I am getting very frustrated with gpu-z

I cannot believe this nightmare won't end. The only place I can see the gpu-z program is in the registry, but when I think I've deleted it, it starts up again after the reboot. Plus, it's now causing my Windows Explorer to shut down and restart.

This is complete nonsense. I just want the damn thing to go away. Sheesh.

Of course, I'm shaking my fist at the clouds, 'cause I'm aware that no one here is to blame for my problems. This is just so frustrating, I can't believe such an unobtrusive program could give me such grief. I've never had this kind of problems with spam programs, much less a valid, much used one.

I sure hope someone can help me, 'cause I'll be one very upset camper if I have to spend $75/$100 dollars for a tech to get rid of this for me.

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone.

I have been trying to delete this program for 2 days solid. I've gone into the Admin. Tools>Startup, I've tried the Norton Start up list, I've combed all through the hard drive, but it is not there. It is in the registry, but it will NOT DELETE! I can't believe this. Not even deletion through the registry can take this thing off my system. I'm gonna try a restore, because that's about the only thing I haven't tried yet. But if it can't be deleted through the registry, I'm not that hopeful for Restore to affect it. I'll post my results.

How do I post a HJT to the thread?

I hope this is what you need. I know that copy/pasting is not usually how this is done, but I'm a moron.

Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.4
Scan saved at 12:05:05 AM, on 6/19/2011
Platform: Windows 7 SP1 (WinNT 6.00.3505)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v9.00 (9.00.8112.16421)
Boot mode: Normal

Running processes:
C:\Users\tom rogers\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe
C:\Users\tom rogers\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe
C:\Users\tom rogers\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe
C:\Users\tom rogers\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe
C:\Users\tom rogers\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe
C:\Users\tom rogers\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe
C:\Users\tom rogers\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe
C:\Users\tom rogers\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe
C:\Users\tom rogers\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\rundll32.exe
C:\Users\tom rogers\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe
C:\Users\tom rogers\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe
C:\Users\tom rogers\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe
C:\Users\tom rogers\Downloads\HijackThis.exe

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,SearchAssistant =
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,CustomizeSearch =
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Local Page = C:\Windows\SysWOW64\blank.htm
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar,LinksFolderName =
F2 - REG:system.ini: UserInit=userinit.exe
O2 - BHO: AcroIEHelperStub - {18DF081C-E8AD-4283-A596-FA578C2EBDC3} - C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat\ActiveX\AcroIEHelperShim.dll
O2 - BHO: Symantec NCO BHO - {602ADB0E-4AFF-4217-8AA1-95DAC4DFA408} - C:\Program Files (x86)\Norton 360 Premier Edition\Engine\5.1.0.29\coIEPlg.dll
O2 - BHO: Symantec Intrusion Prevention - {6D53EC84-6AAE-4787-AEEE-F4628F01010C} - C:\Program Files (x86)\Norton 360 Premier Edition\Engine\5.1.0.29\IPS\IPSBHO.DLL
O2 - BHO: Windows Live ID Sign-in Helper - {9030D464-4C02-4ABF-8ECC-5164760863C6} - C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Windows Live

\WindowsLiveLogin.dll
O2 - BHO: Windows Live Messenger Companion Helper - {9FDDE16B-836F-4806-AB1F-1455CBEFF289} - C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Live\Companion\companioncore.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Norton Toolbar - {7FEBEFE3-6B19-4349-98D2-FFB09D4B49CA} - C:\Program Files (x86)\Norton 360 Premier Edition\Engine\5.1.0.29\coIEPlg.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [StartCCC] "C:\Program Files (x86)\ATI Technologies\ATI.ACE\Core-Static\CLIStart.exe" MSRun
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [igndlm.exe] C:\Program Files (x86)\Download Manager\DLM.exe /windowsstart /startifwork
O9 - Extra button: @C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Live\Companion\companionlang.dll,-600 - {0000036B-C524-4050-81A0-243669A86B9F} - C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows

Live\Companion\companioncore.dll
O9 - Extra button: @C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Live\Writer\WindowsLiveWriterShortcuts.dll,-1004 - {219C3416-8CB2-491a-A3C7-D9FCDDC9D600} - C:\Program Files

(x86)\Windows Live\Writer\WriterBrowserExtension.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: @C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Live\Writer\WindowsLiveWriterShortcuts.dll,-1003 - {219C3416-8CB2-491a-A3C7-D9FCDDC9D600} - C:\Program

Files (x86)\Windows Live\Writer\WriterBrowserExtension.dll
O10 - Unknown file in Winsock LSP: c:\program files (x86)\common files\microsoft shared\windows live\wlidnsp.dll
O10 - Unknown file in Winsock LSP: c:\program files (x86)\common files\microsoft shared\windows live\wlidnsp.dll
O11 - Options group: [ACCELERATED_GRAPHICS] Accelerated graphics
O15 - Trusted IP range: http://127.0.0.1
O16 - DPF: {D27CDB6E-AE6D-11CF-96B8-444553540000} (Shockwave Flash Object) - http://fpdownload2.macromedia.com/get/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab
O18 - Protocol: wlpg - {E43EF6CD-A37A-4A9B-9E6F-83F89B8E6324} - C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Live\Photo Gallery\AlbumDownloadProtocolHandler.dll
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\Alg.exe,-112 (ALG) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\System32\alg.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: AMD External Events Utility - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\system32\atiesrxx.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\efssvc.dll,-100 (EFS) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\System32\lsass.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%systemroot%\system32\fxsresm.dll,-118 (Fax) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\system32\fxssvc.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @keyiso.dll,-100 (KeyIso) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\system32\lsass.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: Marvell RAID Event Agent (Marvell RAID) - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files (x86)\Marvell\raid\svc\mvraidsvc.exe
O23 - Service: MRU Web Service (MRUWebService) - Apache Software Foundation - C:\Program Files (x86)\Marvell\raid\Apache2\bin\httpd.exe
O23 - Service: @comres.dll,-2797 (MSDTC) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\System32\msdtc.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: Norton 360 (N360) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files (x86)\Norton 360 Premier Edition\Engine\5.1.0.29\ccSvcHst.exe
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\System32\netlogon.dll,-102 (Netlogon) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\system32\lsass.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: Norton Online Backup (NOBU) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files (x86)\Symantec\Norton Online Backup\NOBuAgent.exe
O23 - Service: @%systemroot%\system32\psbase.dll,-300 (ProtectedStorage) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\system32\lsass.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%systemroot%\system32\Locator.exe,-2 (RpcLocator) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\system32\locator.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\samsrv.dll,-1 (SamSs) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\system32\lsass.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\snmptrap.exe,-3 (SNMPTRAP) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\System32\snmptrap.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%systemroot%\system32\spoolsv.exe,-1 (Spooler) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\System32\spoolsv.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\sppsvc.exe,-101 (sppsvc) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\system32\sppsvc.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: Steam Client Service - Valve Corporation - C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Steam\SteamService.exe
O23 - Service: Intel(R) Turbo Boost Technology Monitor (TurboBoost) - Intel(R) Corporation - C:\Program Files\Intel\TurboBoost\TurboBoost.exe
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\ui0detect.exe,-101 (UI0Detect) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\system32\UI0Detect.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\vaultsvc.dll,-1003 (VaultSvc) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\system32\lsass.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\vds.exe,-100 (vds) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\System32\vds.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%systemroot%\system32\vssvc.exe,-102 (VSS) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\system32\vssvc.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\Wat\WatUX.exe,-601 (WatAdminSvc) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\system32\Wat\WatAdminSvc.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%systemroot%\system32\wbengine.exe,-104 (wbengine) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\system32\wbengine.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%Systemroot%\system32\wbem\wmiapsrv.exe,-110 (wmiApSrv) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\system32\wbem\WmiApSrv.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%PROGRAMFILES%\Windows Media Player\wmpnetwk.exe,-101 (WMPNetworkSvc) - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Media Player\wmpnetwk.exe

(file missing)

--
End of file - 8182 bytes

Thanks, D007, but that's one of the first things I tried.

Yep, done that, too. Although I was glad to use it anyway, as it got rid of a lot of files I didn't need

Wizzard, that's why I think there's something wrong; I have to right-click on the upper pane of the gpu-z screen for the "load on startup" to be seen, and it's already unchecked.

I also found the iteration of gpu-z in Scheduled Tasks and deleted it, with no result.

I realize that there might be other problems that are causing this, but I just re-installed the OS less than 2 weeks ago, and 50+gigs of game files plus the install plus all the updates takes a loooong time. I really don't sit through that again if I don't have to.

Oh, I didn't see you, there. hehe. I'll try that, as it occurred to me, but I thought it silly.

Okay; something that occurred to me was that I hadn't shut down the computer, but instead merely restarted it, and gpu-z did NOT start up this time.

Now, I'd still like to un-install it, until I can find out what else is wrong here. How do I do this?

Sorry, not enough sleep. I mean, I hadn't shut it down all the times before now. In this case, I shut it down and waited about 3 minutes, and no gpu-z start up

In case I've mangled my intent; every time I'd only restart, gpu-z would start up. Only now, with a shut down did the program not start up at loading.

I have the registry open now, and there is the Tech Power up main folder, and the GPU-Z sub, which indicates "LoadOnStartup". Is it the case that, now that the program did not start up at loading, deleting it in the registry will work this time? And, where would I find the .exe?

Thank you so much, W1zzard. It did not reoccur when I restarted, and it is not listed in the Registry. Perhaps the Shut Down was all that was needed.

I just want to say thank you to everyone here for their persistent help and suggestions. As an incompetent with way more computer than he knows what to do with, I couldn't get anything running without the help of people like yourselves. I know I'll be back with more inane problems, so just remember my login, thus knowing to use small words and pictures for me to color!