Hi!
With every restart launcher.exe makes at least 30 modifications to windows startup. This is what I have found on Windows Defender system info
File Name: launcher.exe
Publisher: soft thinks
Digitally signed by: not signed
Startup value: c:\windows\SMINST\launcher.exe
File path: c:\windows\SMINST\launcher.exe
File size: 44168
File version: 1,0,0,10
Date installed:10/9/2007 2:02:34 pm
Startup type: registry, local machine
Location: software\microsoft\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
Classification: not yet classified
Ships with operating system: no
Spy net voting: not available
And from a system search: Digital Signatures- name of signer: e-mail address, timestamp
(unknown) (unknown)
I use Windows Vista Home Premium -HP and I have read online that this program comes with HP and is associated with the recovery disk function. However, I can't remember seeing anything having to do with launcher.exe appearing on Norton's history of events prior to a couple of weeks ago. Recently I've had some different behavior on my computer that concerns me. I use Malwarebytes Anti Malware and Superantispyware as a "litmus test" just to be on the safe side. I download the install applications of this freeware...update online and run these programs in safe mode. I then uninstall everything except the install application, then reinstall when I want to use them again. The other day I tried the reinstall and a windows message box told me that I was not allowed to download these programs. I then went online and attempted to download from the website and got a similar message from IE and Firefox. The IE message said that it was a security risk, Firefox said that my security zone policy would not permit the dowload of these items. It sounds a little bit like the behavior that you guys warned about with Conflickr.
Within the last two days, the icons on the control panel page have inverted themselves. Icons that were on the bottom of the page are now on the top and vice versa. Norton has also been blocking 24.25.5.148,53 due to Portscan behavior. I looked up this IP address and it turns out to be RoadRunner. Strange!
Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks in advance!!