Hamish said:
I keep getting a popup from a program called WMI.
Does anyone know what this is ? It pops up every 30 - 40
seconds when I am just sitting on the desktop (not
running any programs)
Help !!
A Google search brings a lot of disparate links, so wasn't very helpful.
Even just "sitting at the desktop", your computer is running many
programs and services. Go to Start>Run and type "msconfig" and look on
the Startup tab. See if you can find the culprit, uncheck the box next
to it, click Apply and OK. Here is a link to a good place to look up
the names of things you see on the Startup tab:
http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_index.htm
Here is another link that will tell you all about XP's services, what
they are for, and what should be disabled:
http://www.blackviper.com/
You certainly should have a current (post-2002 version using updated
definitions) antivirus program installed. Scanning for spyware should
be part of your weekly maintenance, also. Remove spyware with Spybot
Search & Destroy from
www.security.kolla.de and Ad-aware from
www.lavasoftusa.com. Be sure to update these programs before running
them. It is best to run antivirus and spyware removal tools in Safe
Mode.
If you have an "always-on" broadband connection to the Internet, you
should have a firewall. XP has one built-in which isn't the best, but
is better than nothing. Look in your Help & Support for "firewall".
Sygate (
www.sygate.com) and ZoneAlarm (
www.zonealarm.com) make
firewalls and have versions that are free for personal use.
If you need more help, repost with a description of your system, how you
get to the Internet (method/ISP), more information on the problem, and
what you've already done to troubleshoot.
Malke
