Realmon.exe

[JLaw]

Who knows what the Realmon.exe file is on your computer? If it's worth anything I'm running WinXP with SP2. Whatever it is it uses up all my CPU 'memory' or 'usage' according to the windows task manager and makes the computer painfully slow. I usually just close this process in the task manager toolbar and go on with it.

Anyone know what this file might be and how I can keep it from stealing all my CPU?

If it's worth anything, my wife usually leaves the computer on after she's done, without logging off or anything. This problem usually occurs after this, the computer is slow unless you end the realmon.exe file or restart the computer.

Any thoughts?

(keep it simple, I'm not too computer saavy)

JLaw

[MrDrummy]

When I have a program in my processes that I'm not sure of, I just Google it. I usually find out what it is, and what to do about it.

REALMON.exe pops up a lot of hits.

Check it out!

[lrb111]

It's part of an anti-virus program. It scan/monitors yor computer protecting it.
Some of these scanner/monitors are real memory hogs though. Some of then if the subscription expires can be worse tahn having real virii.

google realmon.exe

[Mithras61]

Oh, you lucky boy! You're using CA's eTrust Antivirus!

Unfortunately, it seems to be a major resource hog (in your case, CPU time, but in some cases, RAM).

I prefer NOD32 from ESET Software (http://www.eset.com) because it seems to be faster, more reliable, less resource intensive and picks up more "in the wild" virii (ones your anti-virus program doesn't "officially" know about) than any other anti-virus programs currently available. It doesn't have a "pretty" interface, but it's more than twice as fast scanning my system than any other anti-virus program I've tried, and catches virii that the others don't.

The only one that I know of that is better rated by techs is Kaspersky's, but it's not more effective, just more configurable. There's a good comparative chart here: http://www.virusbtn.com/vb100/archive/r ... ay=summary

You have to register there (it's free and they don't share your email address) to view it, but it gives a fair and independant comparison of anti-virus products on several operating systems.

[Tote 9]

If it is in your start up programs you can disable it so that it wont start when you boot up. To see, it
go to start, run, type msconfig in the dialog box,click ok
then select start up and if you see realmon in the menu, then uncheck the box click apply then ok.

[Mithras61]

If it is in your start up programs you can disable it so that it wont start when you boot up. To see, it
go to start, run, type msconfig in the dialog box,click ok
then select start up and if you see realmon in the menu, then uncheck the box click apply then ok.

Realmon.exe is his real-time anti-virus protection. He can disable it, but then he'd be running with no protection...

[JLaw]

Thanks for the info so far, guys. And yes if I disable realmon it will make the a.v. useless. Is there a single program that I can get that will take care of my a.v. needs and spyware needs and firewall (if I need anything more that what's built into XP already) that's affordable and dependable? I haven't had many troubles with eTrust, but I think I might have some spyware stuff in my computer, it's much slower now than it was when it was new. I know there's lots of variables to slow down a system, but I'd like to take care of one thing at a time and I hear that you should have some type of anti-spyware software anyway.

JLaw

[Liberty]

Thanks for the info so far, guys. And yes if I disable realmon it will make the a.v. useless. Is there a single program that I can get that will take care of my a.v. needs and spyware needs and firewall (if I need anything more that what's built into XP already) that's affordable and dependable? I haven't had many troubles with eTrust, but I think I might have some spyware stuff in my computer, it's much slower now than it was when it was new. I know there's lots of variables to slow down a system, but I'd like to take care of one thing at a time and I hear that you should have some type of anti-spyware software anyway.

JLaw

I use AV but keep it disabled. and only run it about once a week and do a complete scan. I suppose its pretty risky, but I'm running my system behind a NAT (router) and I trust my email program not to run any bad stuff. If I'm going to be upgrading or downloading programs I let AV run. I've never picked up and activated any virii but i do get the occassional browser spyware.

[Mithras61]

Thanks for the info so far, guys. And yes if I disable realmon it will make the a.v. useless. Is there a single program that I can get that will take care of my a.v. needs and spyware needs and firewall (if I need anything more that what's built into XP already) that's affordable and dependable? I haven't had many troubles with eTrust, but I think I might have some spyware stuff in my computer, it's much slower now than it was when it was new. I know there's lots of variables to slow down a system, but I'd like to take care of one thing at a time and I hear that you should have some type of anti-spyware software anyway.

JLaw

I use AV but keep it disabled. and only run it about once a week and do a complete scan. I suppose its pretty risky, but I'm running my system behind a NAT (router) and I trust my email program not to run any bad stuff. If I'm going to be upgrading or downloading programs I let AV run. I've never picked up and activated any virii but i do get the occassional browser spyware.

I guess that's reasonably safe if your email program doesn't do any code and receives everything in plain text, and you never go to new web sites, and don't use Internet Explorer.

I don't use IE, but I do have an email program that receives mail in formats other than plain text (e.g. - rich text, HTML), and real-time anti-virus has saved me twice so far this year.

I also play network-based games over the Internet, and that means my computer is exposed to the bad cleanliness and security habits of others.

I'm behind two hardware firewalls and a NATing router, and I still run a software firewall, and it still gets hit occasionally (last three times was by an IP that could be traced to the U.S. Government).

I am currently running stand-alone versions of three anti-spyware apps, an anti-spam app that plugs into my email program, an anti-virus app and a software firewall. I'm behind two hardware firewalls with dynamic port allocation on one of them.

Am I paranoid? Possibly, but I still get hits on a semi-regular basis on all of the programs (some much more regularly than others, naturally). I think I'll keep on running all of these apps for now...

[Tote 9]

Certainly everyone should have an Av. prog. but there are some available
that doesn't interfear with your email or take a lot of memory. I personally
donot like Norton or Macavee, especially their firewall security. Another that
takes loads of mem. and slows down your computer is Webroots Spysweeper.

Ther are several you can download off the internet that are good & free.

1. AVG --AV.
2. Aaware SE --Spyware

Just my opinion, but I've been running these a long time with no trouble
at all.

[dws1117]

1. AVG --AV.
2. Aaware SE --Spyware

I've also had good luck using these.

[JLaw]

I downloaded Ad-aware SE Personal a little while ago and ran a scan. Came back with 67 possibile 'hits' for spyware. Reading the help menu says not everything has to be put into quarintine. Suppose I'll have to do some more reading and net surfing to find out what should be put into quarintine and what should be ignored.

JLaw

[lrb111]

I downloaded Ad-aware SE Personal a little while ago and ran a scan. Came back with 67 possibile 'hits' for spyware. Reading the help menu says not everything has to be put into quarintine. Suppose I'll have to do some more reading and net surfing to find out what should be put into quarintine and what should be ignored.

JLaw

I use Spybot S&D (search and destroy). It will innoculate against a lot of known spyware etc.
Spybot will make use of the "Hosts" file. It puts known bad urls in there.
Then when a bad actor makes a request for one in the list it finds the name in the file. Since, there is no other action required the requast has been satisfied and the computer process skips over it.

There are several thousand urls in my 'host file'

Here's a download site I use a lot. http://www.majorgeeks.com

[KBCraig]

I'm forced to use Win XP at work, on a computer with multiple users. The agency dictates MSIE for a browser (I don't care; I use Firefox anyway), so the computer frequently gets bombed with adware, spyware, virii, etc.

Adaware and Spybot S&D are good. I use them to clear out the crap that other users have unwittingly exposed us to.

Since I run MacOS X at home, I'm joyously free of worrying about that nonsense. I haven't run a virus program on my Macs since 1995, and haven't had a virus.

But as for "legitimate" apps hogging the CPU on XP boxes, my current nemesis is AdobeUpdater.exe. Calling our IT department for help is a fate worse than virii; their solution to everything is to format and re-do a base install. Ummm... thanks. But no.

I'm going to have to find this objectionable program and modify the name, because it keeps freezing my computer for minutes at a time, hogging 92%+ CPU. That's unacceptable, especially because it's a brand new version that doesn't need updating!

I googled the app name, so I have some hints about beating this one. But not until I go back to work, because this is my weekend!

Kevin

[Liberty]

I'm forced to use Win XP at work, on a computer with multiple users. The agency dictates MSIE for a browser (I don't care; I use Firefox anyway), so the computer frequently gets bombed with adware, spyware, virii, etc.

Firefox can be run from a USB thumb drive. It doesn't leave tracks for high strung IT managers to find.