# Solved: Unknown program quickly popping up and disappearing in task bar constantly



## Morthian (Mar 8, 2007)

Some program keeps popping up for a split second on my task bar every few minutes, and I can't figure out what it is. 
It's pretty annoying because whenever it happens it switches the current window's focus. 
It seems to happen randomly, and not at a set time interval.
I don't think it's malware... but I could be wrong. It pops ups and disappears much too quickly to identify it. 
How can figure out what it is? (Btw, I'm running Windows 7.)


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## Phantom010 (Mar 9, 2009)

Have you tried hitting the Printscreen key when it pops up? You would have a screenshot. Or is it still too fast for that?


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## Morthian (Mar 8, 2007)

Yeah, it's definitely way too fast for that. And I never know when it's going to happen.


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## zbd21 (Mar 2, 2005)

I'd run malware programs like superantispyware or malwarebytes.

http://majorgeeks.com/SUPERAntiSpyware_d5116.html

http://majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=5756


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## Phantom010 (Mar 9, 2009)

1- Please click *HERE* to download *HijackThis.*

2- Run the program. 

3- Click on the *Main Menu* button if not already there.

4- Select *Do a system scan and save a logfile*.

5- Copy and paste the scan log from Notepad into your next reply. *Do not *attach it.

6- *Do not "Fix" anything* unless advised to do so.

For Windows 7 and Vista:

If Windows is denying access to the Hosts file, run HijackThis as Administrator or *disable the UAC* first.

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You could also run *Process* *Explorer* and check all running processes. See if there's a suspicious process.


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## Morthian (Mar 8, 2007)

I figured out what was happening using the Windows Event Viewer. It turns out that a Windows update that I recently installed was causing the problem. The update installed a service called Interactive Services Detection. This service reacted with my PS3 Media Server program in a way that caused the new service to constantly try displaying some useless annoying dialog. I'm not sure why the dialog would always self-close before I could even see it, but after I disabled this service, the problem went away. I'm sure PS3 Media Server will release an update that corrects the problem, but the new Windows service is pretty useless anyway. I think I might just disable Windows Update... I hate Microsoft... Anyway, thanks for the suggestions. It did seem like something malware would do, but I had my reasons to believe it probably wasn't malware.


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## Phantom010 (Mar 9, 2009)

*How To Mark Your Own Thread As Solved*


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