Processes Running Invisibly?

Hello folks,

I am experiencing the rather odd phenomonen of Windows XP shutting down and in the process a pop-up tells me that various programs are not responding. I get the option to end the program immediately. Which can be quite normal except, in a few instances just recently, I deliberately closed all programs before closing XP and still got the error message and pop-up. I also checked the Task Manager before logging off but couldn't see two images of anthing.

For ages (5mths?) I got this message about a .dll file that I thought, from its name, was a US Robotics modem file that "couldn't run because Windows was shutting down". As I am now using cable ADSL I ignored it, except to think I really ought to get around to removing the modem card and its drivers!

The programs most frequently apparently still running are:
Opera
explorer.exe, (sometime two images).
I can't remember the other names since they vary (depending on the weather! ).

Whilst not a major fault it is non the less irritating and I would really appreciate any help. It is another computer stupidity occasioned by something not happening when it should (like a computer saying a stopped clock was more accurate than a clock losing or gaining 1 sec. a month - OK an example from Pet Commodore days !)

Which Operating System is this problem occurring in? Does the machine have Dual Boot (two or more Operating Systems)? __________ Are you running either McAfee or Norton security products? _________ How about Security issues? Have you run your antivirus/antispyware to assure that you are not infected? How about an online scan at Kaspersky? _________ Sometimes you'll experience a "hang" at shutdown if MS or your Antivirus has waited to download/install updates. Could that be the case, in your situation? Best Regards

Thank you for your interest and response.

]Which Operating System is this problem occurring in?

Errr, didn't I say Windows XP in the first paragraph?

Does the machine have Dual Boot (two or more Operating Systems)?

It was a dual boot (XP and Vista) until a few weeks ago when my PC was infected and I had to re-format the XP partition. Since then I have not seen the option to select the operating system (next thing to sort out). So you decide whether it is a dual boot system :). Linux is on a separate PC (and very nice too! - no bloody malware!).

Are you running either McAfee or Norton

No thank you. I prefer BitDef, STOPzilla, Ad-Aware, Spybot S&D, and Sophos Anti-Rootkit.

How about Security issues?

Thanks to a long and exhaustive corespondence with your colleagues on the Malware Removal topic in this forum my PC is clean.

Sometimes you'll experience a "hang" at shutdown if MS or your Antivirus has waited to download/install updates.
Could that be the case, in your situation?

Extemely unlikely because the PC responds normally and I don't ever see the usual indication of something downloading (all downloading options are set to advise me of download but to do it anyway).

Errr, didn't I say Windows XP in the first paragraph?

Yes, you did, more than once.
I apologize.
But for some reason, I kept thinking that this sounded like a Vista problem I recently worked on.
So I asked.

It's very late for me now.
I'll look in on this topic again in the morning.

Best Regards

At 01:30a.m. my thinking gets a little bit woolly too. I look forward to a bright and lively response.