Odd applications consuming 100% of CPU

[WayneD]

Over the past several days I have come across two applications running on one of my systems I noticed them as the temp on my system increased to full load level of 43c and held there. On finally taking the time to research the issue I noticed an application named ciccore2.exe which on deletion resulted in my cpu utilization and temp dropping. A day later I noticed the same problem but this time the culprit was an application named rmodecod.exe here again on deletion both cpu utilization and temp dropped to normal.

Does anyone know what these applictions are and where I might have picked them up. Are they known?

[mireland]

Originally posted by WayneD
Over the past several days I have come across two applications running on one of my systems I noticed them as the temp on my system increased to full load level of 43c and held there. On finally taking the time to research the issue I noticed an application named ciccore2.exe which on deletion resulted in my cpu utilization and temp dropping. A day later I noticed the same problem but this time the culprit was an application named rmodecod.exe here again on deletion both cpu utilization and temp dropped to normal.

Does anyone know what these applictions are and where I might have picked them up. Are they known?

maybe its a virus or some spyware or something running..try running a virus scan and spybot and adaware to see what happens..

just a guess on my part...

[WayneD]

I did both after each erase however it did not stop the problem as it occured as second time.

[bassman]

If it happened again, something is still using up CPU resources - that can either be normal or not. If the program is something you don't remember installing (it can also be spyware that came attached to some software you downloaded), you should worry. I couldn't find anything related to those files (are you sure you spelled the names correctly ) but you shouldn't have deleted them (BTW, when you did this, did some application on your computer stop working?), it would have been better to try to figure out which app they belonged to and uninstalling it. Anyway, locate the current CPU hog, press the Start button, choose Run and type "msconfig" (not available on Win2K) on the "Boot" tab browse around, see if you find the executable causing the mess and try to identify it with more detail.

[WayneD]

Yes I spelled the names exactly as they appeared in the process screen of task manager. Also prior to deleting the files I checked the internet/windows help to see if I could find them but, as in your case did not. I also searched the HDD of my other computer and was not able to find either file. As the files were not on my other system, and I couldn't find anything on them I deleted the applications on a search the HDD and finding the file locations.
After I deleted the files which were not in the system process of task manager I did not notice any other application not working. I also scanned my HDD with my McAfee Virus software and found nothing.

I suspect you are right and the source of the problem remains somewhere in my system but all the scans (ad-Aware, McAfee, spybot and Ashampoo) did not identify the source of the files.

At present I do not have another CPU hog running but somehow think it is still there somewhere in the system waiting to reappear. If I am right it will no doubt show up again in the next 24 hours and perhaps then I will follow your instruction with msconfig.

Incidently the boot tab has very little information in it.

WayneD

[bassman]

Originally posted by WayneD
I deleted the applications on a search the HDD and finding the file locations.

Where were they?

At present I do not have another CPU hog running but somehow think it is still there somewhere in the system waiting to reappear. If I am right it will no doubt show up again in the next 24 hours and perhaps then I will follow your instruction with msconfig.

Well, if it's waiting to come up it has to be triggered by some event - either it's his own process doing so (and therefor it should load upon boot up) or any other app loading it.

Incidently the boot tab has very little information in it.

Good!

[WayneD]

Both files were in the Doc and Settings/local settings/prefetch file. The full name of one file was... prefetch/RMODECOD.exe-014E25C9.pf'.

I have since rebooted and have not seen the file or derivative of the file show up. Could it be time sensitive??

WayneD

[bassman]

Originally posted by WayneD
Could it be time sensitive??

What do you mean?

[WayneD]

Could the application have a specific time of the day to run? I expect once 24 hous passes since my last scrub this will answer my question, unless of course it is set to run on a particular date/day of the week.

Thanks for your help bassman, this is truly a mystery.

WayneD

[bassman]

Originally posted by WayneD
Could the application have a specific time of the day to run?

Yes, it can:

Originally posted by bassman
Well, if it's waiting to come up it has to be triggered by some event - either it's his own process doing so (and therefor it should load upon boot up) or any other app loading it.

[WayneD]

I searched the registry and found both rmodecod.exe and ciccore.exe located at HKCU\microsoft\search assistant\ACMru\5603\rmodecod.exe (ciccore.exe file extension was also here). Also noted the rmodecod.exe was in the startup file of msconfig under the name 7s3R3mV and referenced as in file c:\windows\system32\romodecod.exe.

At the point of deleting the files in the registry I had still not seen evidence of them hoging my cpu. Hopefully now they are 100% gone and the problem solved. I am however, not so stupid as to ignore the fact there could still be a program laying silent in my system waiting to generate the files under new names.

[djp]

One fellow here found a process this morning. I didn't get the file written down before he deleted it from the task manager, but it was like opsetu.exe and the task manager list was continually jumping. We have not had a virus here in a long time. We are running Win2K. I found a site, some time ago, that listed all the typical processes and which ones could be deleted. Will have to find it again.

[sbob420]

http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm

here is a place that lists all the services what they do and weather you can turn them off

this site lists a few and what they dow they are at the bottom of the page

http://www.liutilities.com/products/...library/lsass/

[bassman]

Originally posted by WayneD
At the point of deleting the files in the registry I had still not seen evidence of them hoging my cpu.

Be careful with what you delete and where you delete it from.

I am however, not so stupid as to ignore the fact there could still be a program laying silent in my system waiting to generate the files under new names.

It has to be triggered...

[Midknyte]

did you do your windows updates recently? you may want to uninstall the patch for MS04-011.

http://www.sysopt.com/forum/showthre...hreadid=161695

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sec.../ms04-011.mspx