Any reason for taskmgr.exe to request internet access?

[Guest]

Whenever I open the task manager, the Zone Alarm firewall detects taskmgr.exe
trying to access the internet. I did a reverse DNS lookup to determine the
requested destination. It has been everything from Microsoft, to Esset - the
makers of my NOD32 antivirus, and google. Sometimes the IP address is
unresolved.
Does taskmanager have any reason to access the internet? Some have told me
no, and I cannot get an definite answer by searching the internet.

 

[M.I.5¾]

Whenever I open the task manager, the Zone Alarm firewall detects
taskmgr.exe
trying to access the internet. I did a reverse DNS lookup to determine
the
requested destination. It has been everything from Microsoft, to Esset -
the
makers of my NOD32 antivirus, and google. Sometimes the IP address is
unresolved.
Does taskmanager have any reason to access the internet? Some have told
me
no, and I cannot get an definite answer by searching the internet.

Simplest way is next time it requests access, deny it and make the denial
permanent. If nothing stops working, then there is no problem. If
something appears broken, you may have to consider cancelling the denial.

 

[Laughingstar~*]

IMHO most programs will attempt to open a port, some under the guise of
"Updating," like WMP v.11, which is majestic at hiding its update file. The
less we permit these automatic updates, and spend some time checking our
programs for updates ourselves, the more secure our systems will be. I'm
tired of MS updates, myself. Only about 40% apply to my system, and the
others are a constant nuisance...they come back like a bad cold...even when
the box is checked to not notify of that update AGAIN. That's just my humble
opinion.

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

I'm curious... What MS updates don't apply to your system?

 

[Laughingstar~*]

Outlook 2003, and some others from MS Office I did not download. I asked MS
about this, and was told by the support techs, and those in CA, it was safe
to not download any update for a program not on your system.

 

[John John]

In my humble opinion updates to operating system files and components
are done by the Windows Update services. Individual files or components
don't usually "go out" on their own to be updated. If the Task Manager
needs to be updated for some reason or other, it would be pushed in a
Windows Update, Task Manager should not be going out on its own will or
pleasure looking for updates for itself. While there are certain
programs (like WMP or IE) that can and do go out on their own looking
for updates, you are heading down a slippery slope if you blindly allow
everything and anything to start going out for updates on their own,
this can only lead to complete confusion and a total security nightmare.

John

 

[HeyBub]

IMHO most programs will attempt to open a port, some under the guise
of "Updating," like WMP v.11, which is majestic at hiding its update
file. The less we permit these automatic updates, and spend some time
checking our programs for updates ourselves, the more secure our
systems will be. I'm tired of MS updates, myself. Only about 40%
apply to my system, and the others are a constant nuisance...they
come back like a bad cold...even when the box is checked to not
notify of that update AGAIN. That's just my humble opinion.

"More secure our systems will be"? For you, maybe.

For millions and millions, no.

Further, the more secure the great unwashed are, the safer you and I will
be.

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

I said, "LABEL surface". Not well worded, as I meant the label *side*
surface of the disk itself, as opposed to the surface opposite the label
side, which is where most people think the data is written.

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

LOL! Of course you don't need updates for applications that you don't have
installed, and, AFAIK, Windows Updates, automatic or manual, will not be
offered for apps you don't have installed.

Though I'm not sure that's the case for Outlook, but maybe. God I hate that
app. As for the rest of the apps... You are using Microsoft Updates to get
your Updates, or are you going to the Office site and downloading them
manually?

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

From my own experiments, using ZA to monitor, Task Manager does not access
the internet. I first used MSCONFIG to disable all non-Microsoft services
and all items in the Startup tab except ZA and rebooted. I opened the ZA log
viewer, cleared it, then pressed Ctrl-Alt-Del. I saw no attempt by
taskmgr.exe, and only traffic that could be attributed to ZA itself, or
normal network traffic between my machine and the router. Can't say what's
causing your results, but my machine is WinXP Pro, fully updated, with
Automatic Updates enabled.

 

[R. McCarty]

It may have to do with TaskMgr's Networking monitoring. I use ZA
(Free) and there was a Windows Task Manager in the allowances
table. I removed the entry and called up TaskMgr and the latest ZA
monitoring (7.0.362) did not pop-up any Internet access request.

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

Got to admit, I'm not a ZA user. Just installed it for this experiment and
to take a look at the latest offering... And now I've uninstalled it. Wasn't
aware that there was an exception list. If I get REALLLY bored...

 

[Laughingstar~*]

MS's Automatic Updates...I've programmed it to let me approve them first,
but as hard as I try to read the information, first (I have to use a screen
reader b/c I am blind) something slips through now and then, so I check
Add/Remove Programs twice a week. MS's Outlook mgr in CA told me to ignore
the Outlook updates, and only download those for OE, which comes w. the XP
Pro installation (the OE Proggie).

 

[Laughingstar~*]

re I said, "LABEL surface". Not well worded, as I meant the label *side*
surface of the disk itself, as opposed to the surface opposite the label
side, which is where most people think the data is written.

Its on the label side of the CD? I just asked a cpu repair co that question,
and the owner told me the data is on the side opposite the label side.
Great! No wonder my CDs don't work that I put labels on--when I try to
obtain the data, its "blank." sheesh

 

[Laughingstar~*]

I uninstalled Zone, b/c I was also using WFW...so I was told not to use
both. Comments?

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

I still don't understand how you get WMP 11 that way. It's a Recommended
Update, not a Critical one, and except for IE7, automatic Updates doesn't do
Recommended Updates. Now, I'll check for sure when this test installation
finishes installing, but I'm fairly certain that, unless something is really
wrong, if you don't have Outlook installed (not one bit of it) no updates
for it (that are only for Outlook) will be downloaded by Automatic Updates.

 

[R. McCarty]

Older versions of Windows Media Player (9,10) by default have the
Automatic Check for updates enabled. If you aren't careful to dismiss
the pop-up notice a update is available you can end up with WMP-11
that way.

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

The tech was wrong, or he was simply trying to tell you that the underside
is the side that the laser reads, not technically correct, but you
understand -- wouldn't want to write anything there, etc. -- and no, it
normally shouldn't cause problems when you put a label on the CD, if it's a
proper CD label, though I don't use labels or LightScribe. I just write on
them with a Sharpie (and I keep that one just for CDs so it STAYS sharp.).

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

Ahhh... So it's not WU, it's WMP itself.

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

Don't use both. In fact, ZA installation will disable WFW. I find WFW to be
sufficient.