alg.exe - ENABLE or DISABLE

[SeaMaid]

alg.exe = Application Layer Gateway

According to Black Viper, this service is not needed in Windows XP SP2
unless you are using Internet Connection Sharing with the Windows Firewall.

I have a home P2P network but am not using ICS. ZoneAlarm Pro is my
firewall. The 2Wire router/gateway uses NAT/DHCP. There are various security
programs installed.

NOD32 (antivirus), A2 and Ewido (antitrojans), PeerGuardian and WinPatrol
(firewall supplements), Ad-Watch, Microsoft Antispyware, SpywareGuard, and
Spybot's TeaTimer (antimalware and system settings protectors).

Task Manager shows that alg.exe is a running process. What Service or
software could be using it? Or is nothing using it and it's just running all
the time? Should I disable it or leave it enabled?

 

[Alceryes]

alg.exe = Application Layer Gateway

According to Black Viper, this service is not needed in Windows XP SP2
unless you are using Internet Connection Sharing with the Windows
Firewall.

I have a home P2P network but am not using ICS. ZoneAlarm Pro is my
firewall. The 2Wire router/gateway uses NAT/DHCP. There are various
security programs installed.

NOD32 (antivirus), A2 and Ewido (antitrojans), PeerGuardian and WinPatrol
(firewall supplements), Ad-Watch, Microsoft Antispyware, SpywareGuard, and
Spybot's TeaTimer (antimalware and system settings protectors).

Task Manager shows that alg.exe is a running process. What Service or
software could be using it? Or is nothing using it and it's just running
all the time? Should I disable it or leave it enabled?

You don't need it. As you stated it's only for ICS or WF. Run services.msc
and disable it.
Here is a good up-to-date site regarding unwanted/unneeded services...I used
to use black viper myself until his site disappeared.
http://www.theeldergeek.com/services_guide.htm

 

[RJK]

blackviper and eldergeek "preen" xp services lists are fine until one later
finds e.g. that both my Epson printers completely disappeared because one
had turned off a print spooler service !!!

After having followed both lists for fun, which by the way is VERY time
consuming, and considering that more often than not - services that are set
to manual, more often than not, cannot be started by software that needs
them - I came to the conclusion that it's best to leave EVERYTHING in
services as it was !!! ...in my own humble opinion !

regards, Richard