ntvdm.exe??

[Rob Phillips]

Greetings. I use Remote Desktop daily w/ absolutely no
trouble. Lately, however, I have been noticing that when I
log in, my CPU is maxed out. By going through task
manager, I can determine it is ntvdm.exe sucking up the
CPU. I can terminate the process, and the CPU settles
down. If I log out and back in later on, ntvdm.exe is
right back at it killing the CPU!! I have never seen this
happen when logged in directly at home, but only when I
remote in from work. Ntvdm.exe has to do with running 16
bit programs, but I'm pretty sure I don't have any of
those, nor what they'd have to do w/ my remote connection.
Any suggestions?

 

[Jeffrey Randow (MVP)]

A lot of older utility programs (like things running in your
notification bar) tend to be 16 bit programs... Somewhere you are
running a 16 bit app. that seems to be fairly leaky... Take a look
at the programs you have installed recently that could be the cause of
this problem...

Also, try checking to make sure you don't have any spyware or trojan
programs that may have installed a program that could also be causing
this...

Jeffrey Randow (Windows Net. & Smart Display MVP)
(e-mail address removed)

Please post all responses to the newsgroups for the benefit
of all USENET users. Messages sent via email may or may not
be answered depending on time availability....

Remote Networking Technology Support Site -
http://www.remotenetworktechnology.com
Windows XP Expert Zone - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone

 

[Rob Phillips]

Interesting. The only thing I've added to my PC in the
last few months is Windows Media Encoder, which I haven't
even used. I removed it, and ntvdm.exe hasn't torched the
CPU since. Is there some way to set up a log file that
will record when/ what starts ntvdm.exe should I have this
problem again?

 

[Rob Phillips]

I take it back. No sooner had I sent my reply t this than
ntvdm was back on burning up the CPU. I have no spyware/
adware that I am aware of. I keep an eye out for that
stuff. The only thing I have running besides the standard
antivirus and firewall apps. during my remote desktop
seesions is an FTP host program. Could that be the issue??

 

[Bob]

Interesting. The only thing I've added to my PC in the
last few months is Windows Media Encoder, which I haven't
even used. I removed it, and ntvdm.exe hasn't torched the
CPU since. Is there some way to set up a log file that
will record when/ what starts ntvdm.exe should I have this
problem again?

Get Kerio Personal Firewall 4

http://www.kerio.com/

and configure it to alert you when one application tries to launch
another. For example, KPF4 will pop up a window if Eudora tries to
launch Mozilla to display an embedded URL in an email.

I use it to trap the very thing you are talking about. For example, as
careful as I am, I managed to get a ad-trojan from some site. It
caused Mozilla to launch Talkback (an old Netscape bug reporting
utility). KPF4 caught it and advised me of the particulars, so it was
an easy matter to figure out what was going on. Then I ran Ad-Aware
and found the culprit.

KPF4 is more than just a firewall - it has a content filter and an app
watcher as well as an intrustion filter and packet filter. If it's
good enough for the U.S. Air Force, then it's good enough for me - and
there is a free version where the only thing crippled is the content
filter after 30 days.

--

Map Of The Vast Right Wing Conspiracy:
http://www.freewebs.com/vrwc/

"You can all go to hell, and I will go to Texas."
--David Crockett

 

[Bob]

I take it back. No sooner had I sent my reply t this than
ntvdm was back on burning up the CPU. I have no spyware/
adware that I am aware of. I keep an eye out for that
stuff. The only thing I have running besides the standard
antivirus and firewall apps. during my remote desktop
seesions is an FTP host program. Could that be the issue??

KPF4 also will display all the network connections (like netstat), so
you can see if something has phoned home.

Do a cold reboot and see if that stops the problem. Otherwise I would
start hunting down a trojan. KPF4 will help you find it.


--

Map Of The Vast Right Wing Conspiracy:
http://www.freewebs.com/vrwc/

"You can all go to hell, and I will go to Texas."
--David Crockett

 

[Rob Phillips]

I ran Webroot's Spysweeper, Ad-Aware and Bazooka. Got rid
of some horse-sh_t Spysweeper alone had been missing. I'm
going to go ahead and hope that works before I go swappin'
out firewalls. I will keep that on table, however in case
the problem persists. Is there another program that will
show all my network connections like KPF4 does?

Thanks from Texas.