Task List Programs - AnswersThatWork's famous Database of Processes, Windows Startups, Windows XP Services, Windows Vista Services, Process Library

Task List
Name

PROGRAM &
MANUFACTURER

WHAT IT IS
AND WHAT YOU CAN DO

P2p networking

P2P Networking.exe

(???)

Networking software which enables a program to access the PeerEnabler P2P Networking network, the file sharing network started by the developers of Kazaa. This program will have typically been installed by the KaZaA file sharing program, but there are other file sharing programs which also access the same network and which might have installed this component.

Recommendation :
You need it if you are using KaZaA, or a program which accesses the same PeerEnabler network. It can be de-installed via the "Add/Remove Programs" in the Control Panel. Note: the de-installation of Kazaa or similar programs does not automatically de-install P2P NETWORKING. If you use a file sharing program, and most specifically KaZaA, ensure you have up-to-date antivirus software that updates itself automatically daily ! Additionally, run a full manual virus scan of your PC on a weekly basis – you have been warned !

Packethsvc

PacketHSvc.exe

(CompuServe / AOL)

We have not come across this one ourselves yet. However, a reliable AnswersThatWork user informs us this is the Virtual Adapter Service installed with CompuServe 2000.

Recommendation :
As we have little knowledge of this task we cannot make a recommendation about it, except that if you do not use either CompuServe 2000 or AOL, then this task may be running purely because CompuServe 2000 came pre-installed with a new PC/Laptop you bought, in which case go to "Control Panel \ Services" (WinNT4) or "Control Panel \ Administrative Tools \ Services" (Win2000/XP), and set Virtual NIC Service to Manual (Thank You to the same AnswersThatWork user).

Pareto_AS

Pareto_AS.exe

(Pareto Logic)

This is the Pareto Logic Anti-Spyware core program, which you either currently have open or running in the background in the System Tray (or set as a startup item).

Recommendation :
We all use PCs to do things, like wordprocessing, email, Internet browsing, shopping, research, gaming, etc.., and that is what a PC should be for. Conversely, anti-spyware programs should be unobtrusive and, above all, they should have a small memory footprint, because we do not buy PCs for the sole purpose of running anti-spyware.

Enter Pareto Logic Anti-Spyware. At the time of writing, 19‑Apr‑2008, in our tests, and from the reports from our TUT users, on an overwhelming majority of PCs, Pareto Anti-Spyware uses between 60Mb and 88Mb of memory, with a very high proportion of the PCs seeing the software use from 70Mb upwards. At this sort of levels this is close to having a PC dedicated to running anti-spyware rather than anything else !!

Our advice is, unequivocally, that you should disable Pareto Anti-Spyware from starting automatically at Windows boot-up by disabling it on the Startups tab of The Ultimate Troubleshooter and then simply restricting yourself to manually running spyware scans on a weekly basis.

Then monitor whether Pareto Logic manage to reduce the memory footprint of Pareto Anti-Spyware with future updates and releases.

PavPrS9x

PavPrS9x.exe

(Panda Software)

Panda Process Protection Startup task installed on Windows 98/ME PCs by Panda Internet Security and Panda Antivirus. While we are not yet 100% certain, we believe this process to be a process behaviour analyzer task which attempts to discover new viruses, as yet unknown to Panda Antivirus, through the detection of irregular and virus‑like behaviour. When this occurs the process is blocked.

Recommendation :
Essential for the proper protection of your PC with Panda Antivirus / Panda Internet Security – Leave alone.

Pcamgt

PCAMgt.exe

(Symantec)

PC Anywhere Agent for CMS. This background task is installed when you install PC Anywhere 9.0 or later, and is set up to start when Windows starts. In Win9x/ME this task does not show when you bring up the Task List using Ctrl+Alt+Del, but you can see it running if you use The Ultimate Troubleshooter to view your Task List. We are not sure what CMS stands for, but we do know that this task listens for incoming PC Anywhere connections if your PC is configured as a PC Anywhere host.

Recommendation :
If you only ever use PC Anywhere to connect out to a remote host, then this task is not needed and you can disable it with The Ultimate Troubleshooter. If, however, your PC is a PC Anywhere host which other PCs connect to, then you must leave this task running for PC Anywhere to run properly in host mode. (Note that if you connect out to a remote host but that host is configured to dial back to you, then you should not disable this task).

Pccguide

PCCGuide.exe

(Trend Micro)

Background task which is part of Trend Micro’s PC‑cillin antivirus software. While we do not know this task’s actual role yet, we do know that it is part of PC-cillin’s ability to provide real‑time background scanning of programs and files as they are accessed.

Recommendation :
Essential for the proper functioning of your PC-Cillin antivirus software – Leave alone.

Pcciomon

PCCIOMon.exe

(Trend Micro)

Real-time background antivirus scanning task from the PC-cillin antivirus software (from version 2000 onwards) – Windows 9x/ME only. This task scans files for viruses as you access them. It also automatically updates your PC‑cillin antivirus software from the Internet if you have turned on that facility.

Recommendation :
Essential task of your PC‑cillin antivirus software – leave alone. Users of PC‑cillin 2000/2001/2002 may experience extremely slow boot‑up times caused directly by PCCIOMON – upgrading to the 2005 version should solve these problems.

Pcclient

PCClient.exe

(Trend Micro)

There are many programs named PCCLIENT. This particular one is Trend Micro’s PCCLIENT from their Internet Security Suite and its typical full path on the Tasks tab of The Ultimate Troubleshooter will be C:\ Program Files \ Trend Micro \ Internet Security \ PCClient.exe. Trend Micro’s PCCLIENT is the background task which checks the Trend Micro website for updates to your PC‑Cillin antivirus software and which downloads them in the background when there are some available.

Recommendation :
A regularly updated antivirus is crucial for proper antivirus protection – Therefore, leave this task alone.

PccNTUpd

PccNTUpd.exe

(Trend Micro)

Trend Micro OfficeScan Updater. Background task which is part of the Trend Micro antivirus and whose role is to automatically download in the background virus definition updates for your OfficeScan antivirus, either from your corporate network server, or directly from Trend Micro if your PC is also running RAUAGENT.

Recommendation :
Essential for the proper protection of your PC against the latest viruses – Leave alone.

Pcfmgr

PcfMgr.exe

(Phoenix Technologies)

For laptops : Power Schemes Manager System Tray icon (also called PowerPannel). This icon enables you to create various Power Schemes (e.g. "Running off the battery", "Connected to Mains", etc.), switch power schemes, view the Battery charge level, and set Low/Full Battery alarms. Seen on laptops which have a Phoenix BIOS (e.g. Sony Vaio laptops).

Recommendation :
Essential as it gives you access to power saving features that are specific to your laptop and which you cannot access through the standard Windows Power Saving panel.

Pchschd

PCHealth

PCHSchd.exe

(Microsoft)

Microsoft’s PC Health Client Scheduling Application. Windows Millennium Edition only. PCHSCHD collects data hardware and software configuration data through WINMGMT. This information is used by the Windows ME Help & Support system accessible via "Start \ Help". The information collected by PCHealth is stored in the C:\Windows\PCHealth\HELPCTR\DataColl folder. PCHSCHD runs at startup on most WinME PCs, and subsequently every 10 minutes through Scheduled Tasks.

Recommendation :
The first thing you should do is lengthen the scheduling interval for PCHSCHD – such an application whose results are used so rarely in the life of a PC, if ever, should not be running every 10 minutes. In-house we typically set the interval to 3 hours or more. To do that open "Scheduled Tasks" in the Control Panel, double-click "PCHealth Scheduler for Data Collection", click on the SETTINGS tab and set the task to stop if it runs for more than 5 or 10 minutes (your choice), next click the SCHEDULE tab, click the ADVANCED button, change the "Repeat Task Schedule" from "Every 10 minutes" to "Every 3, 4, 5, or 6 hours" (your choice). OK your way out.

PCMService

PCMService.exe

(CyberLink)

CyberLink’s PowerCinema Resident Program startup task found on many laptops (Acer, Dell) where the manufacturer’s own Multimedia Player & Organizer (called Arcade on Acer laptops, Media Experience on Dell laptops, etc..) was developed by CyberLink based on CyberLink’s PowerCinema software (CyberLink are also the makers of PowerDVD). At the time of writing, 5‑Nov‑2005, we have no idea as to what the purpose of this task is. What we do know, however, is that on both Acer and Dell laptops disabling this task on the Startups tab of The Ultimate Troubleshooter does not prevent the Multimedia Player from functioning properly. This is good news because, in our experience, when this task is left enabled it has a history on some laptops of either preventing the screensaver from kicking in, or preventing the laptop from entering standby/hibernation/sleep‑mode.

Recommendation :
Disable on the Startups tab of The Ultimate Troubleshooter (Disable only, do not Delete just in case you may just have an obscure use for this task one day).

PcScnSrv

PcScnSrv.exe

(Trend Micro)

PC‑Cillin Spyware Control Service. Service installed by Trend Micro’s PC‑Cillin Internet Security software and whose job is to control the various programs involved in protecting your PC against spyware.

Recommendation :
Down to end-user requirements. Enabling/Disabling anti‑spyware is done through your Trend Micro Internet Security Control Center.

Pcsvc

PCSvc.exe

(The Delfin Project)

Background task for the PromulGate line of advertising products from The Delfin Project from 2004 onwards. This is what we call adware. Worse, this is some of the worst type of adware there is – it is directly responsible for incredibly slow PCs, “unhandled exception” errors on boot-up on Windows 2000/XP PCs, illegal operations on boot-up on Windows 9x/ME PCs, interference with your Internet connection, and more. This is TerribleWare ! PCSVC is, in most cases that we have seen, installed by KaZaA.

Recommendation :
Get rid of it straight away. Make a note first of the PCSVC folder that is shown in the path to PCSVC.EXE on the Tasks tab of The Ultimate Troubleshooter. Next, de‑install any Delfin or PromulGate product listed in “Add/Remove Programs” in the Control Panel (e.g. Delfin Media Viewer). Restart your PC and delete the PCSVC folder if it is still there. Next, download and install “Spybot Search & Destroy” from our Downloads section, click on “Online” to update it, and then run it to fully rid your PC of spyware and adware such as PCSVC. Note that the de‑installation of Delfin products may incapacitate your copy of KaZaA.

Pctptt

Pctptt.exe

(PCTEL)

Country Selection task for PCTEL Modems. This background program is installed with PCTEL modem drivers. It enables you to set the country in which you are using your PCTEL modem. As such, therefore, it is only needed once, when you first install your modem.

Recommendation :
A harmless background task which you can disable with The Ultimate Troubleshooter once you have successfully configured your PCTEL modem. If, on the other hand, you used to have a PCTEL modem, but have since replaced it, use The Ultimate Troubleshooter to delete the Pctptt.exe entry.

PctsSvc

sdCoreService

PctsSvc.exe

(PC Tools)

PC Tools Spyware Doctor core service. Service installed by PC Tools’ Spyware Doctor or PC Tools’ Internet Security and whose main role is to perform anti-spyware scans when you run a manual scan, or when a scheduled scan begins.

Recommendation :
Leave alone. There is no point setting the Startup Mode of this service to Manual to prevent Spyware Doctor from starting automatically, as opening the main Spyware Doctor program when you need to, will automatically reset the Startup Mode of this service to Automatic !! (This is a terrible design indeed). This program normally uses between 24Mb to 28Mb of memory.

If you do not want to have Spyware Doctor start automatically, right-click the Spyware Doctor System Tray icon and choose Shutdown; then, disable the Spyware Doctor System Tray icon on the Startups tab of The Ultimate Troubleshooter.

Pctspk

PCTSpk.exe

(PCTEL)

Background task installed with the drivers for the PCTEL 2304WT V.92 MDC Modems. Seen mainly in laptops.

Recommendation :
We do not yet know what this task really does, but we do know that PCTSPK.EXE and the related PCTVOICE.EXE occasionally run away with CPU consumption, up to 95%-100%, causing the inevitable extreme PC slow-down or freeze. In all cases that we have seen, disabling this process on the Startups tab of The Ultimate Troubleshooter in Win9x/ME, or setting its Startup Mode to Disabled on the Services tab in Win2000/XP, has not given the user any problem in his use of the modem.

Pctvoice

PCTVoice.exe

(PCTEL)

Background task installed with the drivers for the PCTEL 2304WT V.92 MDC Modems. Seen mainly in laptops.

Recommendation :
We do not yet know what this task really does, but we do know that PCTVOICE.EXE and the related PCTSPK.EXE occasionally run away with CPU consumption, up to 95%-100%, causing the inevitable extreme PC slow-down or freeze. In all cases that we have seen, disabling this process on the Startups tab of The Ultimate Troubleshooter in Win9x/ME, or setting its Startup Mode to Disabled on the Services tab in Win2000/XP, has not given the user any problem in his use of the modem.

Pdesk

PDesk.exe

(Matrox)

System Tray icon for the Matrox PowerDesk software which comes with their graphics cards (VGA cards).

Recommendation :
If you play games a lot then you will probably want to keep this icon in the System Tray in order to be able to access quickly some of the many advanced graphics features of the PowerDesk software. If you experience problems with PDESK, ensure you have the latest versions of the PowerDesk software. If you are not a gamer, then disable PDESK with The Ultimate Troubleshooter.

PDFcreate4Hook

PDFcreate4Hook.exe

(Nuance / ScanSoft)

ScanSoft / Nuance PDF Create! PDF creation task. This is the background task which handles the creation of PDF documents when you print to the PDF Create! printer.

Recommendation :
Absolutely essential to the proper functioning of PDF Create!, so leave it alone.

Pdfsty

Pdfsty.exe

(PDF Complete Inc)

PDF Sentry for PDF Complete. Core program of your PDF Complete PDF production software. This program sits in the System Tray and assists the user in the creation of PDFs.

Recommendation :
Essential to the proper working of PDF Complete – Leave it alone therefore. This program uses 4Mb to 13Mb of memory.

Pdfsvc

pdfcDispatcher

Pdfsvc.exe

(PDF Complete Inc)

PDF Complete Dispatcher Service. This is the background service which handles the creation of PDF files when you print to the PDF Complete printer.

Recommendation :
Absolutely essential to the proper functioning of PDF Complete, so leave it alone. This program uses between 3Mb to 12Mb of memory.

Pds

PDS.exe

(Intel)

Intel Ping Discovery Service installed either with the Intel LANDesk management suite, or installed as part of a Symantec Norton AntiVirus Corporate Edition solution (NAV CE) which would have included the Intel Alert Management System (AMS). This task allows your PC, and its components and software, to be "discovered" and "interacted with", by the LANDesk or AMS software.

Recommendation :
This task is in most cases essential. Consult your network manager if you have issues with it. If you experience errors with "Intel Alert" in the error message, you may need to install the latest PDS software from the Intel website; again, consult your network manager about it.

Pdvdserv

PDVDServ.exe

(Cyberlink Corp)

Cyberlink’s PowerDVD Remove Control Service. This startup item and background task is installed during the installation of PowerDVD 5.0 and interfaces between your DVD drive’s USB remote control unit and PowerDVD.

Recommendation :
If you have a USB Remote Control unit which allows you to control PowerDVD through the use of a Remote Control, rather than through the mouse, then you need this task. In all other cases you can disable this task on the Startups tab of The Ultimate Troubleshooter.

Pe2ckfnt Se

PE2CKFNT SE

See CHKFNT.

Pelmiced

Pelmiced.exe

(IBM)

Part of IBM’s Mouse Suite 98 mouse software. This task enables Windows 95 and Windows 98 (first edition) to support the scroll wheel on IBM’s mice.

Recommendation :
Down to end-user preference. if you have Windows 95 or Windows 98 (first edition), then leave this task alone if you use the scroll wheel, otherwise you can disable it on the Startups tab of The Ultimate Troubleshooter. You can also disable this task if you have Windows 98SE or later as these latter versions of Windows have automatic inbuilt support for the scroll wheel.

Persfw (1)

PersFW.exe

(Kerio Technologies)

This is the main component program of the Kerio Personal Firewall, started at Windows start-up to protect your PC when it is on the Internet.

Recommendation :
Leave alone – Essential for the proper functioning of Kerio Personal Firewall.

Persfw (2)

PersFW.exe

(Tiny Software)

This is the main component program of the Tiny Personal Firewall, started at Windows start-up to protect your PC when it is on the Internet.

Recommendation :
Leave alone – Essential for the proper functioning of Tiny Personal Firewall.

Pgmonitr

PGMonitr.exe

(Delfin Project Inc)

Background task for the PromulGate line of advertising products from The Delfin Project. This is what we call adware. Worse, this is some of the worst type of adware there is – it is directly responsible for incredibly slow PCs, "unhandled exception" errors on boot-up on Windows 2000/XP PCs, illegal operations on boot-up on Windows 9x/ME PCs, interference with your Internet connection, and more. This is TerribleWare ! PGMONITR is, in most cases that we have seen, installed by Kazaa.

Recommendation :
Get rid of it straight away. De-install any Delfin or PromulGate product listed in "Add/Remove Programs" in the Control Panel (e.g. Delfin Media Viewer), or, alternatively, download and install "Spybot Search & Destroy" from our Downloads section, click on "Online" to update it, and then run it to rid your PC of spyware and adware such as PGMONITR.

PhoneConnectorVMC

PhoneConnectorVMC.exe

(Vodafone)

You have the Vodafone Mobile Connect Lite (VMC Lite) currently open or minimized to the System Tray. The VMC Lite software enables you to connect to the Vodafone Broadband network using a Vodafone provided USB mobile broadband modem.

Recommendation :
Your PC/laptop will not be able to connect to the Internet via your Vodafone broadband modem if you terminate this task – Leave it alone therefore. This program normally uses 7Mb to 12Mb of memory.

Note : for improved throughput and connection reliability you may want to do what we ourselves always do, and that is to uncheck “Enable anonymous usage statistics capture” in the Settings section of the VMC Lite software.

PhotoshopServer

PhotoshopServer.exe

(Adobe)

Adobe Photoshop Server. Background task started by Adobe Photoshop or other Adobe programs. The role of this task is to open Photoshop files (.PSD files) or import them into another Adobe program.

Recommendation :
Leave alone. This task is essential for the proper functioning of Photoshop and other Adobe programs. It closes automatically when you close all Adobe programs.

This background task uses anything from 21Mb to a sizeable 96Mb of memory.

Picappsrv

PicAppSrv.exe

(Sony)

Task/Service installed by the Sony Photo suite found on some Sony VAIO laptops.

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

Plauto

PLAuto.exe

(Casio)

Casio’s Photo Loader Supervisory task which sits in the System Tray and which watches for the presence of your Casio digital camera. As soon as it detects the digital camera having been docked, it brings up Photo Loader to enable the end-user to download his photos from the camera to the PC. At all times you can also right-click on the icon ion the System Tray to start Photo Loader or Photohands (image retouching and printing).

Recommendation :
No known problems with this task – down to end-user preference as to whether you keep it or whether you disable it with The Ultimate Troubleshooter. Note that at all times you can start Photo Loader and Photohands from "Start \ Programs \ Casio".

Playlist

PlayList.exe

(Roxio)

This is the PlayList program which is part of the Audio Central module of Easy CD & DVD Creator 6. You currently have it open.

Plguni

PlgUni.exe

(McAfee)

Background task installed by McAfee’s QuickClean 3. This task runs in the background and tracks changes made to the Windows Registry so that they can be undone whenever you use some of the facilities of QuickClean 3, such as software de-installation or program removal.

Recommendation :
This task is essential to the proper functioning of QuickClean 3 – so if you do use QuickClean 3, then leave PLGUNI alone. Note, however, that it is not uncommon to get "Page Fault" or "Illegal Operations" caused by PLGUNI, so make sure you regularly update your version of QuickClean 3.

Pmounter

PMounter.exe

(Paragon Software)

Partition Mounter task installed with the Paragon Hard Disk Manager software.

Recommendation :
We do not yet know what this task does so can only recommend that you leave it alone.

PnkBstrA

PnkBstrA.exe

(Even Balance Inc)

PunkBuster Online Gaming Anti-Cheat Automatic Update Service. Background service installed by many online games and whose role is to update the PunkBuster anti‑cheating software which many games come bundled with (a game cheat is usually called a “Punk”). At the time of writing, 9‑Sep‑2008, the following games, amongst others, will install this service : America’s Army, most of the Battlefield games, all the Call of Duty games, Crysis, DOOM 3, Enemy Territory, all the Quake games, all the Rainbow games, Soldier of Fortune.

Recommendation :
Down to end-user requirements. If you no longer have games running on this PC, then you can disable this service on the Services tab of The Ultimate Troubleshooter by changing its Startup Mode to Disabled. If you do run games on this PC then leave this service alone as interference with it will result in the PunkBuster components of your games not getting updated and therefore falling out of sync with the PunkBuster enabled game servers you connect to, which in turn will result in you constantly getting kicked out of game servers. This background service normally uses 3Mb to 6Mb of memory.

Pnpchk

PnPChk.exe

(Aztech Systems)

16-bit PnP Resource Check background task for some Aztech modems and soundcards. First, in our experience this task seems to be present only on Aztech devices when used in Packard Bell PCs. Secondly, again from our own experience, it would seem that this task is needed only when you need your PCI soundcard or modem to be able to work with DOS programs. Thirdly, we have never seen this task on Windows 2000/XP Packard Bell PCs.

Recommendation :
From our experiments you can disable this task with The Ultimate Troubleshooter if you only ever use Windows programs with your soundcard or modem.

Pntiomon

PNTIOMon.exe

(Trend Micro)

Real-time background antivirus scanning task from the PC-cillin antivirus software (from version 2000 onwards) – Windows NT4/2000/XP/2003 only. This task scans files for viruses as you access them. It also automatically updates your PC-cillin antivirus software from the Internet if you have turned on that facility.

Recommendation :
Essential task of your PC-cillin antivirus software – leave alone. Users of PC-cillin 2000/2001/2002 may experience PNTIOMON running away with CPU resources, up to 99% – this is sometimes actually nothing to do with PNTIOMON but with the indexing service CIDAEMON; in other cases PNTIOMON is actually the culprit, in which case we recommend upgrading to version 2003 which seems to fix the problem.

Point32 (1)

Point32.dll

(Microsoft)

Microsoft Intellipoint software for their Intellimouse series of mice.

Recommendation :
If you are using Win98/ME/XP/2000/2003, then unless you are using specific advanced features, we recommend fully de-installing the Intellipoint software via the "Add/Remove Programs" icon in the Control Panel, as most of the standard Intellipoint features have been integrated into the above operating systems, and the Intellipoint software does create [sometimes significant] problems under specific conditions.

Point32 (2)

Point32.exe

(Microsoft)

Microsoft Intellipoint software for their Intellimouse series of mice – previously implemented as a DLL but now as an EXE file.

Recommendation :
If you are using Win98/ME/XP/2000/2003, then unless you are using specific advanced features, we recommend fully de-installing the Intellipoint software via the "Add/Remove Programs" icon in the Control Panel, as most of the standard Intellipoint features have been integrated into the above operating systems, and the Intellipoint software does create [sometimes significant] problems under specific conditions. Note : programmers using the Microsoft IDE (Integrated Development Environment) and who use the web wheel on their mouse, will need to keep this task as that is the only way that they will be able to use the web wheel from within the IDE.

Points manager

Altnet

Altnet Points Manager

Points Manager.exe

(Altnet.com)

"Altnet’s Points Manager" as explained on their website on 11-Dec-2003 by Sharman Networks, the makers of KaZaA : "Peer Points Manager provided with Kazaa is a loyalty and incentive application that rewards users for sharing licensed content. This allows them to accumulate Peer Points and redeem them for more licensed content and a chance to win prizes such as DVD players. Users can easily opt out of Peer Points Manager. Peer Points Manager meters licensed files (Gold Icon) uploaded by users who have chosen to collect Peer Points for sharing content, and enables them to directly redeem points for content or enter sweepstakes for cash or prizes. Gold Icon files are licensed digitally rights managed (DRM) files produced by a variety of professional content providers and creators. These include music, video games, software and videos provided directly by emerging artists, record labels, video game publishers, movie studios, producers and developers. When a Gold Icon appears next to a file in Kazaa Media Desktop search results, it signifies a licensed DRM file located through Altnet's TopSearch index. Most licensed files are free to trial and some are free to use.......... Points Manager is neither spyware nor adware." At the time of writing Altnet’s Points Manager is either installed by KaZaA, or manually through the end-user visiting the Altnet website.

Recommendation :
Down to end-user’s preference. You can de-install Points Manager through the "Add/Remove Programs" icon in the Control Panel – the entry you need to look for is Peer Points Manager. KaZaA will continue working after the de-installation of Altnet’s Points Manager.

Pop3trap

POP3Trap.exe

(Trend Micro)

Background task from Trend Micro’s PC-Cillin antivirus software which scans e-mails for viruses as they are being downloaded and before they hit your mailbox.

Recommendation :
Essential for the proper protection of your PC against email-borne viruses, so you should leave this task untouched. However, over the years we have had reports from Outlook Express users, and from AOL Tech Support Engineers, indicating problems linked directly to POPTRAP where Outlook Express, or the AOL software, freeze while downloading messages (what we have ourselves observed is 99% CPU utilization by POP3TRAP on some PCs, which equates to freezing the PC!). Temporarily disabling either PC‑Cillin’s e-mail scanning, or PC‑Cillin completely, usually immediately solves the problem. With this in mind, make sure you regularly ensure that you have the latest software updates for your PC-Cillin antivirus software, and not just the virus definitions updates – this should ensure you do not encounter problems with this task.

Poproxy

POProxy.exe

(Symantec’s Norton Anti-Virus)

This program runs in the background if you have enabled "Email protection" in Norton Anti-Virus 2000 or 2001 – it scans your incoming e-mails before they hit your Inbox.

Recommendation :
Essential. Leave untouched.

Powerkey

PowerKey.exe

(Acer)

Background task found only on Acer TravelMate laptops – we currently have no idea as to what it does.

Recommendation :
We can only recommend to leave it alone since we do not know what it does.

Pptd40nt

PPTD40NT.exe

(Scansoft)

“PaperPort Print to Desktop” task for Windows NT4/2000/XP. This is the background task which enables the “Print to the PaperPort Desktop” feature of the PaperPort Desktop (also called a virtual printer driver).

Recommendation :
Essential if you use the “Print to Desktop” feature of your PaperPort software, otherwise you can disable it from starting with The Ultimate Troubleshooter.

Ppwebcap

PPWebCap.exe

(Visioneer Inc.)

System Tray icon which brings up the Visioneer ScanSoft software that gets installed with some of the Visioneer PaperPort scanners.

Recommendation :
Down to end-user preference. For instance, if you use third-party software (MS Photo Editor, Publisher, Adobe Photoshop, etc…) rather than the Visioneer ScanSoft program to scan with your PaperPort scanner, then disable this icon with The Ultimate Troubleshooter.

Precisiontime

PrecisionTime.exe

(The Gator Corporation)

See Date Manager for details.

Recommendation :
Remove as specified under "Date Manager".

Presentation FontCache

FontCache3.0.0.0

Presentation FontCache.exe

(Microsoft)

Windows Presentation Foundation Font Cache Service. Service found by default in Windows Vista, but also found on Windows XP SP2 PCs and Windows 2003 servers where the .NET Framework 3.0 application development environment has been installed (via a Windows Update or by an application which needs it). Windows Presentation Foundation, previously called WinFX, is the graphical subsystem of the .NET Framework 3.0, an essential component of Windows Vista, and is the default method of rendering information and visual effects on the screen in Windows Vista. In Windows XP/2003 it is only used when a developer has specifically developed an application using the .NET Framework. As per Microsoft’s own description, this particularly service, PRESENTATIONFONTCACHE.EXE, “optimizes performance of Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) applications by caching commonly used font data”. In other words, this service preloads into memory all the fonts that are regularly used both by Windows and the programs you regularly run so that when information is being displayed, the speed of output to the screen is optimal because the fonts being used by the information being displayed, are available instantly from memory rather than from the hard disk.

Recommendation :
Leave alone to ensure optimal performance of the displaying of information. In Windows Vista this service automatically starts up at boot up as the whole of Vista is developed in the .NET Framework 3.0. In Windows XP/2003, the default startup mode of this service is Manual – if a program loads which uses the .NET Framework 3.0, then this service will be started automatically as needed.

Printer-link

Usfor Printer-Link

Printer-Link.exe

(Usfor Ltd)

We have no idea as to what this task does.

Recommendation :
We have come across this task only once. We disabled it and noticed no adverse effect. Disable it, we say !!!

Printray

PrinTray.exe

(Lexmark)

System Tray icon installed by the drivers of Lexmark inkjet printers (mostly the Lexmark Z11). This life-like icon brings up the Lexmark Control Program which enables you to configure your printer. It also shows you the status of print jobs, enables you to clean the nozzles, to align the cartridges, to configure the default printing mode (letter quality, draft,...), etc...

Recommendation :
Down to user preference – most occasional/beginner-level users will probably want to keep it visible. If you want to disable it, however, simply right-click on the icon in the System Tray and choose "Disable Printer Icon". Note : PRINTRAY does sometimes interfere with parallel port devices, such as parallel port tape or CD-ROM drives, and some scanners. When that is the case, simply disable PRINTRAY as explained above.

PRISMXL.SYS

PRISMXL.SYS

(Conexant Systems)

Driver for your Globespan Virata’s onboard, PCMCIA, or USB wireless adapter. Globespan Virata, part of Conexant, is an OEM manufacturer . As an OEM manufacturer Globespan Virata designs and manufactures connectivity products for other companies to put their own badges, branding, and packaging on those products. This means that you will find this particular task, part of Conexant’s PRISM 802.11g wireless acceleration & configuration software, installed by the installation CDs of a number of wireless brands, amongst them : 2Wire, 3Com, Actiontec, AirTies, BT Voyager, Dell, Intersil, Philips, Siemens, SMC, T‑Com, Thomson SpeedTouch, US Robotics, and many others.

Recommendation :
Essential driver program which enables your PC to use your wireless adapter – Leave alone therefore.

Prodsl

ProDSL.exe

(Intel)

Intel’s System Tray icon which gets installed with the drivers for the Intel ADSL modems, such as the ProDSL 3200. It enables you to monitor a variety of parameters about your DSL connection and modem.

Recommendation :
Harmless. You can keep it or disable it with The Ultimate Troubleshooter.

Profiler

Profiler.exe

(Saitek)

System Tray icon which gets installed when you install the software which comes with some Saitek game joysticks. This icon enables you to start the Saitek joystick configuration software from the System Tray.

Recommendation :
If you do not use the Saitek software to configure your Saitek joystick, and you have Windows Millennium Edition or later, then you do not need this task enabled and you can disable it on the Startups tab of The Ultimate Troubleshooter – Windows will still be able to handle your joystick and you can do the configuration within the games that you play. If you have Windows 95/98, then this task is often necessary for the proper operation of the joystick, so we suggest you leave it enabled. If you have Windows ME/2000/XP and you used the Saitek software to configure your joystick, then you will need to leave this task enabled for the configuration settings to be remembered and used ever time you boot your PC.

Projselector

ProjSelector.exe

(Roxio)

This is either the Roxio Project Selector System Tray icon for Roxio Easy CD & DVD Creator 6, 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 & DVD 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, create CD labels, or copy a CD or DVD – and then starts Easy CD & DVD 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 & DVD 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 & DVD Creator \ Project Selector” (in some cases it is “Start \ Programs \ Roxio Easy CD and DVD Creator 6 \ Home”) and then clicking the “page” icon in the top left corner of the Project Selector and choosing Icon in System Tray.

Promon

PROMon.exe

(Intel)

Intel PRO Monitor program which sits in the System Tray. This icon gets installed by the drivers for the Intel Pro network cards. By default it simply sits in the tray and displays LEDs which give you information on the network traffic going through your Intel Pro network card. You can also double-click on it to access diagnostic features, configuration data, and setup screens.

Recommendation :
This task and its associated icon are not needed for the proper operation of your Intel Pro network card, so you may disable PROMON with The Ultimate Troubleshooter if you want to free up space in your System Tray.

ProSiteFinder

ProSiteFinderh

ProSiteFinder.exe

ProSiteFinderh.exe

(180Solutions Inc)

You have 180Solutions’ ProSiteFinder advertising software installed on your PC. In almost all cases that we have come across, the end-user never realised they were installing the software. A typical example of how one ends up with this software on one’s PC is as follows : you come to a web page, such as http://www.azter.com/movie2.htm on 31‑Dec‑2005, where you are asked to click on a picture of Anna Kournikova to view a FREE movie clip of Anna Kournikova. The rest of the page is blank, or so it seems, and 95% of users find themselves clicking to view the movie clip. Only very few users notice the very very light grey small print which states : “By downloading this application you agree to the 180seach Assistant End User License Agreement. This content is FREE, thanks to 180search Assistant. Why? Because it’s paid for by advertising. 180search Assistant shows advertisements relevant to what you search or shop for online; the number of ads you receive is based on how often you use your browser. When running, you can access 180search Assistant from your system tray. Your download is managed by Media Gateway and includes 180search Toolbar, which lets you search the Internet from any webpage, and ProSiteFinder, which directs your browser to search results when you are unable to locate a website. You can uninstall these applications anytime by using Add or Remove Programs. For more information, see our Privacy Policy and FAQ. After running the above file, click here to download the video.”. Totally self‑explanatory, if you notice it !

Recommendation :
If, like us, you do not want this advertising software on your PC, and particularly if you did not realise it had been installed, do as follows to remove it :

1)   If you have Windows ME/XP/2003, run the   SET SYSTEM RESTORE POINT menu option from the “Tools” menu of TUT. This will ensure that, should it be needed, you can restore your PC to the state it had before this procedure.

2)   Go to the “Add\Remove Programs” icon in the Control Panel and remove anything with the names 180Solutions, 180Search Assistant, 180Search Toolbar, Media Gateway, or ProSiteFinder in it.

3)   If you have Windows ME/XP/2003 do another TUT System Restore Point as in (1) above.

4)   Restart your PC into Safe Mode by pressing F8 continually after turning your PC ON, till you get a menu where “Safe Mode” is one of the options (if you are unable to start your PC into Safe Mode, then try the following in Normal Mode).

5)   Switch over to the Services tab if you have Windows 2000/XP/2003 and set to Disabled the Startup Mode of any service which looks like belonging to 180Solutions, 180Search Assistant, 180Search Toolbar, Media Gateway, or ProSiteFinder.

6)   Finally, go over to the Startups   tab and disable any startup which again looks like belonging to 180Solutions, 180Search Assistant, 180Search Toolbar, Media Gateway, or ProSiteFinder.   Do not forget to click the big green APPLY button to make your changes stick.
Next, for each of the startups you have disabled, right‑click on the startup and choose Delete from the hard disk the file that this startup points to.

7)   Run a full virus scan on your PC.

8)   Restart your PC into Normal Mode, update your anti‑spyware software and run a full anti‑spyware scan (if you do not have anti‑spyware software, download SpyBot from our Downloads page).

PRPCMonitor

Prpcui

PRPCUI.exe

(Intel)

Intel background program found exclusively on laptops which use Intel CPUs. This Intel Speedstep program monitors whether the laptop is getting its power from the battery or the mains adaptor. If it is using the battery, this background program scales down the frequency and voltage of the CPU to reduce its power consumption so as not to run the battery down too quickly.

Recommendation :
Leave untouched.

PS121v2

PS121v2.exe

(Netgear)

Netgear PS121 Print Server Smart Wizard. Process which gets installed to run in the System Tray automatically at Windows boot-up when you set up the Netgear PS121 Print Server using the accompanying CD. The wizard sits in the System Tray where you can click it to configure the print server, monitor it, or reconfigure it.

Recommendation :
Down to end-user preference. If you do not know how to configure the PS121 manually through your Internet browser and without the help of this wizard, then keep this task and do not interfere with it.

If, on the other hand, you do know how to configure the PS121 manually onto the PCs on your network, then you absolutely do not need to have this program running. We ourselves always knock it out as we have found it not to always be well behaved with occasional unwanted interference with networking on the PCs that it is running on. To disable it from starting automatically at every Windows boot-up disable it on the Startups tab of The Ultimate Troubleshooter.

This program normally uses between 6Mb to 9Mb of memory.

Psconsv

PSConSv.exe

(Symbian Ltd.)

(PSion Software)

PSiWin 2.3 Connection Server. System Tray icon which enables you to synchronize your Psion Palmtop with the Psion Windows software sitting on your PC (PSiWin).

Recommendation :
As with many background or System Tray palmtop synchronization applications, we have experienced problems with PSCONSV of the PSiWin Psion software. From interference with modem connections, to preventing Norton AntiVirus 2001 from performing a LiveUpdate over a LAN connection to the Internet, we have a catalogue of interference and incompatibilities with PSiWin. For these reasons we recommend moving PSCONSV from the Startup program group to either your Start Menu, or the "PSiWin" program group, so that it no longer starts automatically. All you need do, whenever you want to synchronize your PSion, is simply start PSCONSV from wherever you "parked" it. PSCONSV is normally installed by default in the Startup program group as either "Connection Manager Application" or "PSiWin 2.3x Connection Server".

Psfree

PSFree.exe

(Panicware)

Pop-Up Stopper Free Edition from Panicware. Pop-Up Stopper enables you to block advertising pop-ups while you browse the Internet.

Recommendation :
Leave alone – if you stop it, you stop Pop-Up Stopper Free Edition.

PSHOST

PSHOST.EXE

(Panda Software)

Panda Host Service. This is the core background service of the firewall component of the “Panda Internet Security” and the “Panda Antivirus + Firewall” software products. It implements all the firewall rules and exclusions that you have configured.

Recommendation :
This is the core firewall program of your Panda security product – Leave alone therefore. This program normally uses between 2Mb and 10Mb of memory.

Pspccard

PsPCCard.exe

(Toshiba)

Background Power Saving task found on Toshiba laptops and which handles turning Power Saving ON and OFF on any inserted PC Card (PCMCIA card).

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

Pssvc

Pssvc.exe

(Microsoft)

Microsoft patch for an Outlook 2000 problem where the user is unable to export or forward as a vCard. This task needs to run in the background for the fix to work.

Recommendation :
Down to end-user preference – if you do not use vCards then you can disable this task with The Ultimate Troubleshooter.

Pstores

PStoreS.exe

(Microsoft)

Protected Storage Server (under Win9x/ME) or Protected Storage Service (under WinNT/2000/XP/2003). Protected Storage, in the shape of PSTORES, was introduced with Internet Explorer 4. It is invoked by Microsoft Internet programs such as Outlook Express and Internet Explorer, to securely store a variety of secure and confidential data into the registry, such as Outlook Express passwords, SSL certificates, auto-complete fields (usernames and passwords to enter websites, etc...) and web forms data.

Recommendation :
Under Windows 9x/ME, PSTORES will only run as and when required – leave it alone. Under Windows NT4/2000/XP/2003, however, it is a service that is started automatically as Windows starts. As far as we have been able to verify, PSTORES is required to be able to run Outlook Express. Therefore, under Windows NT4/2000/XP/2003, if you do not use Outlook Express and do not use Internet Explorer, or do not use the auto-complete features of Internet Explorer, nor make us of SSL Certificates, then you can go into Services and set this service to a Manual start.

Ptsnoop

PtSnoop.exe

(PCTEL)

This background program is used by PCTEL modems. It is essential to the good functioning of those modems.

Recommendation :
If you used to have a PCTEL modem, but have since replaced it, use The Ultimate Troubleshooter to delete the Ptsnoop.exe entry.

Ptssvc

PTSSvc.exe

(Kodak)

Kodak’s Picture Transfer Service. Background task or service (Windows 2000/XP/2003) which is associated with DCFSSVC. Read the description of DCFSSVC for background details. This task is involved in the transfer of pictures from the camera to the PC.

Recommendation :
Essential to the proper functioning of your Kodak digital camera when connected to your PC through the USB port.

Ptudfapp

PtUDFapp.exe

(Prassi Software USA Inc)

abCD Interface Application. abCD is CD packet writing software. Packet writing software enables you to put files on a rewritable CDs directly from within applications or Windows Explorer as opposed to having to use CD-Writing software to create your CDs. DirectCD from Adaptec is another packet writing package. The ability to put files directly onto rewritable CDs is fraught with incompatibilities, with CDs created in this manner often not readable in other PCs. Prassi Software, however, claim to have cracked the compatibility problems and claim that, unlike with competing products, CDs created with abCD can be read in any other CD-ROM drive or CD-Writer. abCD comes bundled with other software; however, at this stage we are not sure what exactly it comes bundled with.

Recommendation :
Going by their website Prassi Software USA do not seem to be still operating, nor does abCD seem to be supported any more. On a different front, like all packet writing software, PTUDFAPP interferes with other packet writing software such as DirectCD or InCD. Lastly, in our experience PTUDFAPP is responsible for many illegal operations on boot-up, KERNEL32 errors, as well as other application crashes. For all these reasons, therefore, unless you know you are definitely using abCD, we recommend getting rid of PTUDFAPP. To do that you will need to boot your PC into DOS and rename PTUDFAPP.EXE to PDUDFAPP.OLD in order for it not to come up with Windows (you will find PTUDFAPP in "C:\Windows\System"). If you do not know how to do that, contact us for details.

Pwdcb

Pwdcb.exe

(Trend Micro)

You have the Trend Micro Secret Keyboard currently open on the screen. The Trend Micro Secret Keyoard is an on-screen keyboard which can be used when passwords and other sensitive information (g.g. credit cards) needs to be entered online. The purpose of the on-screen keyboard is to ensure that if your PC is infected with a keystrokes recording program, then it will not be able to record the login names, passwords, credit card details that you enter using the secret on‑screen keyboard.

Pwrtray

PwrTray.exe

(Toshiba)

System Tray icon found on some Toshiba laptops and which brings up a Toshiba-specific Power Management Panel (as opposed to the Microsoft version available through the Control Panel).

Recommendation :
Essential whether you use or do not use Power Saving features, as it enables you to set Toshiba specific BIOS-level power saving settings as well as Windows-level power saving settings.

Pwstray

PWSTray.exe

(Microsoft)

The Microsoft’s Personal Web Server which, when it runs, sits in the System Tray. The Microsoft Personal Web Server is used primarily by the Microsoft web publishing programs, FrontPage and FrontPage Express, to enable you to view locally on your PC, the web pages that you have designed. You can right-click on the icon in the System Tray to stop the Personal Web Server (PWS), to pause it, restart it, or to modify some of the options. Also, hovering the mouse pointer over the icon tells you whether PWS is stopped, running, or paused.

Recommendation :
If you have PWS running, the likelihood is that you have either FrontPage or FrontPage Express on your PC. If you use either of those, you will need the Microsoft Personal Web Server running so you can view your web page designs before uploading them to your LIVE website.

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.

P2phost.exe, Pa.exe, Pa.exe, Package.exe, PadExe.exe, PADGen.exe, PageIcon.exe, Paint Shop Pro.exe, Paint Shop Pro 9.exe, Paint Shop Pro X.exe, Palm.exe, PalTalk.exe, Paltalk7.exe, PandaAVEngine.exe, Pando.exe, PaprPort.exe, Pareto_Update.exe, PassPal.exe, PaSSrv.exe, Patch.exe, Patch31345.exe, PavBckPT.exe, PavFires.exe, Pavkre.exe, PAVFNSVR.exe, Pavprot.exe, PavPrSrv.exe, PAVSRV50.exe, PAVSRV51.exe, PavSrvX86.exe, Pawn001.exe, Pawn002.exe, Pawn003.exe, Pawn004.exe, Pawn005.exe, Pawn006.exe, Pawn007.exe, Pawn008.exe, Pawn009.exe, PCCloser.exe, Pccmain.exe, PccNTMon.exe, PCCPFW.exe, PcCtlCom.exe, PccVScan.exe, PCLETray.exe, PCM2.exe, PCM3.exe, PCMAgent.exe, PCMover.exe, PCPitStopErase.exe, PCPOptimize.exe, PCSUITE.EXE, PcSync2.exe, PCTAV.exe, PCTAVSvc.exe, PctsAuxs.exe, PctsGui.exe, PctsTray.exe, PD9Agent.exe, PD9Engine.exe, PD91Agent.exe, PD91AgentS1.exe, PD91Engine.exe, PD91Scanner.exe, PD91VMDefrag.exe, PDAgent.exe, PDANet.exe, PDANetPC.exe, PDCleaner.exe, PDEngine.exe, PDExplo.exe, PDFClient.exe, PDFDirect.exe, PDFcreate3Hook.exe, PDFCreate5Hook.exe, PDFCreatorMessages.exe, PDFPlus.exe, PDFPragent.exe, PDFPrint.exe, PDFPro3Hook.exe, PdfPro4Hook.exe, PDFPRO5Hook.exe, PDFPROFiltSrv.exe, pdfSaver.exe, pdfSaver3.exe, pdfSaver3l.exe, PDFServiceEngine.exe, PDNotes.exe, PDSched.exe, PDState.exe, PDVD8Serv.exe, PDVDDXSrv.exe, Penis.exe, Pen_Tablet.exe, Pen_TabletUser.exe, PEQBL100.exe, PerfectDiskRx.exe, Pernfmon.exe, PersFW.exe, PestPatrol.exe, PestPatrol5.exe, PestPatrolCL.exe, PFPPOP70.EXE, PGJD83SA.exe, PhLeAutoRun.exe, Photoshop.exe, Photoshop Elements 3.0.exe, PhotoshopElements.exe, PhotoshopElementsDeviceConnect.exe, PhotoshopElementsFileAgent.exe, PhotoshopElementsOrganizer.exe, Picasa2.exe, PicasaMediaDetector.exe, PictureViewer.exe, Picx.exe, PIFSvc.exe, Pilif.exe, Pinball.exe, Pinger.exe, Pingppac.exe, PinkCal.exe, PipeServer.exe, PKey_Pro.exe, PlaxoHelper.exe, PlaxoHelper_En.exe, Playavi.exe, Pligde.exe, PlugPlay Service, PMHandler.exe, PMK3.exe, Pmsb.exe, PMSHost.exe, PMSveH.exe, PMVService.exe, PnkBstrB.exe, PNMSRV.exe, Poco.exe, PokaPoka62.exe, PokaPoka63.exe, PokaPoka65.exe, PokaPoka66.exe, PokaPoka70.exe, PokaPoka73.exe, PokaPoka75.exe, PokaPoka79.exe, pop90.exe, Popfileib.exe, PopFilter.exe, POPPeeper.exe, PopTray.exe, PopupBlocker.exe, PopupCalendar.exe, POPUPC~1.exe, PopupKiller.exe, PopUpS~1.exe, PopupStopperPro.exe, PopUpStopperProfessional.exe, PopupStopper.exe, Porn_pic.vbs, PostCastServer.exe, Power2GoExpress.exe, PowerChute.exe, PowerDVD.exe, PowerSuite.exe, PPActiveDetection.exe, PPControl.exe, PPCtlPriv.exe, PPMemCheck.exe, PPUpdater.exe, PPUPDA~1.exe, PQV2iSvc.exe, PrcView.exe, PrevXCSI.exe, PRINTKEY.EXE, PrintKey2000.exe, PrintScreen.exe, PrintScreenDeluxe.exe, PRISM.exe, PRISMCFG.exe, PRISMSVC.exe, PRISMSVR.exe, ProcessTamerTray.exe, Procexp.exe, PRONoMgr.exe, ProtectedStorage Service, ProToolbarComm.exe, ProToolbarUpdate.exe, Prq8.exe, Prwin9.exe, PS2.exe, PsCtrls.exe, PSDrvCheck.exe, Psimreal.exe, PsImSvc.exe, PSIService.exe, PSIService_2.exe, Pskmssvc.exe, PskSvc.exe, PSoft1.exe, Psp.exe, Ptwsvr32.exe, PureText.exe, Pvlsvr.exe, PWAgent.exe, PWMDBsvc.exe, PWMgr.exe, PWMgre.exe, PWRISOVM.exe, Pwrpdfsrv.exe, PWSafe.exe, PwTrkr.exe

If you know of a background program that is missing from our database, but which you feel others should know about because of its potential side-effects, then let us know via the Feedback button.