unknown exe booting with windows

[Metalenmike]

Howdy yall!

Ok so I have this issue where when i boot my pc and get into windows a tiny little window as small as windows will allow with no name or icon will show for like 2 seconds and then just disappear never to show its face till the next time i boot windows. I have reason to believe its some kinda virus as my pc has been slower with higher idles then usual since this started happening. it doesnt appear in startup programs or any of that, I even went into event viewer, it seems hidden. is there some way i can track this exe down? Maybe some kinda program that will show me absolutely every program executing when i log into windows? i been researching for like 2 months havnt found an answer yet.

Thanks

[Oshino Shinobu]

There's a Microsoft Sysinternals tool called Autoruns that allows you to view and modify startup applications, including ones that do not show in startup applications as some are in public profiles or configured via the registry. 

 

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autoruns

[Eighjan]

Any troubleshooting that can be done is Safe Mode (w/o Networking) will usually give best results... even malicious code monitoring (antivirus, malware, etc)

 

As @Oshino Shinobusuggested, use "Autoruns" but it may be worth seeing if it will run in Safe Mode, as an extra security layer to make sure any disabling/removal is as complete as it needs to be.

  

15 minutes ago, Metalenmike said:

Maybe some kinda program that will show me absolutely every program executing when i log into windows?

A viable first step would be to check what's listed in Task Manager/Startup... and on a regular basis to get to know what you're asking Windows to do when it starts up, so you can more easily spot 'errant code'.

If nothing 'new' seems to be adding itself to that list & you regularly scan for - on TOP of updating definitions for - viruses & malware, then things like Autoruns are the only option.

Antivirus & malware scans are all well & good... as is updating what can be scanned for... but they HAVE to be done in sync or one is pointless w/o the other; once you're asked to update, then run a scan to see if anything has got in & been undetected since you last did both...