I have a long list of startup programs which show up in Help and Support only after shutdown. They're MS updates and functioning programs, but some of them are weird and some I'm not using. I'm told 12520850 is a trojan or virus. How do I get rid of these programs?

Hi vituscarbon, - Which are the programs that are listed?As a first step to get rid of Trojan or virus, scan your computer for security reasons.Visit the following links to do the same:http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/center/whatsnew.htmMicrosoft Security EssentialsPlace your computer in Clean Boot state to check the issue with the applications.Putting your system in clean boot state helps in identifying if any third party applications or startup items are causing the issue. If yes, you may have to contact the program manufacturer for any updates or uninstall and re-install the program. Here’s the article you may refer to for steps with reference to the same.How to configure Windows XP to start in a "clean boot" stateNote: After troubleshooting, make sure to put the computer to start as usual as mentioned here:To configure Windows to use a Normal startup stateAfter you used the clean boot to resolve your problem, you can follow these steps to configure Windows XP to start normally. a. Click Start, and then click Run.b. Type msconfig, and then click OK. The System Configuration Utility dialog box is displayed.c. Click the General tab, click Normal Startup - load all device drivers and services, and then click OK.d. When you are prompted, click Restart to restart the computer.Regards,Divya R – Microsoft Support.Visit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum and let us know what you think.

Hi Divya RThanks for the suggestion; you're a little ahead of me. I know how to configure configsys.I'm not aware how to identify third party applications or startup items that may be causing problems, nor how to get them out of system.I'm also running Norton 360. vituscarbon

The Startup Programs information in System Information, Software Environment, Startup Programs (or msinfo32) may show more things than it should and can be quite intimidating.When you see a big list like you describe, the information gathering process has gone haywire somewhere along the way, but doesn't seem to present any other issues (beside just looking peculiar). Most folks never even look at that section, so there are probably a lot of systems that have the issue and it is not even noticed. It most certainly should work correctly though.You can fix it so it makes more sense and is less scary looking with a little VB Script from Ramesh's site. You can save and read the script if you care to figure out what it does and how it works. You could do all the operations yourself by hand, but the script is easier.The script will make some registry changes, so if you choose to run the script, it will not hurt to backup your registry first. Here is a popular free registry backup tool:http://www.snapfiles.com/get/erunt.htmlHere is a link with more information about the scripts and also you can download the script from Ramesh to clean up the Startup Programs list.http://windowsxp.mvps.org/msinfofix.htmThank you, Ramesh.Please report back your results. If you even think you might have a malicious software infection, I would do this:Download, install, update and do a full scan with these free malware detection programs:Malwarebytes (MBAM): http://malwarebytes.org/SUPERAntiSpyware: (SAS): http://www.superantispyware.com/They can be uninstalled later if desired.When the scans run clean, then troubleshoot any remaining issues.Do, or do not. There is no try.I need YOUR votes and points for helpful replies and Propose as Answers. I am saving up for a pony!