Is this a HACKER TOOL??

It is quite certainly not a hacker tool, since that would never add an icon on the task bar to show that it was running. If you ran all these programs to test it, you're probably as safe as you can get.

Could you describe the icon a bit? some programs like GATOR (which is considered malware by most) use an icon to seem ore legit. also run services.msc and/or msconfig and you can see what's starts on your computer. (start->run->services.msc) post anything that looks fishy, there are a number of people here that can identify whatever you have running.

oracle_of_delphi@yahoo.com for the screencap.

Here is my services.msc (this is when the icon is not present).
Name Description Status  Startup Type Log On As
##Id_String1.6844F930_1628_4223_B5CC_5BB94B879762## ##Id_String2.6844F930_1628_4223_B5CC_5BB94B879762## Started Automatic Local System
AddFiltr   Manual Local System
Apple Mobile Device Provides the interface to Apple mobile devices. Started Automatic Local System
Application Experience Processes application compatibility cache requests for applications as they are launched Started Automatic Local System
Application Information Facilitates the running of interactive applications with additional administrative privileges. If this service is stopped, users will be unable to launch applications with the additional administrative privileges they may require to perform desired user tasks. Started Manual Local System
Application Layer Gateway Service Provides support for 3rd party protocol plug-ins for Internet Connection Sharing Started Manual Local Service
avast! Antivirus Manages and implements avast! antivirus services for this computer. This includes the resident protection, the virus chest and the scheduler. Started Automatic Local System
avast! iAVS4 Control Service Provides automatic updating for the avast! antivirus. Started Automatic Local System
avast! Mail Scanner Implements mail scanning for avast! antivirus. Started Manual Local System
avast! Web Scanner Implements web (HTTP) scanning for avast! antivirus. Started Manual Local System
AVG E-mail Scanner  Started Automatic Local System
AVG7 Alert Manager Server  Started Automatic Local System
AVG7 Resident Shield Service  Started Automatic Local System
AVG7 Update Service  Started Automatic Local System
Background Intelligent Transfer Service Transfers files in the background using idle network bandwidth. If the service is disabled, then any applications that depend on BITS, such as Windows Update or MSN Explorer, will be unable to automatically download programs and other information. Started Automatic (Delayed Start) Local System
Base Filtering Engine The Base Filtering Engine (BFE) is a service that manages firewall and Internet Protocol security (IPsec) policies and implements user mode filtering. Stopping or disabling the BFE service will significantly reduce the security of the system. It will also result in unpredictable behavior in IPsec management and firewall applications. Started Automatic Local Service
Certificate Propagation Propagates certificates from smart cards.  Manual Local System
CNG Key Isolation The CNG key isolation service is hosted in the LSA process. The service provides key process isolation to private keys and associated cryptographic operations as required by the Common Criteria. The service stores and uses long-lived keys in a secure process complying with Common Criteria requirements. Started Manual Local System
COM+ Event System Supports System Event Notification Service (SENS), which provides automatic distribution of events to subscribing Component Object Model (COM) components. If the service is stopped, SENS will close and will not be able to provide logon and logoff notifications. If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend on it will fail to start. Started Automatic Local Service
COM+ System Application Manages the configuration and tracking of Component Object Model (COM)+-based components. If the service is stopped, most COM+-based components will not function properly. If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend on it will fail to start.  Manual Local System
Computer Browser Maintains an updated list of computers on the network and supplies this list to computers designated as browsers. If this service is stopped, this list will not be updated or maintained. If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend on it will fail to start. Started Manual Local System
Cryptographic Services Provides four management services: Catalog Database Servi

Here is my services.msc (this is when the icon is not present).
Name Description Status  Startup Type Log On As
##Id_String1.6844F930_1628_4223_B5CC_5BB94B879762## ##Id_String2.6844F930_1628_4223_B5CC_5BB94B879762## Started Automatic Local System
AddFiltr   Manual Local System
Apple Mobile Device Provides the interface to Apple mobile devices. Started Automatic Local System
Application Experience Processes application compatibility cache requests for applications as they are launched Started Automatic Local System
Application Information Facilitates the running of interactive applications with additional administrative privileges. If this service is stopped, users will be unable to launch applications with the additional administrative privileges they may require to perform desired user tasks. Started Manual Local System
Application Layer Gateway Service Provides support for 3rd party protocol plug-ins for Internet Connection Sharing Started Manual Local Service
avast! Antivirus Manages and implements avast! antivirus services for this computer. This includes the resident protection, the virus chest and the scheduler. Started Automatic Local System
avast! iAVS4 Control Service Provides automatic updating for the avast! antivirus. Started Automatic Local System
avast! Mail Scanner Implements mail scanning for avast! antivirus. Started Manual Local System
avast! Web Scanner Implements web (HTTP) scanning for avast! antivirus. Started Manual Local System
AVG E-mail Scanner  Started Automatic Local System
AVG7 Alert Manager Server  Started Automatic Local System
AVG7 Resident Shield Service  Started Automatic Local System
AVG7 Update Service  Started Automatic Local System
Background Intelligent Transfer Service Transfers files in the background using idle network bandwidth. If the service is disabled, then any applications that depend on BITS, such as Windows Update or MSN Explorer, will be unable to automatically download programs and other information. Started Automatic (Delayed Start) Local System
Base Filtering Engine The Base Filtering Engine (BFE) is a service that manages firewall and Internet Protocol security (IPsec) policies and implements user mode filtering. Stopping or disabling the BFE service will significantly reduce the security of the system. It will also result in unpredictable behavior in IPsec management and firewall applications. Started Automatic Local Service
Certificate Propagation Propagates certificates from smart cards.  Manual Local System
CNG Key Isolation The CNG key isolation service is hosted in the LSA process. The service provides key process isolation to private keys and associated cryptographic operations as required by the Common Criteria. The service stores and uses long-lived keys in a secure process complying with Common Criteria requirements. Started Manual Local System
COM+ Event System Supports System Event Notification Service (SENS), which provides automatic distribution of events to subscribing Component Object Model (COM) components. If the service is stopped, SENS will close and will not be able to provide logon and logoff notifications. If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend on it will fail to start. Started Automatic Local Service
COM+ System Application Manages the configuration and tracking of Component Object Model (COM)+-based components. If the service is stopped, most COM+-based components will not function properly. If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend on it will fail to start.  Manual Local System
Computer Browser Maintains an updated list of computers on the network and supplies this list to computers designated as browsers. If this service is stopped, this list will not be updated or maintained. If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend on it will fail to start. Started Manual Local System
Cryptographic Services Provides four management services: Catalog Database Servi

I recognize that Icon as the XVID (or is it DIVX) anyway, it's the icon for one of those two, it should come up when you play an AVI movie and sometimes has trouble disappearing on its own as many icons do. it's not spyware or anything malicious, but it is annoying to me since it steals focus from windows media player.

by the way, your machine is pretty clean. one small optimization you may want to make is if you're not using file sharing, disable the computer browser service (you probably won't even see a difference)

Thanks heaps!!

The version of XVID (See CODECS) that was being used ran as an add-on for windows media player. Whenever the user watched an avi file that utilized this codec, a tray Icon would appear that resembled a film reel. However, with windows media player closed the codec would stop running but leave the icon there. the icon would later disappear when hovered over with the mouse. This disappearing act seemed suspicious since there are a couple of spyware programs that do leave icons in the task bar. GATOR and SPYAXE to name a few. Chances are, icons that disappear from the tray are processes that have quit.

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some programs like GATOR (which is considered malware by most) use an icon to seem ore legit. also run services.msc and/or msconfig and you can see what's starts on your computer. (start->run->services.msc) post anything that looks fishy, there are a number of people here that can identify whatever you have running.

http://www.neu92.com/

Click here to see the Answer Discussion that preceded this tutorial.

Login to rate this tutorial: Good  |  Bad