Check for missing processes?

I know there is software that looks for processes or services that that should not be there and might be the result of malware. But are there programs that look at what is running to see if something is missing.

The reason I ask is I could have sworn there used to be a process called pstores running, and that this is a must-run part of Windows 2000 that has something to do with security. Unless I'm mixed up and this has to do with earlier versions of Windows.

 

http://www.liutilities.com/products/wintaskspro/processlibrary/pstores/
Process File: pstores or pstores.exe
Process Name: Protected Storage Service
Description: The Microsoft Protected Storage Service handles Protected Storage Passwords

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=235300

For Win2K and XP:
Start > Run > services.msc > rightclick Protected Storage > Properties > at Startup type select Automatic and confirm by clicking Apply.

Regards,

Pieter

 

Isn't Pieter much better then such a tool?

 

I'm beginning to think that Pieter is the ultimate security tool!

Douglas

 

ROFL
Thanks Pieter. That graphic made my day!

Best Regards,
Douglas

 

Nice one Pieter!

 

PSTORES will only be running when something accesses the protected strorage. There is now a Russian program which can do so to get passwords, even on Windows XP systems. As expected, there are now at least 2 ripoff trojans which us the Protected Storage Passview program, as a trojan. TDS doesn't detect the program itself, but does detect trojan droppers which use it Just FYI

 

I didn't even know about that. Thanks.

It looks like on my computer the Protected Storage doesn't run under pstores.exe. I was also able to get to someone else's Win2k computer today, and his doesn't have pstores.exe either.

I think maybe I've poked around my computer enough and I should try to relax. Thanks again for your help.

 

should
pstores.exe be running with win 98SE?

wyrmrider

 

Well it's running with Windows ME.