msmsgs.exe (Possible VirusRead)

PC Pitstop Analysis

msmsgs.exe is a file name that many Viruses use.
USUALLY msmsgs.exe has in Vendor field "Microsoft" just like Product has "messenger", was detected that this file has no vendor or product information which makes it just suspicious.
Was found a virus/trojan with the same name, run a anti-virus scan to be sure that is not the case.
More information: Read Detailed Description.
Also: http://www.ca.com/securityadvisor/virusinfo/virus.aspx?id=54965

Recommendation

msmsgs.exe is a VIRUS. Stop all work until the virus is removed or you run the risk of spreading the virus to other people. Worse yet, the virus may be doing harm to your computer and your information.

msmsgs.exe is a virus and should be removed immediately to avoid doing further harm. PC Pitstop recommends CA Antivirus in these types of situations.

Identification

The file name alone identifies this program.

PC Pitstop Database Comparisons

Every week, we update our information about the running programs identified during the previous week's testing. This program has not been seen on any systems tested at PC Pitstop in the past week.

Vendor or Distributor's Web Site

http://im.live.com/

Detailed Description and/or Removal Instructions

http://search.ca.com/search/ca?style=en&search_button=Search&qt=msmsgs.exe&col=

Match #2

msmsgs.exe (Windows Messenger (Old Version))

PC Pitstop Analysis

MSMSGS.EXE provides instant messaging (IM) capabilities through MSN. If you are not using this feature you should disable it to save system resources and improve performance. To temporarily disable until the next reboot, right-click the MSN Messenger icon and select Exit. To permanently disable, double-click the icon to open the application, then select Tools | Options from the menu. Under the Preferences tab, clear the check box next to "Always run this program so that I can receive alerts and messages when I am online." You can always start MSN Messenger from the Start Menu if you need it.

This is the old Windows Messenger that comes with XP by default. If you use MSN Live, MSN Messnger, etc, you don't need load this.

Recommendation

msmsgs.exe uses excessive system and memory resources with no corresponding benefit. Applications such as these should be disabled to improve overall system performance.

msmsgs.exe is a virus and should be removed immediately to avoid doing further harm. PC Pitstop recommends CA Antivirus in these types of situations.

Identification

In addition to the file name, msmsgs.exe, the following version information is used to identify the file. If the file does not match this information, it may be a different file. To ensure the file is absolutely correct, run a free and comprehensive scan.

Vendor contains:	Microsoft Corporation
Product contains:	Messenger
File name contains:	\messenger\

To view version information with Windows Explorer, right-click the file and click Properties, Version.

PC Pitstop Database Comparisons

Every week, we update our information about the running programs identified during the previous week's testing. msmsgs.exe (Windows Messenger (Old Version)) has been seen on 14.51% of systems tested at PC Pitstop. As a point of comparison, it is rare for a particular malicious program (virus or spyware) to be seen on more than one or two percent of all systems tested.

PCs running this program did not have a high average CPU load during testing, which indicates it does not consume a great deal of CPU time on most systems.

Vendor or Distributor's Web Site

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=a8d9eb73-5f8c-4b9a-940f-9157a3b3d774

Important note: A file name alone may not be enough for positive identification. PC Pitstop's full tests and spyware scan use information such as the company name, product name, or install directory. If you are unable to identify a file, ask about it in our forums after running our full tests.