Who started this Fax Monitor?

[Larry Serflaten]

After logging in, I notice there is a 'Fax monitor' that starts up
but I see no way to find out where that application is, or why
it started up. It seems it does its best to remain hidden from
view, and I am suspicious that it may be a trojan of some sort.

When I list all processes and services running, it does not
appear to be listed. The only way I can view its title is by
holding down a key (in notepad, or other such application) right
after logging on. If I fire up Notepad immediately following
the desktop showing, it will load and run even while other
startup programs are still loading. So, I press and hold a key,
and on about the 4th or 5th line full of characters, the bell starts
ringing, because focus has shifted to someother application.

When I use Alt+Tab to view that little application display I see
two applications there, Notepad, and a Fax Monitor. If I
shift focus to anything other than the fax monitor, it is removed
from that Alt+Tab display and I never see it again.

I am currently trying to get WMI to monitor the start up of every
process to see if I can catch what program is acually running.
There is no such entry in the HKLM Run Key of the Registry
like there are for the others that are loading at that time.

I want to find out where this program is so I can see when it was
installed, or to delete it if necessary.

How else might I find out what program this is, and why it is running?

LFS

 

[Alias]

It's the fax that comes with w2k. Go into your fax configuration and disable
the automatic start up.

More here:

http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...port/kb/articles/Q229/9/01.ASP&NoWebContent=1

Alias

 

[George Hester]

I bet you are using Outlook XP from Office XP.

 

[Larry Serflaten]

It's the fax that comes with w2k. Go into your fax configuration and disable
the automatic start up.

I don't see that option anywhere. I set the Fax Service to Disabled in the
MMC (Services) but it showed up anyway. (Which is what got me thinking
it may be some trojan/spy masquerading as a fax service)

More here:

http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...port/kb/articles/Q229/9/01.ASP&NoWebContent=1


I have checked the Manual Answer box, and will see if that helps.

Thanks!
LFS

 

[Larry Serflaten]

I bet you are using Outlook XP from Office XP.


X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1409

Isn't that from Internet Explorer 6 ???

I do have Office 2003 installed and am still wrestling with that
CTFMON file. It seems to dislike ZoneAlarm because ZA has
problems if I let ctfmon run. (the ZA's VSmon errors (closes)
more often than when ctfmon isn't running) I have yet to get in
and uninstall it...

LFS

 

[George Hester]

ctfmon is not easy to stop from running but it can be done. You do not remove it you just stop it from firing up. This applies to Office 2003 as well:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;282599

The reason why I asked you if you were running Outlook XP is because I had the same exact problem with Office XP and Outlook XP in Windows 2000 Professional SP3. Your issue is not unknown. I have never seen it since Office 2003 in Windows 2000 Server SP3 nor in Microsoft Office 2000 SP1 in Windows 2000 Professional SP4.

 

[Larry Serflaten]

ctfmon is not easy to stop from running but it can be done.
You do not remove it you just stop it from firing up. This applies to Office 2003 as well:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;282599

Thanks, I saw that, and I have the instructions printed out, but the
first time I tried it I was in a bit of a rush and did not want to dig into
the disks when it asked for some .cab file. I just aborted and thought
to do it later when I really get tired of it running in the background! ;-)

The reason why I asked you if you were running Outlook XP is because
I had the same exact problem with Office XP and Outlook XP in Windows
2000 Professional SP3. Your issue is not unknown. I have never seen it
since Office 2003 in Windows 2000 Server SP3 nor in Microsoft Office
2000 SP1 in Windows 2000 Professional SP4.

On those occasions when I would fire up the Task Manager as soon as
possible, I often noticed it would loose focus shortly after things settled
down, from about SP1 on (or thereabouts), and that was prior to installing
Office.

I just never did that Notepad routine to see what it was, I stumbled on that
notepad method a few days ago, that allowed me to see what it was that
was getting focus. I was wondering why Task Manager would loose focus
even when there was no other app running and decided it must be something
to do with the Taskbar, or the System tray area. It surprised me that a
'Fax Monitor' would be called on startup, even after disabling the Fax service.

At least I now feel comfortable that it is a legitimate program, and not some spy....

FWIW, I am running W2K SP4....

LFS

 

[George Hester]

Yeah I don't think it is anything to worry about. It looks suspicious I know. It doesn't have anything to do with the FAX service. It is something to do with Microsoft Office. I suspect any Windows 2000 system without Microsoft Office would not have this issue. Sorry I wish I could tell you how to fix it. I suppose one way would be to remove the FAX modem. Or umdo the FAX properties. Yeah go into Printers and remove the FAX printer. That will likely stop it. You can add it back easily enough if it don't.