How to kill a critical process?

[impulce]

I have a virussy/spyware process called winlogon.exe within the documents and settings/startup folder...its not the winlogon that is required for windows to operate, its another one related to spyware i have on my computer.

The problem is, i cannot delete the file because its using the process - i cant end the process, because its apparently critical, even though its not.

Ive tried to disable running the process on startup but it still does...
any help ?

[muno]

If you're certain you want to kill a process, you can do so by killing it.

Obtain 'tlist.exe' and 'kill.exe' from microsoft, get the pid from tlist and kill it.

[John Prophet]

will adaware get rid of it?

www.lavasoftusa.com

[Detritus]

You may also want to try Spybot search and destroy (anti spyware proggy)

[noprob]

I have used this self contained program via my start menu to kill process at will,most notably the waol process when I did use AOL.
This is a user friendly GUI app.(freeware)
enjoy.

PrcView <-process(s) killer (Use Caution)

[impulce]

Im pretty certain i need to kill this process.

Somebody on another website had a problem with spyware - alfasearch browser hijack. That in itself is easy to get rid off, but it installs a file called winlogon.exe in your documents and settings/allusers/startmenu/program/startup folder. It then runs this process,(simultaneously with the other, needed, winlogon file) and when you log off it tells you "Win Min" cannot be ended.

Because of this, you have to click "End now" to be able to log off - and as a result, it doesn't save the getting-rid of the browserhijack. Therefore i have to run cwshredder everytime i log on. Has anybody come across this yet, or am i just lucky enough to be one of the first?

[Shifter2101]

i dunno.... cant ya kill it while in safe mode?
if not, grab ad-aware from JPs post.(3rd in this thread)

[capybara]

pskill
get it here
http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/pskill.shtml

[HeadBand]

run adaware and when it catches it it will tell you it cant quarintine it because it is in use so choose run adaware when i reboot and reboot it will then run adaware before it starts the other processes making it be able to be deleted