- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
Hm...a few things...
AIM has a reputation for spyware and all that fun schtuff. Remember that Viewpoint Media Player that installs with AIM? It's suspected spyware/adware. I suggest getting something like trillian, that allows you not just to communicate through AIM, but also ICQ, MSN and Yahoo Messenger. The important things are, though, that it doesn't have any banners nor does it use spyware or adware.
As for task manager, I woudn't suggest closing things you don't know about. Besides, closing things won't fix them on startup if your computer is restarted. The best way to fix it is to go to the Start Menu>Run>type
msconfig
and open up the system config utility. If you click on the startup tab, you'll see all the programs that'll start upon computer startup. Some of them you can just uncheck, but others need an explanation. Just google it and it'll likely tell you what the program does.
Make sure your spyware/adware/antivirus scanners are up to date, that should take care of those loose odds and ends programs flying around your computer.