running processes double up

Occasionally I notice, in task manager processes, that two incidents of a process are running simultaneously. Today this slowed my computer down considerably - to the point where I had to close programs to stop my computer from "hanging"
In the attached JPG you will see two incidences of adobe update running simultaneously. Additionally two incidences of svchost.exe network services are running. at present cpu usage is at 100% This is not the first time I have noticed this happening. Some time ago I noticed firefox still continuing to run even after I had closed the firefox window. On opening task manager I found firefox.exe running in processes.
This lead to me posting on the spywear forum and having a good clean up.
I'm sure there is a better way of showing running processes but i wanted to capture task manager the way it was at the time.

additionally I have attached a zip file containing a file called X.exe and X.log.
x.log contains the following
exit=1
Exiting...

I have no idea what these are is it possible that someone could examine them and tell me what or why they are on my computer.

DO NOT OPEN THESE FILES UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING

thanks for any assistance.

I am notifying mods about the .zip file

 

Sadly, your screenshot is too small for me to make out what processes are running.

However, I can offer you generic advice on how to minimize the number of processes you have running. Don't worry about svchost.exe, as that is a generic process used by Windows for MANY, MANY things. It is VERY common to have multiple instances of this service.

Most others can be stopped from running.

For this chore, I recommend that you use CCleaner. It will consolidate all user-defined startup programs into one place. Here's how to use it to manage your startup items:

1. Launch CCleaner
2. Hit ALT+T (or click the 'Tools' section)
3. Click the 'Startup' button.

CCleaner will list all the programs you have set to run at startup. Delete as many as you can without compromising your security. Antivirus, anti-spyware and firewall applications should be running all the time. The rest can be run when needed, freeing up memory and CPU cycles while they are not in use.


We should also manage programs that Windows itself loads at startup. There is a predefined list of applications that Windows has running by default, and not all are necessary.

Go through the instructions in the how to disable unneeded services in XP thread, posting back with any questions.

 

Mada_Milty: Thank you for your reply.
I note your information on scvhost
I have followed your directions and stopped adobe reader with ccleaner.
and some other startups HP (my printer), Including one that was blank ie HKCU:RUN then nothing in the other boxes.

I also took a look at sevices but there did not appear to be anything extraneouse that I could identify.
Attached is a list of processes identified by spybot (much better than a screenshot. Perhaps you would like to look it over and give an opinion. I'd be gratefull if someone did.

I'll take a look at black viper and see if I can educate myself. Thanks for the support and peace of mind.

With regard to the zip: Google gives me a number of hits for spyware. should I repost with attachment in the malware forum, link to this thread, or attach to
my most recent thread there 2 days ago.

 

Sadly, this is a list of currently running processes, and not a list of services installed on your machine.

The management console is the easiest way that I know of to get information on services.

You can tell what most do by their descriptive text. If you are still uncertain about a service after reading its description, post back and we will advise whether you need it.

Also, regarding your attachments, I've scanned them with my AV utility, and it came back clean. If you're still worried about them, it would be a good idea to post about them in the malware forum. They are the specialists on that sort of thing here.

 

If you also have 'c.exe' the chances are you have a two part rootkit, which invokes svchost. This will not show up in a standard AV scan. Look at the Georgia Tech article.


http://www.ece.gatech.edu/research/labs/nsa/honeynet/analysis/Analysis_of_Windows_2000_root-kit.htm


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