What are these mToolkit programs on my Dell laptop (Can I just remove them?)?

What are these 'm' programs that show up in the Add or Remove Programs
of CCleaner and X-Setup Pro (but not in WinXP Add or Remove Programs)?

mIWA
mIWCA
mLogView
mMHouse
mPfMgr
mPfWiz
mProSafe
mSSO
mToolkit
mWlsSafe
mXML
mDrWiFi
mHlpDell
etc.

Can I just delete these 'm' programs?
Are they known security or virus programs?
Or are they Dell specific tools that we really need?

Note they do not show up in the 'normal' Windows XP add/remove
programs (which lies) but they show up in the CCleaner and X-Setup Pro
add/remove programs (which I believe tell more of the truth).

Do you know what these programs are?
Lisa

lisa harkema wrote:

> What are these 'm' programs that show up in the Add or Remove Programs
> of CCleaner and X-Setup Pro (but not in WinXP Add or Remove Programs)?
>
> mIWA
> mIWCA
> mLogView
> mMHouse
> mPfMgr
> mPfWiz
> mProSafe
> mSSO
> mToolkit
> mWlsSafe
> mXML
> mDrWiFi
> mHlpDell
> etc.
>
> Can I just delete these 'm' programs?
> Are they known security or virus programs?
> Or are they Dell specific tools that we really need?
>
> Note they do not show up in the 'normal' Windows XP add/remove
> programs (which lies) but they show up in the CCleaner and X-Setup Pro
> add/remove programs (which I believe tell more of the truth).

Where are the programs on your hard drive? Give the fully qualified
path; e.g., c:\Program Files\name-of-program\executable or
c:\Windows\System32\executable.

Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

>What are these 'm' programs that show up in the Add or Remove Programs
>of CCleaner and X-Setup Pro (but not in WinXP Add or Remove Programs)?
>mIWA mIWCA mLogView mMHouse mPfMgr mPfWiz mProSafe
>mSSO mToolkit mWlsSafe mXML mDrWiFi mHlpDell etc.

Interestingly, I find absolutely no mention of these 'm' programs in
the google groups (search just run) but the following references in
Google web searches show that others are as perplexed as I with the
same programs showing up in the true add remove programs listings.

http://www.short-media.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50237
http://forum.ccleaner.com/lofiversio...php/t5940.html
http://forums.pcpitstop.com/lofivers...p/t124518.html
http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/index...0&#entry804529
http://forums.us.dell.com/supportfor...ssage.id=45484
http://forum.malwareremoval.com/view...f93deb2df1b2d8
http://forums.spybot.info/archive/index.php/t-2800.html
etc.

While it's gratifying to know I'm not the only one in the world with a
score of 'm' programs running (when you really look at the real
add/remove programs) ... none of these sites actually tell us WHAT
these m programs are and if they should be deleted or not.

Do YOU know what these 'm' programs are?

Lisa

lisa harkema wrote:
> What are these 'm' programs that show up in the Add or Remove Programs
> of CCleaner and X-Setup Pro (but not in WinXP Add or Remove Programs)?
>
> mIWA
> mIWCA
> mLogView
> mMHouse
> mPfMgr
> mPfWiz
> mProSafe
> mSSO
> mToolkit
> mWlsSafe
> mXML
> mDrWiFi
> mHlpDell
> etc.
>
> Can I just delete these 'm' programs?
> Are they known security or virus programs?
> Or are they Dell specific tools that we really need?
>
> Note they do not show up in the 'normal' Windows XP add/remove
> programs (which lies) but they show up in the CCleaner and X-Setup Pro
> add/remove programs (which I believe tell more of the truth).
>
> Do you know what these programs are?
> Lisa
Is your computer a brand name (if so, what?), or a put-it-together job?

--
the alt.privacy.spyware FAQ:
http://shplink.com/misc/FAQ.htm

If you looked at subject, you would see 'dell'

">
> --
> the alt.privacy.spyware FAQ:
> http://shplink.com/misc/FAQ.htm

Professional way: Ask a qualified computer expert. Patience way: Look
at every single program on Add and Remove, look up the required files
for those programs online, and if it's not in anyone, delete it.

My Personal Favorite way: Jus' delete 'em. It's only 1500 dollars for a
new one, and 800 dollars if you don't mind a slow one.
lisa harkema wrote:
> What are these 'm' programs that show up in the Add or Remove Programs
> of CCleaner and X-Setup Pro (but not in WinXP Add or Remove Programs)?
>
> mIWA
> mIWCA
> mLogView
> mMHouse
> mPfMgr
> mPfWiz
> mProSafe
> mSSO
> mToolkit
> mWlsSafe
> mXML
> mDrWiFi
> mHlpDell
> etc.
>
> Can I just delete these 'm' programs?
> Are they known security or virus programs?
> Or are they Dell specific tools that we really need?
>
> Note they do not show up in the 'normal' Windows XP add/remove
> programs (which lies) but they show up in the CCleaner and X-Setup Pro
> add/remove programs (which I believe tell more of the truth).
>
> Do you know what these programs are?
> Lisa

Tom Willett wrote:

> If you looked at subject, you would see 'dell'
>
> ">
>> --
>> the alt.privacy.spyware FAQ:
>> http://shplink.com/misc/FAQ.htm

Sorry, my bad. I have my columns sized down and got careless.

Doing some searches with the parameters "dell" and some of the m whatsises
might help the OP. She probably already did, so I'll be quiet now.
;-)

--
the alt.privacy.spyware FAQ:
http://shplink.com/misc/FAQ.htm

lisa harkema wrote:
> What are these 'm' programs that show up in the Add or Remove
> Programs of CCleaner and X-Setup Pro (but not in WinXP Add or
> Remove Programs)?
> mIWA
> mIWCA
> mLogView
> mMHouse
> mPfMgr
> mPfWiz
> mProSafe
> mSSO
> mToolkit
> mWlsSafe
> mXML
> mDrWiFi
> mHlpDell
> etc.
>
> Can I just delete these 'm' programs?
> Are they known security or virus programs?
> Or are they Dell specific tools that we really need?
>
> Note they do not show up in the 'normal' Windows XP add/remove
> programs (which lies) but they show up in the CCleaner and X-Setup
> Pro add/remove programs (which I believe tell more of the truth).
>
> Do you know what these programs are?

shplink wrote:
> Is your computer a brand name (if so, what?), or a put-it-together
> job?


Seriously.. Wow.
How can you miss the two mentions of the name brand of this system... One
in the subject line no less...?

Lisa,

I think you are putting too much stock in these third-party add/remove
programs. If you were smart and ordered the Windows XP CD with your Dell
laptop - since it is new - format it with that Windows XP CD and get rid of
all the Dell crud and put only your stuff on it... Then you know exactly
what is there.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

On Sun, 8 Oct 2006 01:43:04 +0100, "antioch" <antioch@home.com> wrote:
>These look like the sort of items listed in part of a 'hijackthis' log?

Actually, these 'm' programs are listed in the CCleaner Add or Remove
Programs section (and in the X-Setup Pro add remove wizard); they were
NOT listed in a HiJackThis log (although the references I posted from
googling _were_ listed from Hijackthis log files).

Point is that I'm not the only one with a perfectly standard DELL
laptop that has these 'm' programs.

Question is: What are they and what happens if we delete them?

Lisa

On Sat, 07 Oct 2006 19:02:20 -0600, shplink
<shplink@removeme.shplink.com> wrote:
>Is your computer a brand name (if so, what?),
>or a put-it-together job?

Dunno why this matters but it's a 100% Dell laptop, whose WinXP
operating system was supplied by Dell.

I do have the three recovery disks; but they install the same Dell
softare as what was originally on the laptop PC.

I do suspect these 'm' files are Dell specific ... but I would need
another Dell user to confirm.

If you have a Dell laptop ... can you do this?
1. Download & install CCleaner
http://www.ccleaner.com

2. Run the CCleaner "Tools" "Uninstall" wizard.

3. Tell us if you see the same 'm' programs that I see.

Lisa

On Sat, 7 Oct 2006 20:25:21 -0500, "Tom Willett"
<tompepper@mvps.invalid> wrote:
>If you looked at subject, you would see 'dell'

Yup. Dell. 100% factory.

If anyone else has a Dell laptop, can they look for these same 'm'
program files running in the CCleaner add remove programs listing and
report back to us if you have the same 'm' files I have.

Lisa

On Sun, 8 Oct 2006 01:57:53 -0400, "glee" <glee29@spamindspring.com>
wrote:

>Hi Lisa,
>I think what you may be seeing are programs that were installed by the OEM (Dell, in
>this case) that they did not want the end user to remove, possibly because they are
>integral to certain features of the laptop, or to their support plan. Most if not
>all of the entries appear to be for troubleshooting and configuring an Intel
>wireless adapter and drivers (does the laptop have an integrated wireless adapter?).
>Removing the items may well be "shooting yourself in the foot" if the applications
>are needed for the functioning of your wireless adapter. I would *not* remove any
>of them for that reason. Have you asked Dell support personnel about them?
>
>The most likely reason they all have an "m" at the front of their names is that one
>method to hide an item in the Registry's uninstall keys is to use the
>"ApplicationDisplayName" string to identify the items to be hidden. The OEM may
>have used a script to hide all entries in the Uninstall key whose DisplayName began
>with "m" at the time the system was built (before you got it and installed more
>apps).
>
>I would be wary of the suggestion to wipe the system and install fresh from a
>Windows CD only because you may find items such as the integrated wireless adapter
>no longer work, unless you can download and install the drivers and configuration
>apps from Dell.....in which case you'd likely be back where you began, but with the
>items perhaps no longer hidden. That assumes that Dell has those apps available for
>download.
>
>Hope this helps.

Oop. I already deleted some of them. And, YES, I DO have a wireless
card installed by the manufacturer. I'd better hold off on deleting
them I guess. I got rid of about half of them. I generally don't use
the wireless card but I do use it when I travel.
Lisa

On Sat, 7 Oct 2006 21:40:26 -0500, "Shenan Stanley"
<newshelper@gmail.com> wrote:
> If you were smart and ordered the Windows XP CD with your Dell
>laptop - since it is new - format it with that Windows XP CD and get rid of
>all the Dell crud and put only your stuff on it... Then you know exactly
>what is there.

The only problem with this is that DELL sends us three recovery disks
if you ask them to, none of which is a 'pure' windows xp cdrom.

One is the recovery cdrom for the system (with all dell drivers
included), the other is an application cdrom, and the third is yet
another application cdrom.

Dell doesn't provide a pure windows xp cdrom.
Lisa

On 7 Oct 2006 19:17:55 -0700, "Ze Muffinman"
<truemuffinman@poetictimes.com> wrote:
>Professional way: Ask a qualified computer expert.

That's what I'm doing here.

> Patience way: Look up the required files for those programs
> online, and if it's not in anyone, delete it.

I did that until I found out that they may be used for the wireless
adapter. Plus, they are mentioned only in folks' hijackthis log on the
Internet. To my knowledge, I'm the first person to ever ask on the
Internet what they do.

>My Personal Favorite way: Jus' delete 'em. It's only 1500 dollars for a
>new one, and 800 dollars if you don't mind a slow one.

I did that too. But now I found out they might be for the wireless
adapter. Oh my.

Lisa

"lisa harkema" <lisa.harkema@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:6q2hi29crir662b5skgkbfl8g2atkgm61b@4ax.com...
> On Sat, 07 Oct 2006 19:02:20 -0600, shplink
> <shplink@removeme.shplink.com> wrote:
>>Is your computer a brand name (if so, what?),
>>or a put-it-together job?
>
> Dunno why this matters but it's a 100% Dell laptop, whose WinXP
> operating system was supplied by Dell.
>
> I do have the three recovery disks; but they install the same Dell
> softare as what was originally on the laptop PC.
>
> I do suspect these 'm' files are Dell specific ... but I would need
> another Dell user to confirm.
>
> If you have a Dell laptop ... can you do this?
> 1. Download & install CCleaner
> http://www.ccleaner.com
>
> 2. Run the CCleaner "Tools" "Uninstall" wizard.
>
> 3. Tell us if you see the same 'm' programs that I see.
>
> Lisa

Hi Lisa
I have also done some Googling for you this morning and in some of those
discussion/forum groups, DELL is mentioned.
What they are, as you say, nobody seems to say?
Some look at the logs posted and say they can see nothing wrong - and I note
that those logs posted contain most if not all, of the ones you have.
If you are that worried about them, and apologies if already suggested,
speak to DELL, or do as Shenan(NB spelled correctly :-)) and treat yourself
to a retail XP SP2 or even an OEM version. Might have to buy a piece of
wire or a spare mouse withy the OEM.
Rgds
Antioch