ME to Windows 2000/XP, this task (converted to a service during the upgrade) may give you endless error messages or, worse, may prevent you from being able to create CDs and DVDs with your CD/DVD-Writer drive.  Disable it by setting its  Startup Mode  to  Disabled  on the  Services  tab of TUT.

Ctsysvol

CTSysVol.exe

(Creative Technology)

System Tray Volume Control icon installed by the drivers for Creative  SoundBlaster Audigy 2  soundcards and which replaces the standard Windows volume control.  You can double-click on it to bring up the Creative mixer controls, or you can right-click on it to access some of the more advanced features.

Recommendation :
Down to end-user preference.  Gamers may experience the odd conflict between this task and some of their games.  If that is the case, simply disable this task on the  Startups  tab of  The Ultimate Troubleshooter.

CurtainsSysSvcNt

CurtainsSysSvc

CurtainsSysSvcNt.exe

(Authentium)

Curtains for Windows System Service Launcher.  Service installed by the Authentium-written firewall and parental control software that is provided on the signup CD of many Internet Service Providers (ISPs).  Depending on which ISP provided your version of  Curtains for Windows, it may also include antivirus and/or anti-spyware features.  As this software is rebadged by your ISP, its name will not be  Curtains for Windows,  but will instead be something like :  Comcast Security Manager,  Bresnan Security Manager, Cox Cable Security, etc....  This service ensures, at Windows boot-up, that the core  Curtains for Windows  program, PRISM.EXE, is started properly.

Recommendation :
Down to end-user requirements.

IMPORTANT :
While we normally code security software Green, we have coded this one Yellow because many users have this software loaded on their PCs without realising that it is duplicating the firewall function of either their broadband firewall router or of their software firewall, that it is duplicating the function of their preferred antivirus program, and that it is duplicating the function of their preferred anti-spyware software.  You  do NOT  need this software if you are already protected by other products – running it in addition to your normal Internet Security software only serves to introduce serious delays in the operation of your PC, and sometimes outright conflicts with either your normal security product, or this product,  Curtains for Windows,  eating up your PC’s resources.  And this is no fault of either product – it is simply because you have two separate antivirus products fighting each other to virus scan the file you have just opened, downloaded, or created;  you have two separate products fighting each other to scan for spyware the program that you have just opened;  and you have the delay of two firewalls running the same checks on your Internet traffic one after each other.

Thus, if the above is indeed your own particular situation, first prevent this service from starting by setting its  Startup Mode  to  Disabled  on the  Services  tab of  The Ultimate Troubleshooter.  Next, reboot and run your PC for a day of two with this setup to make sure there are no problems in disabling this service – the aim here is to ensure that  Curtains for Windows  has not been inextricably wrapped around your Internet connection to your ISP.  If after two days you have not noticed any problems with your Internet connection, then uninstall this software from the  “Add\Remove Programs”  icon in the Control Panel.

If, on the other hand, this is the only antivirus, anti‑spyware, and firewall protection software that you use, then leave this service alone obviously.
 

Cusrvc

Cusrvc.exe

(Novell)

Novell Client Update Service.  First introduced with version 4.90 SP1 of the Novell Client for Windows NT4/2000/XP (For the layman :  the Novell Client is the software which allows you to logon to your Novell server through the red Username & Password dialogue box, and which allows you to use your Novell network to its full capabilities).  This service, which by default starts automatically at Windows boot-up, implements the settings set on the  Update Agent  tab of the Properties for the Novell Client in  Network Connections.  It takes care of downloading updates to the Novell Client, if you have configured it to do so, prompting you for the installation of the updates and/or installing the downloaded updates.

Recommendation :
Another dreaded automatic update feature.  Apart from antivirus and firewall software, our position on automated software updates is :  Never.   Buggy updates have the potential of totally crippling a PC that was previously working absolutely fine.  A case in point, in our experience, was version 4.83 SP2 of the Novell Client for Windows NT4/2000/XP which we had to uninstall and replace with 4.83 SP1 within an hour of first installing it !   Imagine the nightmarish scenario of having 5 or 6 software products on your PC all set to automatically update themselves and coming one morning and finding your PC just does not work – it may take you hours before you start thinking that the problem may have been an automated update, and when you do, which one was it ?   As you will have gathered by now, our recommendation is that you do not set the Novell Client to auto-update, and that you set this service to  Disabled  in  “Control Panel \ Services”  in Windows NT4  or  “Control Panel \ Administrative Tools \ Services”  in Windows 2000/XP.  Look for the service called :   Client update service for Novell.  Manually download updates as and when you actually need to, or when you want to bring yourself up to date, but always keep a copy of the client you are replacing, just in case.......!

All of the tasks below, and many more, although not detailed on this page, are explained in full in The Ultimate Troubleshooter.

The Ultimate Troubleshooter (TUT), has the full database in a remarkably easy and pleasing interface which makes the process of fine tuning your PC, or troubleshooting your computer's problems, a snip.  Get it here.

C-ORGANIZER.EXE,  C-OrganizerPro.exe,  Ca.exe,  Cacheman.exe,  CachemanXP.exe,  CAgent.exe,  Cafw.exe,  Caissdt.exe,  Calc.exe,  Calimanjaro.exe,  CallColl.exe,  Calmain.exe,  CameraAssistant.exe,  CamTray.exe,  CAP3LAK.exe,  CAP3ONN.exe,  CAP3RSK.exe,  CAP3SWK.exe,  CAP4LAK.exe,  CAP4RSK.exe,  CAP4SWK.exe,  CapabilityManager.exe,  Capfasem.exe,  Capfsem.exe,  CAPM1LAK.EXE,  CAPM1RSK.EXE,  CAPM1SWK.EXE,  CAPM5LAK.EXE,  CAPM5RSK.EXE,  CAPM5SWK.exe,  CAPPActiveProtection.exe,  CapsUnlock.exe,  CaptureDaemon.exe,  CaptureWiz.exe,  Capuserv.exe,  Carboniteservice.exe,  CarboniteUI.exe,  CARDFILE.EXE,  Casc.exe,  Cashback.exe,  Cav.exe,  CAVASM.exe,  CAVAUD.exe,  CAVEMSRV.exe,  CAVRid.exe,  CAVSE.exe,  CAVTray.exe,  Caznovas.exe,  Cbsrv.exe,  CBSysTray.exe,  ccEmFlSv.exe,  CCLAW.exe,  Ccleaner.exe,  Ccprovsp.exe,  CCS.exe, CcSchedulerSvc.exe,  Ccsrs.exe,  CcSvcHst.exe,  Cctray.exe,  CCU_Engine.exe,  CCU_TrayIcon.exe,  CCWin9.exe,  CDANTSRV.exe,  CDArch50.exe,  CDArch52.exe,  CDCopier.exe,  CDLabel.exe,  Cedt.exe,  CeEkey.exe,  CeEPwrSvc.exe,  CePMTray.exe,  Rundll32.exe CFGMGR51.DLL,  Cfgwiz.exe,  CFSServ.exe,  CFSvcs.exe,  rundll32.exe Cfsys.dll,  ChamClock.exe,  Chaos32.exe,  Chaos.exe,  Charmap.exe,  Chattage.exe,  Cheatle.exe,  CHDAudPropShortcut.exe,  China11msn.exe,  Chkntsv.exe,  ChoiceMail.exe,  Chostsv.exe,  Cihost.exe,  CLCapSvc.exe,  Cleanmgr.exe,  ClearMemory.exe,  Cli.exe,  Click-N-Type.exe,  ClickTray.exe,  Clipboard Buddy.exe,  CLIPBO~1.exe,  Clipboard-Viewer.exe,  ClipboardRecorder.exe,  Clipboard_Recorder.exe,  Clipbrd.exe,  Clipc.exe,  ClipClear.exe,  ClipControl.exe,  ClipM8.exe,  ClipMate.exe,  ClipMt51.exe,  ClipMt53.exe,  ClipMt60.exe,  ClipMt61.exe,  ClipMt62.exe,  ClipMt63.exe,  Clipomatic.exe,  ClipTrakker.exe,  ClipTray.exe,  CLMLServer.exe,  ClockTraySkins.exe,  ClocX.exe,  CloneCD.exe,  CloneCDTray.exe,  CLSched.exe,  CM20.exe,  CMAIN.exe,  CMCService.exe,  Cmd.exe,  Cmdagent.exe,  CmdPrompt32.pif,  Cmrst.exe,  Cmxp.exe,  CNAB3RPK.EXE,  CnxDIAS.exe,  CNYHKey.exe,  Combo.exe,  ComHost.exe,  Command32.exe.vbs,  CommunicationCentre.exe,  Communications_Helper.exe,  COMPAN~1.exe,  Compaq-RBA.exe,  Comxt.exe,  Conf.exe,  Confgldr.exe,  Conime.exe,  ConsoleOne.exe,  ContentCopier.exe,  ControlUtility.exe,  CookiePatrol.exe,  CopernicDesktopSearch.exe,  COPERN~1.exe,  CorelDRW.exe,  Corel Photo Downloader.exe,  Corpstats.exe,  CorUpd.exe,  CounterSpy.exe,  CPBrWtch.exe,  CPF.exe,  CPLBCL53.EXE,  CPLCL32.EXE,  CPSAlbumCore.exe,  CPSHelpRunner.exe,  CPSHelpRunner10.exe,  CPQSET.exe,  Crash.exe,  Crc32stats.exe,  CreativeLicensing.exe,  Creator7.exe,  CreatorC.exe,  Creatr50.exe,  CrossMenu.exe,  Crssr.exe,  CryptainerLE.exe,  CryptainerPE.exe,  CryptainerSrv.exe,  CryptSvc Service,  CS.exe,  Csmsv.exe,  Csnss.exe,  Csrcc.exe,  Csrse.exe,  Cssauthe.exe,  Cssauth.exe,  Ctcr.exe,  CTDetect.exe,  CTEngine.exe,  Ctin10.exe,  CTRegRun.exe,  CTXFIHLP.EXE,  CTXFIREG.exe,  CTXFISPI.EXE,  CursorXP.exe,  CuteFTP.exe,  CuteFTPPro.exe,  CuteReminder.exe,  Cvpnd.exe,  CVT.exe,  Cz.exe
 

PRESS & RADIO

May 2009
Courier Mail, Brisbane, Australia

October 2008
The Philadelphia Bulletin

September 2008
NetworkWorld.com
——
VNUnet.com
London, UK

February 2008
The Wall Street Journal

January 2008
The PC Guy
NorthJersey.com

September 2007
TechByter Worldwide

August 2007
IT Week Labs Blog
London, UK

June 2007
On Computers
Joy&Bob Schwabach
——
Simplehelp.net
——
Courier Mail, Brisbane

May 2007
Christopher Null
at Yahoo!Tech
——
The PC Guy
NorthJersey.com

January 2007
WFAA.com TV
Dallas/Fort Worth  Texas

December 2006
TechNewsWorld.com
——
ArthsLinks.com
——
ITP Technology
Dubai

October 2006
Developer Shed
——
Kansas City Star

September 2006
BillingsGazette.com
Montana

August 2006
The Moditory

July 2006
On Computers syndicated column

April 2006
Kingsport
Times-News
Tennessee
——
The Adrenaline Vault

March 2006
580 CFRA Radio
Ottawa, Canada

January 2006
WTVN Radio
Columbus, Ohio

2005
The PC Guy's
Top 10 Utilities
——
StarTribune.com Minneapolis-St.Paul
——
NorthJersey.com
——
WorldStart Computer Tips
——
A-Clue.com
——
Corante.com
——
PC Magazine
'Top 100 Classics'
——
Infodad.com

2004
PC Magazine
'Top 100 Classics'
——
The Wall Street
Journal
——
The Examiner (Texas)
——
St Petersburgh Times
——
ToledoBlade (Ohio)
——
Sydney Morning Herald
——
The Age, Melbourne
——
Office Zealot
——
Kevin Respecki
——
Mike McBride Online