Ram Optimizer is pretty old and I am not sure about updates. I should check into that. I think I first used it with Windows 95. It may be that it doesn't need to be used with Winows 2000 which I am on NOT Win XP as you stated.

Also out of curiosity I used the Control Alt Delete to get to the Task Manager window and went to Task Manager and then to Processes. I found two processes running that I have doubts about: AduserMon.exe and Adservice.exe. I am leery about anything running with AD as part of the name right now and am wondering what they are doing and why they are there?

When Windows Explorer crashes and comes back the icons are missing from the task bar until the next time I reboot the system, and often I find I can't get into Windows Explorer after this happens until I do reboot. Not all of them go away, and it doesn't seem to affect the programs' ability to run. I just wonder if the system is more shaky after this and if I should reboot?

Thanks for your help. You have been very patient with all of this.
Serena

I doubt that that app is suiteble to run under 2000 aswell , i would disable/uninstall it and see if that helps.

Those are both from Iomega AutoDisk , an legit app that you have installed. So nothing to worry about , but if you dont use the app , you could uninstall it if you want.

I would do a clean boot after that , but it shouldn't really happen. Only sometimes as an exception. Like i said above , i suspect the memoptimizer.
Not only because it is so old but in my opinion memoptimizers only use more ram and cause system instability. I would never recommend anyone to use apps like that , old or new.

Youre welcome ofcourse , thats what we are here for.

YOu said:
"Those are both from Iomega AutoDisk , an legit app that you have installed. So nothing to worry about , but if you dont use the app , you could uninstall it if you want."

Do I need these programs or Iomega Autodesk to keep my Iomega Zip Drive running? I use it as backup and storage media and don't want to lose it, but don't use the other Iomega programs on a regular basis. If I go to msconfig, I find it and a bunch of other "load at startup" programs. At your suggestion I removed Ram Optimizer from loading at startup, I also find NeroCheck, mobsync, NVCpl, nwiz, pccguide, ImgIcon [Part of Iomega), hpztsb07 (the printer, but do I need to load it at startup?), deskup, and two instances of Microsoft OFfice. I know that these things often get set to be loaded at startup when they are installed. If I still want to use them (as I obviously do with the printer for example and Nero my disk burner) do I still need to have them loaded at startup?

I also checked services in MSconfig and find a lot of Network services running. Why do I need network services if I only have a stand alone computer with a modem connection to the internet? I find that when I dial onto the internet these days, everything else stops. It's taking all my processing power and I can't do anything else until it is connected. Is this normal?

I am really asking a lot of questions I know. I really appreciate all the help you have given me on this. While I have worked with computers since the early 1980s as part of my job and at home, there is still a LOT I don't know particularly about this OS. Thanks!
Serena

That depends for alot of them if you personaly use them , and want them on youre pc. Have a look on these pages:

http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_index.htm
http://www.theeldergeek.com/services_guide.htm
http://www.answersthatwork.com/home_page.htm
http://castlecops.com/StartupList.html
http://www.reger24.de/processes.php
http://www.sysinfo.org/startuplist.php?type=&filter=&count=100&offset=120 0

You can look up all of them , see what they are for , and decide if you want/need them or not. And you can always just try it out by disabling them in msconfig , if it turns out you do need them then just enable them again.