ComputerBB

cmd prompt keeps flashing up on my screen for a split second. This only seems to happen when I am connected to the internet. I have run virus scans (norton anti-virus 2004, all up to date) and i have Spybot S&D. All clear on all of these things. In cmd i have used the 'netstat /ao' command and checked every program that came up, all seems to, again, be clear. Can anyone help me on this, I don't think it is anything too serious and my computer is running fine but I would like to know what is going on and why it only happens when I am on the net....... P.S can you try to keep the language simple, the only reason I know about the netstat cmd is from pcstats.com.

by the way, the CPU usage suddenly rises when this happens but im pretty sure this would be normal for cmd quickly opening and closing....

what do you use as a web browser?

kind of depends, mainly firefox but we have aol so sometimes their browser. To get my PS2 online I created a new connection that connects through aol but doesn't open it because it doesn't let you connect otherwise. I've had firefox for a while though and it's always been ok.

You said you have AOL, have you tried calling them and asking them if they run any sort of command prompt on your computer while you are connected?

no, but we've been with them for years and they haven't sent us anything to download or information about anything like that. Only started happening about a week ago...

have you installed any programs recently?

no, i dont think so, i was trying to think about that the other day but I dont think ive installed anything 4 a while

how often does it happen while on the internet does it only happen on certain sites?

seems to happenabout every 5 mins i rekoin, pretty regular. I don't think it happens any more on one site than on another

how long is it on the screen?

well, less than a second. not long enough to be able to read anthing on it, though there doesn't seem to be anything other than what it says when you first run it. its just a brief flash, sometimes slightly longer if you are loading something else up at the same time

run task manager, ctrl - alt -del, and see what program name pops up when the cmd prmpt comes up do you have a firewall installed?

ye, norton 2004

i was opening up word the other day at the same time as command prompt flashed up and it stayed up just long enough for me to see that it said 'symantec' and a load of symbols (?, /....etc) along the top of the window - i mean the blue bit, not the black and white part of cmd - so this prob has summat to do with norton but i havn't installed anything recently. except for when the windows installer came up v. briefly when i logged on the other day but then went before I could maximise the window and see what it was actually doing. that was when this first started so ill try to contact symantec and see if this is normal or if any new software updaye should have been installed recently from them.....

wiered, its suddenly stopped......