Iexplore.exe running in background....... why ????

[Senlac_Hill]

I usually use Firefox as my web browser, and tonight, when I finished my session and closed it it was by chance I hovered my cursor over the ProLasso icon in the systray and it happened to be saying CPU: 25% ...... So, I took the cursor off the icon, waited a couple secs or so and went back and it was still 25%, so opening ProLasso, it was Iexplore.exe that was using the CPU !! What could be the reason for this.... like I said, I was using Firefox (v. 14.01) Through ProLasso I terminated the process and the CPU immediately dropped to about 0%......

[BenYeeHua]

It maybe is a virus, as the IE is iexplore.exe without the Capital I.
You can open the task manager, right click on it, click on "Open File Location", and scan it with anti-virus, or upload to VirusTotal to check for it.
If it is a virus, you better scan whole your computer's hard disk with a better anti-virus 

[Hotrod]

I have found IE and Firefox both have trouble shutting down sometimes. You probably used it quite a while ago and it never completely closed itself. In XP it is the only way to get windows updates so maybe this was the case?

[nikkil]

Hi Senlac. Are you suing Windows 7 or 8 for this?

[Senlac_Hill]

Hi Senlac. Are you suing Windows 7 or 8 for this?

Hiya Nikkil......... Nah, Not suing Windows 7 OR EVEN 8.... I am however coordinating a combined arms Artillery and Air strike, to be followed with a massive Armor and Infantry assault. The initial attack will be preceded by a massive thrust consisting of the entire membership of the Freemasons representing every Lodge in the United States to undermine the users minds with dark tales of conspiracy, a contingent of rather small furry creatures with heads full of bad teeth, and just to make a point.... about a half dozen really pissed off Astartes warriors fresh from the Great Heretical Buttkicking they received on Isstvan......

Well..... since I do use Windows 7 myself, the orneryness will have to be reserved for Windows 8 only...... But NO, Nikkil, I am Not Suing.... Don't be silly......   

[Senlac_Hill]

@Hotrod @BenYeeHua !!!

Many thanks for the suggestions and ideas, I did check for Virus/Malware activity in spite of the copy of iexplore.exe being the correct one, with no nasties uncovered and I have not had that situation happen again soooo.... methinks the case is closed for now !!! Thanks Again !!!

[BenYeeHua]

Well, ok
If that happen again, just try "reset" IE.
Sometimes it is cause by some ActiveX.

[Jeremy Collake]

BenYeeHua and HotRod are right as always. Yea, it can be caused by an ActiveX control, or a browser add-on (most likely, I don't use IE so don't keep up with its architectural changes). If you can not terminate it though, this means it is holding a low level handle to a hardware device. If you can terminate it, then that's sadly just par for the course for IE and short of making sure you have no unnecessary add-ons, there isn't much you can do besides switch browsers. Of course, every browser has their own unique issues, lol.

[BenYeeHua]

Yup, every software has it's pros and con.