Hi. Windows explorer is using a tremendous amount of memory (i explorer.exe). even when it is not in use. I hardly ever use IE but rather Firefox and IE is still using lots of memory. Is there any way to correct this? Can IE be removed? I'm running XP with 80 gig hardrive with about half free. I have service pack 2. Please Help! i run my utilities very often and defrag every two weeks so I'm maintaining my pc. Thanks for anyone's help.

Hello Mikey,

It is actually spelled i explore.exe in your process tab? Like i (space) explorer.exe ? It should be spelled iexplore.exe with no space and no R at the end. If it has the space in it and/or the R, it is definitely malicious software.

In any case, it sounds like you may have malicious software cause if you don't have an internet explorer window open, there shouldn't be a process for it running and it definitely shouldn't be taking lots of memory. I would suggest following my pre-work link below and posting your results in the HijackThis! Logs section of our forum.

Hope that helps!

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Thank you for your reply to my issue regarding explorer. I'm sorry i included the wrong information. in the Task Manager its showing that the correct name is EXPLORER.EXE and currently its using 27,000+ in resources and i have nothing open or running in INTERNET EXPLORER. I never use it; again, i use firefox.

So the process that is using a lot of resources is EXPLORER.EXE? Does it show up in all capital letters? Well, even if it shows correctly in task manager, if that process is using a lot of resources, there is a good chance for malicious software.

But the question is, what exactly are you looking at when you say resources? Are you on the processes tab and looking at CPU and Mem Usage? That is where you should look and it should sit idle at 00 for CPU and around 20k for Mem Usage. If that is the case, that is totally normal.

Explorer.exe is not the process for Internet Explorer. It is the process that loads your desktop environment. If you end the explorer.exe process, your desktop will disappear.

Let me know the answers to those questions. I may end up recommending that you follow my pre-work link below my post and then post your results in the HijackThis! Logs section of our forum. One of our security staff can take a look and see if you have any viruses/spyware floating around.

We will go from there

Comments on this post

mikey48 agrees: VERY HELPFUL. Really appreciate the advice!

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Thanks again Wadd for replying to my message. I didnt know that explorer.exe was different from Internet explorer. ok the info you wanted: on 'Processes' the letters are lower case - explorer.exe and the amount is 22,128k. So according to your advice if its hanging around 20,000k its normal. Right? Once again you are a great help and I really appreciate. Oh i using a digital picture that i took as my desktop. Can this make a difference? Wait to hear from you -thanks again.

Mikey

Yeah, sounds like you are running normally. I don't think you have anything to worry about

Comments on this post

mikey48 agrees: Once Again. Thank You-your help was greatly appreciated.

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