One Spywareguard component disabled by ?..do I have spyware?

Hi there,
New to this posting....let's see if I make sense.
I have had Spywareguard 2.2, Definitions date 1-22-04.
I use Windows 98SE and have in the last week or so had driver trouble (sound,mouse,printer and graphics)So far I am in another forum to help me sort the sound out....not easy.
BUT also when I connect to the internet my home page freezes on a white screen and I have been unable to do anything.
I have worked out to press ctr/alt/del when this happens and my 'close program' popsup.I scroll down to find (unknown) and I highlight this.
I then click 'end task' ,maybe repeat this step 2-3 times and click the next popup 'end task'.
I find 'Iexplore error' comes up and then I click the little x. Then the internet continues loading without any further problems (other than my drivers)!
Having just gone into my System Information...I looked at startup programs....and find soundman.exe!I do not know what this is as it is new to me.
So I came straight to Google to type this in and find Spywareguard has now got an red X in my Systray.
Bringing it up to see what is happening I find the component 'Real-time Scanning Engine' has a red X and I cannot enable it,(unsure how to).
I did read this components description is 'Real-time scanning scans every EXE or CAB file before it is opened intercepting SPYWARE before it is run'.
When I found 'soundman.exe' in the startup programs, I did highlight it...or may have clicked it...although nothing happened.
I am well enough protected ....although that says nothing to what may be lurking out there in 'puter land, it is odd how all my troubles started around the same time and finding this odd thing in running tasks...mmmm.
Maybe someone else will be able to enlighten me here?
Thanks in advance
Millymollymandy

 

sound man is part of the audio drivers for your computer.

 

Are you positive?..I have deleted everything I could figure out to do with my sound drivers as I am downloading a fresh driver for sound to start all over as instructed elsewhere.
I know little about this subject...although I am learning now!
I realise you kmow a lot more than me....I guess I am trying to figure out why all these problems are happening at once.
My scanners come back clean...but earlier this year I had adware/spyware invade my computer and this was undetected too until I had too much damage the repairman had to fix it for me.Mind you the kids have that computer now...but it works fine now.
I use AVG free,Spyblaster,Spywareguard,Spybot S&D,AD-Aware SEPersonal, and on occasion Housecall.I keep everything up to date.
Thanks, if this is right ought I delete this too?
And how do I correct my Systray icon?

 

Hi millymollymandy,

The file name 'soundman.exe' has been used by malware writers, as many other legitimate file names have been, so doing further investigation on a file you are unfamiliar with is always a good step to take to determine if it is a legitimate file and clean. Soundman.exe is part of the audio drivers as you can see here in the startup list at CastleCops:
http://castlecops.com/s3430-soundman.html
(also)
http://castlecops.com/s3353-SISSoundman.html

You could do a search for the soundman.exe and then right-click on the file, choose "Properties" and under the tabs look to see what information is listed to help identify it. If nothing is there to identify it for you, then you can upload the file to http://virusscan.jotti.org/ and see what the scan there says about the file. Could you also tell us where the file is located on the computer.

I'm wondering here if when you use the ctrl/alt/del and 'end task' on the unknown file, then there's that wait for the "this application isn't responding" to pop up, and you choose the 'end task' on it again if you aren't shutting down the SpywareGuard process. It's seems a li'l coincidental that the SpywareGuard icon then appears with an X through it after you've end task on the unknown running process. You can check this by rebooting your computer and letting SpywareGuard load normally, then do the ctrl/alt/del and end task on the <unknown> process like before....and see if SpywareGuard eventually becomes disabled again.

It wouldn't hurt to do another on-line virus scan either. You can choose one (perferably two) of the sites below:
http://www.kaspersky.com/virusscanner
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
http://www.pandasoftware.com/products/activescan.htm

Let us know what the properties to the soundman.exe file say, and also if anything is detected with the on-line scans.

Regards,

snap

 

O.K. Snapdragin,
I looked this up in find files and folders.Soundman.exe is listed in C:Windows, but looking in explore I find it is not there.I looked at properties (Avance sound manager ver. 2.3) and I think it is a driver I downloaded previously that was incorrect.I have removed that in device manager.The only place it is in is System information and Find Files and Folders.
And using ctrl/alt/del again has not affected spywareguard...upon rebooting I was able to correct it and it is now fine again.I have rebooted twice since.
I have used Housecall a couple of days ago...but will use the other 2 scanners you have suggested tonight.
I will let you know the results and if the problem with spywareguard occurs again.
Thank you
Millymollymandy