Harriet wrote: >it does keep appearing in my start up items, and >I have to keep un-checking it each time.>> That's usually a sign of spyware. As fast as you remove it, it replicates itself. Some of them change names each time they replicate, so very difficult to track down. Sometimes you have to use several different a-s programs to get rid of them. They usually live in System32, and often under the most innocuous names, or sometimes under very important-sounding names, to deter you from deleting them (eg "System.exe"). Whoever in their right mind would think of deleting a file with that name! Try a registry search of the numerous places in the registry which can initiate startup files. Autoruns will show you where these are--some of them are in pretty obscure places. The only problem with Autoruns is that you'll likely suffer from overload of information. Your culprit will almost certainly be in there somewhere----if you can identify it. Don Penlington From the Beach at Surfers Paradise in sunny Queensland. Computer tutorials, local scenery, and other things at my website: http://users.tpg.com.au/deepend/index1.html "Hold No Punches.." Rode brings you great shareware/freeware programs with his honest opinions in this weekly column. http://freepctech.com/rode