| All comments about alg.exe: |
 Alex | Application Layer Gateway Service |
 nithin | file is located in the c:\windows\System32 folder |
 God | Its an important program but can be linked with parasites |
 nice fox | when this application is active this cause to accure error while i want to close windows explorer or internet explorer.after terminating this task everything is ok. |
| Emrah | it's a microsoft based file. |
| gkalia | Description: Part of Internet Connection Sharing application and Internet Connection Firewall for Windows XP. This service provides support for third party protocol plug-ins for the Internet Connection Sharing application and Internet Connection Firewall. See also: Link |
| Lysander | Knocked the damn thing off with aports.exe, don't see any problem, everything works fine |
| eddie | ICS file no need to worry |
| Dorkster | it may legitimately be found in other folders on XP systems |
| Mariano | ALG.exe means Application Layer Gateway Service. It's used for internet connection sharing. Stay cool. |
 McAfee Virus Tech | Known Spyware/Trojan. IT is known for its unique ability to reconfig your regestry...HS.Hack.34 |
| Shane | It is used by windows XP firewall... To prove it, go into your network properties and turn off your firewall. It will disapear from your task list. So if you want your firewall to work you had better leave it! (Dont forget to turn your firewall back on!) |
| | It's Microsoft specific, required for XP SP2. NOT DANGEROUS. Not SpyWare/Trojan as some have said. |
| marcofulvio | you can disable it, but you will lose MS firewall (not big deal), Internet connection sharin. if u dont need it, disable it and save resources |
| DarkRider | This item shows up in your process list in Windows XP if you turn on the personal firewall built into XP. You can look for firewall in windows help to learn how to turn it on and off. |
| Chris | Normally fine, but something changed mine to stop Norton from autoscan & email scanning capabilities. |
| dadan_konsol | since I applied microsoft firewall on my computer, als.exe is appear on backgound process. don't worry ,it's not harm |
| | it's knocking off my explorer when i try to get this file's properties and i don't know why, that's why is suspect |
| Hans | Lag direkt unter D:\ |
| KLEYDO | this archive bring me problems to play multimedia |
| | xp firewall is disabled and yet it still appeared. |
| Bob Gates | Useless crap from M$ that gets started even though you don't need or want it |
| Steffen Brosche | Habe Datei entfernt Internet geht aber trotzdem noch |
| ddas | Till now I used to believe that it's creating trouble with the internet connection or something. So i always turn it off from the task manager. But now i learn that it;s a windows internal process. not sure really. could it be possible that alg.exe gets infexted with viruses easily. Or is it possible that alg.exe lets access to my PC or else lets some malicious program communicate with its server when i am connected to the internet. |
| zero | alg.exe is located in "C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\" on Windows 2000 and "C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\" on Windows XP. If the file alg.exe is in other place, it could be a spyware, trojan, worm or virus! |
| james | You can disable it if you have 3rd party Firewall. |
| Parsifal | The service is NOT dangerous; if you use other firewall than MS and you don't share printers, files or computer resources in a network you can disable the alg.exe service; however, if you do share your PC resources, leave this service alone cause you'll need it.e |
| mdeshakhanonthenet@yahoo.co.in | when i setup my windows xp professional if any problem comes to me then i press ctrl+ alt+ del just iget taskmanger how can i found it which is the important file of operating system and then i press endtask |
| Andrew | It appeared after WinXP SP2 was installed and their Firewall enabled. It stayed around after I stopped the firewall, and so I hit "End Process" in the task manager. No problems. |
| Adrian | Killing ALG.exe on WinXP SP2 doesn't stop internet working at all on my box. Agree is used by win f'wall. |
| Gralgrathor | apparently alg.exe craps up several useful little tools like internet explorer. i'm having to kill it regularly to keep IE from crashing on me. |
| lasher62 | Came up immediately after installing XP SP2 - Seems to be for the XP firewall as others have reported |
| Kachiko | Disable the xp firewall (if you don't need it) and it disappears. *shrug* |
| | ukdialler |
| OtherFox | Pops up even if you disable XP Firewall !!! Rename it and it'll never come back (like msmsgr.exe) See also: Link |
| Aiman_AZmi | what i know is i have it too..so no harm gus..don't worry |
| joe blow | I know that Shane is WRONG...I disabled the firewall, restarted...it's still there |
 mtis2000 | appeared after run xp sp2 so I assume firewall process is the story behind it! |
| Netanyahu | is more dangerous, it a trojan |
| omega13 | It is simply explain in Services. Go to Control Panel, double click Administrative Tools, double click Services. it's next to Alerter. |
| CS | Whenever windows XP starts up this alg.exe LOCAL_HOST, I can no longer access the internet and need to reboot. Very irritating. |
| Canute | located in c:\windows\system32; c:\windows\prefetch; c:\windows\servicepackfiles\i386; c:\windows\softwaredistribution\download\75e4029c35a8b37105984119f6cd14 all files sized 44kB.. internet works totally fine when alg.exe running.. lacks the guts to delete/end task |
| T | I know after installing servicepack Xp om my 600mhz ( with 500mb ram ) my computer got slower. i dont need it when i have tcp and udp control in my router.. |
| Chris | Definatly used as a server by psrticulsr trojans and worms to relay back to other computers. \trust me, I just spent 3 hours cleaning it all up. It is a legt file but can be manipulated (e.g. svchost.exe) |
| Bredwell | Disabling the XP firewall doesn't always remove it. It certainly causes problems with explorer and my PC "freezes" for no reason on occasion when it is active. |
| Doc | ALG is a service which can be disabled in the Services MMC. It WILL NOT disrupt your internet connection. I am a Networking professional, Certified! |
| WhI$tTL£R | When I start up my computer, this alg.exe starts. When it's running, I can't connect to the internet. When I kill the process, internet works fine. |
| raptor99 | Wenn sich die Datei nicht im System32 Ordner befindet, dann ist es ein Virus oder ein Trojaner, sonst ist es harmlos |
| SD | It appears as part of the Firewall in SP2. It's a service and can be disabled once you disable the Windows Firewall. |
| BOFH | It is part os XPsp2. To make it go away turn off "Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)" |
| freaky | its an official MS file. you can look it up on their site, they have a process info page. |
| Kevin H. | This is not a virus, It is a file with SP2 for the new firewall, and security centre. |
| Sérgio Santos | Neutral, Part of windows firewall, doesn't consume that much memory. |
| el_Loco | zonealarm want't to block it, did it and everthing works fine :) |
| jen | isn't bad at all...just with the new windows firewall. |
| ilich | Si se borra no pasa nada con las conexiones de internet |
| Ben Dover | It is possibly a worm. See also: Link |
| alomelo | siksok bisey iste |
| kaleos | See also: Link |
| Frank Ross | according to Symantec, may be part of the W32.Petch virus, which is extremely dangerous. See also: Link |
| Renokan | Came with XP SP2 and claims to be needed for 3rd party firewall operation as well as IC sharing. Apparently before sp2 my IC and firewall were working fine without alg.exe service listening on the background. |
| NickiSpeaki | it loads with outpost, as it was told on this site See also: Link |
| Gary | Has to do with the Internet Connection Firewall, but about 5 minutes after I enabled the firewall, Norton told me I had a worm on my computer. |
| Evan | i got infected with this alg.exe by visiting a website. it disabled my virus scan's internet filter. very tricky. Someone help me! i just rebiult my computer yesterday |
| newHere | tried to contact ftpmysite.verizon.net. It is located in c:\windows\system32...seems to be a trojan |
| Mohamed Elnamaky | Windows file!! like any other windows file, not dangerous in case you keep your windows updated. |
| Better than "McAffee spyware tech" fool | The file *can* be a trojan but often isn't. You don't just disable the firewall to get rid of it. You have to stop the process from starting at startup, try the registry or msconfig program. It is *not* always a trojan and it is not useless M$ crap. If you don't like MS run linux. |
| AOL tech (fun stuff) | alg.exe keeps port 1033 open (Netspy trojan port). Netspy is a relatively rare, however extremely powerful trojan. |
| fugedabowdit | it starts even if windows firwall is diabled. Go to Control Panel, double click Administrative Tools, double click Services. disable and stop. |
| Gyner | My explorer crashes while alg.exe is running. Disabeling it like omega13 described solved my problem, and freed 600k of memory. WOHOO! |
| Hank Hill | Just freaking go to run and type services.msc Now go to the Application Layer Gateway Servie properties. Now stop it and then select "Disabled" for startup type. Now it's gone and will never run again. Renaming files is not EVER the best solution, errors could occur if the file is not found. Diable it the correct way. |
| Johnboy722 | I read that if you disabled the firewall, and had ICS off, that ALG would not run. Well, both are disabled and it's still running. I'm suspecting it to be the source for some of my connection problems elsewhere... |
| ELEGANCE | I found alg.exe in three different folders. I disabled them all, but the file in the System 32 folder and I regained control of my Internet Explorer. I am not sure it is completely legit. Looks like it depends on its location. |
| juna | i tried to delete a folder, but i wasn't able to do this until i terminated this task. |
| John | If you don't share anything or use MS firewall, get rid of it. |
| Rebber | DUH!!! Trun off your firewall and see what happens. This is an ICS related program and is Neccasary if you want to use windows firewall. |
| Absolute | Provides support for 3rd party protocol plug-ins for Internet Connection Sharing and the Windows Firewall. |
| Sn0WDr4gon | This file is also under SP1 But it's unstable on SP1(a) XP comps. Use alg on SP2 only. |
| Someone | Application Layer Gateway service is a component of Windows OS |
| Delta-9 | the original purpose is 1 of 2 things.... windows run firewall, or ICS (internet connection sharing).. so you can disable the whole service package under controlpanel/admistrative tools/services"windowsfirewall/ICS" if you have your own firewall and an external router. if you are using windows firewall or are using the machin as an internet gateway for other machines, then leave it on. it is possible it could become corrupted, never seen it in the wild though |
| marginal | Ben Dover is wrong. On his link it is said that some internet worm DELETES alg.exe. This surely does not mean that alg is a worm. Of course it is possible that a parasite can have any name, including alg.exe, but Ben's link shows no evidence of that. |
| leviathan | If you have a firewall you can turn ALG off in the "services.msc" in the run command. Though only turn off stuff that you know you don't need. Turn the wrong stuff off and you'll have to reinstall OS from scratch. |
| fonito | disabled by zone alarm,noticed nothing wrong |
| | Ich finde die alg.exe mittlerweile auch ein wenig suspekt... da er Port 21 benutzt und sich grundsätzlich mit anderen Usern verbindet (whois abfrage), denke ich die alg.exe wird wohl dazu benutzt werden um von einem remote rechner Zugriff auf den eigenen Rechner zu erhalten. |
| bean | it's in 3 different locations "C:\windows\$ntservicepackuninstall$" "C:\windows\system32" "C:\windows\servicepackfiles\i386" also the one under uninstall folder is smaller in size |
| bean | Oh, that was WinXP home btw...and you can just goto control panel--open admin tools--services--and stop the program/restart the program |
| Arian | i have SP2 and this file is both in c:\windows\system32 and C:\windows\ServicePackFiles\i386 .is there any threat of virus here? thanks |
| Jur | yeah its microsoft maybe but tends to lock the workstation, when i kill it all seems to revive so if you have other firewall local or on your LAN kill it 4 goot and you will not regret :) |
| gerald | i dont kwno why everyoen says sp2 i dont have sp2 and its on my system, could be cause i have aol put on and i dont think i noticed it before |
| INTERNET SECURITY CENTER BRAZIL | FOR BRAZILIANS: não sei o que ele é realmente. Mas acaba trazendo alguns erros, por exemplo em jogos que ocupam memória 3D ele os diexa mais lentos |
| Roberto | A firewall integrated in XP |
| | it sux... it slows my internet down.. f**king M$... |
| TuT | This file is also in SP1 machines. It is not specific to SP2. I use ICS so I have the file running. No problems here at all. |
| Georg | Seems like there is some Spy-ware with this name too! 2 are legit (c:/windows/system32 and in the updates folder, both dated 08/2004 and 44KB. The mean one 's got 16KB and is in a different folder. Deleted it, restarted, and everything worked fine again with the genuine ones. |
| | seems to be associated with spyware on my pc. The time I see it running when I'm getting pop ups and such. |
| aR6guy | I'm on a LAN running DSL. I end the process while downloading a file from the internet, nothing happened. I do know it popped up after installing dangerous Active X controls which did have a crap load of spyware and junk in it. So take it how you want it. |
| | If u pc share internet connection, windows xp need this aplication to run, now in my language ;) Si tu pc comparte conexion a internet necesita tener cargado ALG.EXE |
| mutra | Knocked down my IC, I could ping ip-s in the outside, but win wasn't able to get the ip-s for the www adresses from the dns server. I killed the process, everything works fine. |
| | |
| Turker | It is necessary.Do NOT end it.. |
| Noreaga | Its common if you run McAfee firewall |
| Benji | Microsoft application See also: Link |
| Alex Raptor | i know as a good senior computer user that it is a trojan !! please read everything on the link and it will prove that it is what it is.the creators webside of the trojan is offline so in fact its no longer harmfull ((i think)) its easy to delete just click on search file. its not from microsoft system or any updates!!! See also: Link |
| zionid | This is just the Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS). See also: Link |
| ilteractive | Its not a dangerous file, but uses resources anyway. It exists also in compressed Service pack files and uninstall folder of service pack. If you see it in a weird folder, it might be suspicious. If you dont use Windows Firewall and if you dont share your internet connection, you can disable it. It can be disabled and stopped from local Services (Administrative Tools) -or as it explained here many times- by Start (button) Run (typing) services.msc . It is the 2nd service from the top (after Alerter). Double click on it, "Stop" the service, and change the "Startup Type" to "Disabled". Click ok. |
| AlexFmItaly | Anche se ho disabilitato il FIREWALL di WINDOWS (ho un altro firewall) lui entra sempre ed e' allocato sul file di sistema (C:\windows\system32.....)...non crea alcun problema anche se i dubbi restano..... |
| Odd Hermit | it floods the ram when using file sharing program ie DC++ |
| Fade2black | This file suck. After I connect trough Dial-Up to Internet all connectivity stops after 5 minutes. If I shut down from Taskmngr alg.exe everything is OK. |
| Alfthe1st | Könnte auch noch in dem Ordner /i386 des SP vorhanden sein! |
| Valentas | some time this alg.exe hanging up my internet connection i i need to kill this task in order to have inet connectivity |
| UnRobbar | Wenn man sie "friedlich" beendet, wird die Internetverbindung auch nicht gekappt: Unter Systemsteuerung - Dienste ganz einfach "Windows-Firewall/Gemeinsame Nutzung der Internetverbindung" beenden und dann vielleicht noch den Starttyp auf "Manuell" oder "Deaktivert" setzen. |
| Mr. TC | alg.exe is a 40Kb file - a potential windows exploit. It opens a port allowing your system to be vulnerable with potential of full exploitation. Sp1or2 has this window component. ICF/ICS allowing Windows firewall and third party plug ins and perhaps alteration to the firewall. Disabled, I find no current issues. It may be re-enabled via the internet if your system is vulnerable. Very Wairy!!! |
| dROSE | ALG.EXE (Application Layer Gateway) IS PART OF THE "Multilingual User Interface" or Windows Firewall and Internet Connection Sharing SERVICE. IT RUNS IN TASKS AS IT IS USED TO INSTALL LANGUAGE PACKS BY PROGRAMS ON THE NET. AS MOST HAVE SEEN AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER, SITES ARE OFTEN WRITTEN IN OTHER LANGUAGES. AND USUALLY THERE IS AN OPTION TO TRANSLATE OR INSTALL THE NEEDED MUI FOR VIEWING. "ALG.EXE IS THE INSTALLER. WINDOWS 2k AND UP IS WHERE IT ORIGINATES. See also: Link |
| John | same as listed originally, If your behind a firewall router, you dont need this exe taking up cpu cycles. |
| | Had an outside port connection to it, no alg.exe file was found on my hdd. It was killed through task manager. I recently started windows firewall but there's NO reason it should have a live connection like that. Very bad. |
| jj | system process |
| Boris | My connection was boosted 50% after i terminated this one. |
| crae | Application Layer Gateway Service (Alg.exe) Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) component See also: Link |
| Joe | If you don't need the firewall and ics, you can disable the service "Windows-Firewall/Gemeinsame Nutzung der Internetverbindung" and it disappears. |
| JUDAS | I think its somehow linked to spyware or a virus. Since i installed Divxtrailbundle, which is ment to have the gain spyware, the Alg.exe is trying to connect to the net ( according to norton firewall -in pro-config-). But you will never see it connect unless you turn all blocking options on ( external moduls check.....and programm launch monitoring ) I never used the windows firewall. |
| | fresh install with sp2 slipstreamed, after a hour online sygate came up asking if i wanted to let alg.exe ftp out to such-and-such address and thats with xp firewall off and no ics on this puter, did a search and found it only in the /system32 folder, you tell me, if it was a needed program why is it trying to ftp out to a non microsoft ip? for that matter why is it trying to ftp out at all? |
| Another BOFH | Malware authors have used this exe name. Tracking back from firewall logs led me to three owned laptops with non-system32 directories alg.exe's running as the top process while tcpdump showed the laptops busily trying to audit netbios shares....don't nuke out of hand..there is a real alg.exe...but don't assume that it's presence in a ill machine's process stack is 'good'. My advice...if you see it as your top process start tcpdumping the traffic from that machine, even if it's the legit alg.exe, at best something is pestering that station's firewall |
| Wildman | What i know is that most of you seem to thrive on gossip. maintain good antivirus ( this means updating more then once a year :) ) use a good malware detector periodically ( i wont mention names as that seems to open can of worms here and Above all use common sense. You only get infected if you are lax in prevention. in conclusion ANY file could in theory be harmful as you can rename them anythign you want windows doesnt really care. Most infections i encounter are due to lack of knowledge on machine owners part and by uninformed people who want to download "HACKS" of various types peace |
| beef stu | can't go to any sites or use internet, i killed and things start working again |
| tomek | MS GENUINE FILE |
| Nathalie Oldenburg | Windows System Process for Internet Connection Sharing See also: Link |
| suleyman | well it blocks all connections to internet that what i m experiencing |
| shakeel | just when the windows start it is executing as i see in the task manager and my floppy drive and cd drive as getting accessed unnecessarily and when i end the process they DONT...... |
| Jackie | There is a worm connected to this that is a file called W32.Petch. If executed it can change your registry & delete system files. I did a search on alg.exe, found your site here, then went to Symantec and read about it & am trying to do a scan to find it. It must be what's screwed up my antivirus that isn't working this a.m. |
| Troy or Eva | It can be configured in firewalls not to access internet and still work. I have it blocked full time and i can still dial up and connect etc. |
| PC-Guru | SpyProgie von microsoft - sicherheitskopie machen und dann löschen, wenn der PC rund läuft, ok - wenn nicht die datei wieder herstellen. Aber -- never change a running system - *zwinker |
| Dan | It is a normal process, not harmful. Should your Firewall detect access to this file, block it, and you won't have any troubles with it. |
| PredatorHunter | It appears to bring stability back into my system by disabling/stopping it. Of course, we do have other firewall protections... however of note, the false statements listed above COULD have been by those that enjoy exploiting it's weaknesses. Not to mention find people that only lightly understand this arena; therefore, I suggest maximum caution when giving away personal information..such as your email addy which could contain your DOMAIN......might as well advertise that you don't lock your house and oh, btw, take down my address, stranger. |
| John Purdue | why does it want to connect to port 4777 |
| DataFighter | Die alg.exe ( Application Layer Gateway Service) stammt von Microsoft. Sie wirkt mit, wenn mehrere Computer eine einzelne Internetverbindung nutzen. Zum Anderen ist Sie Teil der Internetverbindungsfirewall (ICF). |
| racerdog | Windows still launches alg.exe even if 3rd party firewall is being used. Suggest disable alg.exe in services (See Hank Hill Post Above) When running alg.exe system can be compromised real-time all the way down to CMOS |
| 1541 SID | This file only apears in TaskManager for me when sharing my internet conection. If you have any doubts, and are not using a firewall or sharing a conection, I would look into turning off *Remote desktop, *Error reporting, and *File sharing of ANY kind. Hold windows key and tap Pause/Break button for System Properties to appear. ETC. |
| Tomg802 | I found this process running and using a program what’s running. It located it with an open port 1029, under ip connections and the name of a computer attached to my workgroup running this file was called toolbarpartner.com, not part of my workgroup, seem like a Trojan to me. I ended the process no problems with internet connection. See also: Link |
| RLS0812 | The darn wast of RAM isn;t needed for 3rd party firewalls. I use Zone Alarm, and don't run the program. |
| RCAdmin | Before the installation of Service Pack 2, this service was required for use with the Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing * service. After the installation of Service Pack 2, it no longer is required. No Dependencies. |
| Seppel | My PC just freezes, monitor goes black and I have to restart. Without this thing running, everything is fine. Maybe it is not compatible with some other applications running in the background. |
| Sascha | Habe die Anwendung unter Verwaltung- Dienste als "Gatewaydienst auf Anwendungsebene" gefunden und deaktiviert. Ist tatsächlich für ICS zuständig. Ist der Rechner über einen Router angeschlossen, funktioniert er dennoch einwandfrei. Wen es nervt: einfach den Dienst deaktivieren. |
| greedy | ICS File, alles im grünen Bereich ;-) |
| Geebee | Using NS Auditor, its in the system32 folder on XP and listens on 1035 Its flagged as; " Multidropper" Must be an exploitable MS service associated with MS firewall. Administrative Tools, and ZA blocking should help. There appears to be a lot of processes that attempt to , bypass and disable firewalls, and antispyware. Deserves a closer look! |
| Conan | si apagas el firewall de windows sigue ahí; esta en WXp, sea SP1 o SP2; hace años que lo veo y no he tenido problemas nunca con el, excepto no saber que diables es. creo no es peligroso |
| God | Its a windows file, that can easily be comprimised by a virus or other malicious program |
| | Es kann auch gut sein, dass diese exe. für die Firewall von Windows ist ; seit SP 2 auch wenn sie deaktiviert ist : ( |
| | Using NS Auditor, its in the system32 folder on XP and is listens on |
| marksu | Lysander get rid of aports.exe. An API is available for this application, which can be used in malicious code. |
| Marcelo, São Paulo,Brazil | some spywares are hiding on my OS and using this executable file thru internet. I found something strange when I updated my third party firewall and also my XP Professional to SP2...when I restart the pc my firewall ask me about some previous services allowed to go outside that might be changed recently..then I realize that the alg.exe is't working proprely since the firewall was alarming attempts to go by ftp outside using this file. |
| lawnmowerdudeintexas | It knocks me off the damn internet!! I Disable it! I be online for a few minutes, then loses connection, I disable it in Task Manager, and I stay online. Even with updates, ALG.EXE boots me off! |
| Zeon | It's part of the windows OS. Anything in the windows OS can succumb to a virus. |
| Invetero | If you do not share internet connection do not use it, I disabled mine. |
| Cold Titan | do not Disable or Remove "alg.exe" if you are using a "Linksys Wireless-G Portable USB Adapter" (model #: WUSB54GP). According to Linksys, Win XP cannot detect wireless networks through the adapter if the ALG isn’t running. You’ll have to rely on a 3rd party connection assistant, and don’t count on the Linksys connection assistant either. See also: Link |
| nat | Application Layer Gateway used for Internet Connection Sharing - not dangerous in any way |
| | abalogprocessor |
| acerimusdux | If you don't allow other computers to connect to yours, especially if you have a permanent internet connection, you can go into the firewall settings and click "allow no exceptions" to disable any outside connection to your computer. Then, you can disable alg.exe if you wish as described by others here. Windows firewall doesn't need it. My router logs showed alot of traffic to ports 1026 1027 10000, to an inactive machine, and I ran "netstat -ano" which showed established connections on 1026 &1027, with the pid of alg.exe. In a case like that, it's OK to kill. But it's needed for ICS. See also: Link |
| Robert Stone | I delete this file on every computer i have. it is a useless program. ctrl-alt-del look at processes and stop it. go to windows explorer, search for it and delete it while you are in windows task manager look at all the processes that are running, most are useless. go to this web page and sort through what you have http://www.sysinfo.org/startupinfo.html shutdown what you dont need and find files on computer and delete them. Run hijackthis.exe and it will also show you what you have running and a process to stop unneeded programs from running. |
| Marcel D | The alg.exe is used by application layer gateway. However, if you have a shared internet connection (internet gateway in network connections) check the TCP and UDP ports that are in use. I normally keep track of strange, unwanted access through ports I didn't set up. on my computer the msmsg service was using a lot of ports above th 1024 range.) I find that very suspicious. Or am I wrong here? |
| piniz | i have my own hw firewall with few opened port on tcp/udp. *** while every non-os app was shutted down, alg.exe was sending/receiving pc packets from some odds ip (some of them listed in Spamhaus_Block_List). *** -- so i think it's dangerous when not needed (essential ONLY for XP firewall). **** i removed it and still navigating great! *** cheers! |
| Theogrin | A part of the Windows XP internet connection wizard. Only required if you use internet connection sharing, but it's often used as a 'false negative' by virus writers. If this pops up without any direct cause, try closing it; in the worst case scenario, you'll lose internet connectivity until a reboot. |
| Twohigh | I have this file running linked with Redwood Broker. Which means someone has injected a scanner into my computer. Still its in the right place, system 32. Found it going through the processes one by one in my firewall-log. The link shows what hides behind the process. See also: Link |
| pascal | its only good fof comercial stuff.safe youre cpu resources and just shut it down,go to start,get property on my computer by right click on it,select manage then select services then disable aplication gateway service (alg),and it wil not be any problem any more See also: Link |
| Cal Kup | Malicious download installed Perfect Keylogger (invisible but runs file msservr.exe visible in Task Manager) to send logged keystrokes via the Application Layer Gateway (Alg.exe) so it can be used by trojans but is a legitimate but vulnerable process |
| | Windows component. app, layer gateway service. Used in internet connection sharing and firewall. Not a threat in itsself but can be replaced/infected by trojans/virus' (just like any other .exe) |
| SuM Beach66 | "Do not end this program in task manager - you will lose all internet connectivity until next restart or login." I shut it down in Task Manager with no prob. Win XP PRO |
| mesa | I could not find any suspicous files in any of my 4 spyware scanners while alg.exe was running so I don't think that there is anything wrong |
| toon-hed | I have had this service disabled on my XP home system for a good long time. Am using ZoneAlarm Free and it surfs real good. |
| Alter Walter | Did somebody speak to me? The voices in my head are telling me to Delete all running tasks and go Moose & Seal hunting! |
| Common Sense | It's a windows file. Anyone else saying otherwise is either retarded or is trying to get you to damge your computer. |
| Anubys | If you found it in "windows\system32", leave it alone, otherwise delete it |
| phluxx | Naaja. Es mag ja sein, das alg.exe ein legit Prozess sein mag, aaaber: "Before the installation of Service Pack 2, this service was required for use with the Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing * service. After the installation of Service Pack 2, it no longer is required." Das glaub ich allerdings auch. Denn MEINE nagelneue WinXP Installation hat in den ersten Tagen wunderbar gefunzt, was Systemauslastung und Verbindungsgeschwindigkeit anging. Doch seit ein paar Tagen war der Wurm drinne. z.B. mp3-Wiedergabe manchmal sehr verstottert, v.a. wenn grössere Seiten abgerufen wurden..... |
| Colin Jensen | Most of the time, this is part of Windows Firewall and required for XP SP2 (that means you shouldn't remove it.) People say they saw no difference when they removed it--that's just because they turned off all their security. You can disable it, but no one will give you any sympathy when you get hacked. This can also be the name of a virus/spyware process, which you'll have to search on google for help removing. See also: Link |
| Uneek | When your using xp firewall leave it on! If you want to turn it off , like me it does not turn off . so Run services.msc and properties on Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) stop it and inactivate it. Doing so you have no firewall true xp. (using norton my self) |
| Dice | This process is garbage if you use a 3rd party firewall and don't need windows garbage firewall. This program provides optional utilities like the Windows Firewall and ICS. If you're not using either one of them then you should not be seeing this program run. See also: Link |
| Dirk Dingwall | It's a hideous new type of Root Kit-based Trojan Hologram, that will silently erase everything in memory - not the computer's, but YOUR memory. You won't be able to remember a thing after a few, brief seconds. Now, what was I talking about, again? |
| | The information above says closing the program will disable internet connectivity. I disabled my copy of ALG.EXE prior to opening my browswer and am having no problems on the internet so far. I use Cable HIgh speed, Zonealarm, and Mozilla. |
| sheep | after i end this in task manager i get several trojans blocked alerts from norton internet security. when it was running, i didnt get any so i have disabled it completely now from control panel / system /administrative services |
| Kleidermotte | Wenn eas läuft, kann ich manche Dateien nich umbenennen/abspielen, weil sie "in benutzung" sind; Ausserdem kann ich InternetExplorer nicht mehr schließen. Deaktiviert, trotzdem Internet = gut |
| Urk | When it is loaded, it stops me from being able to open .exe files. Probably in combinatie with a trojan. When I deleted alg.exe (also from registry) I was able to open .exe files again |
| cold | The file "alg.exe" appears AFTER the installation of the Canon-i865-printer. Before you installed the printer alg wasn`t activated. Well, however, closing alg.exe couldn`t be bad. |
| sIG | Well it used some of my files comletely at random: I couldn't move those files before terminating ALG.EXE. Even if I made copies, those copies couldn't be moved/deleted :P weird |
| | I've killed the task "alg.exe", and the internet connection was not locked. Ich habe den task "alg.exe" beended, die Internetverbindung aller Programme blieb jedoch erhalten. |
| Neko | What if you find it in Service Pack Files? There's two instances of it on this machine. And if it's a trojan or other virus of some sort, how do I get rid of it? |
| | Tryed it once. Did a good job of closing down unwanted programs. What I need is a way to load with mim of programs, as I have a machine I use only TO WRITE ON. |
| Rose | I end the process as soon as I log on. It never comes back. and doesn't give any problem at all when I go online. Disable Windows firewall and use ZoneAlarm. |
| | Este programa me ha causado muchos problemas en mi PC y ya lleva vastante rato en mi compu y no lo he podido eliminar(por que esta infectado) |
| Scott | Application Layer Gateway is all I know. I am using Zone Alarm, and this file wants to access the internet. Should I let it or deny it? |
| | I keep finding files that people say should only be in a system directory in C:\WINDOWS\prefetch is this normal? |
| Mike | This process can interfere with P2P network connections. If you use ICS leave it running otherwise kill it. |
| japh Cheesehead | ZA traps alg.exe trying to FTP out to an IP (example: 213.35.101.4). I disabled alg.exe from services.msc. See also: Link |
| mandai | Allows dial up connections to be seen over a lan. it dosent look very dangerous from outside a lan. |
| | fricken annoying file, stoped my internet from working untill i deleted it fully through regedit |
| sparklewoof | harmless have end tasked it many times and have not lost internet until next reboot |
| PhunkyData | Killed the Task and wiped it off the System32 Folder, no problems here (WinXPsp2) |
| Malus | I turned Windows firewall off and I got 60 second shutdown LSA shell error crap. |
| annoyed person | causes every program i run to crash, if turned off, everything works fine |
| Mohammed Yehia | all i know is that file is running also as a service in windows |
| Sam | it ate my lunch! When I came back my sandwich was gone! |
| Joe Citizen | This file is a threat to democracy and the American way See also: Link |
| | It's a system Process... absolutely no danger! |
| ??? | Microsoft files not always safe |
| lucholes | See also: Link |
| Ivan | Er fährt das Sysem herunter. It shuts down the System! |
| Dr.Stub | It is for FTP connections and Downloading Data -- use a event firewall to accept or not this file to communicate when it need ! :) |
| Garfield | Some people say that file is a spyware include by Microsoft. So, be careful !! |
| whizzy | i stopped it and still have a connection and don't have sp2 |
| Franta Krepelka | If you dont use windows implemented internet sharing or firewall , you can safely turn this service off. |
| Zumbi | As said before it is a legit file from microsoft, but it can be replaced by trojan/virus if your computer is working fine with it there leave it alone, but if you are having problens with your computer and you are not using the windows firewall, but it is still in processes, remove it |
| CJLABS.be/ | Standard Ms WinXP file, is active when XP Firewall is activated. Please check location, it should be: "C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\", otherwise it's mallicious! Exchanges some information with Ms servers. No big deal! If you have an other Personal Firewall ( SW) or hardware Firewall, you can stop this service or limit bandtwith of this service with DU_Supercontroller. |
| Frederic Ch.Reuter | "Application Layer Gateway Service" von Microsoft und Bestandteil des OS |
| Jesper | Linked to Windows Firewall, Bothering, but not dangerous. Windows keeps it running even if you use third party Firewall software |
| SCORPiON | Standard Windows Datei |
| Aspegic | In \windows\system32 it's a windows component. If you find it anywhere else it may be a trojan or virus. |
| Omid Gulban | Used by windows xp firewall |
| Sklawz | Included Wint Windows XP Firewall |
| JK | Ok Marcelo is right if you disable this you will not be able to connect to ftp's ........ it is not dangerous but it can be used in ways you dont want eg trojons, keyloggers ect .... disable this will not have ill effects but remember it disables ftp.......i donno about the windows firewall thing ZoneAlarm is better on my comp :p .... |
| Mark | I've been a software developer for a dozen years. This is the first time I ever noticed ALG.EXE in task manager. I just installed "AOL 9.0 Security Edition" about 2 weeks ago. Maybe it came from that?? |
| M | Running process in winxp sp2 even after disabling firewall...managed to disable the application layer gateway in admintools services to get rid of it and make my connection better |
| Robbie | this program is not dangerous, helps the internet work properly, dont disable it |
| macadrone | ALG generally serves as a proxy for incomming transport layer data ( external communication ) Leave it on, unless you like a synner. |
| DoG | You don't need this file for internet connection. This file is running even if you turn off the firewall. This file shows up when I temporarily turn off the firewall. Why? Because an unwanted background spamming shit is being linked to it. I deleted it (you have to fool XP file protection of course). |
| dark7even | if this prozess runs with priority 'normal' any other web-tool won't run (firefox, icq, ...), it only works if I set the process priority to a lower level |
| FI-Schalter | Systemfile Windows - Application Layer Gateway Service |
| Kyle Weiss | Well, if you do end task it, it sure doesn't end internet connections while using Firefox, and also, it doesn't go away disabling Windows firewall. It has funny ways with ports, however, get a good hardware firewall and don't sweat it. Back up your $hyT, kids. Always handy. |
| Lone Wolf | When I right-click, the menu pops up very slow. After I disable alg.exe, it's normal again. |
| Alex Gamboa | It´s required for ftp.exe, because ftp.exe connect to alg.exe and then alg.exe connect to ftp server. In antivirus rules is needed that alg.exe pass. |
| binesh | this damn process .. can be easily modified |
| Venoy | my internet explorer was hanging at the first use.i tried several things it dint work.at last i killed this process alg.exe it worked fine. |
| Sadegh Sheikh | The fact that it might be of help for XP Firewall and ICS doesn't mean (at least for me) to not terminate it. CUZ first, I use a non-XP/built-in firewall but ZA, second, I don't use Internet Connection Sharing, third, IT USALLY ACTS AS A SERVER!!! I've terminated it for several sessions and I believe my net send&receive loads are now more regulated and refined. Anyway, my advice might only be of use for people with similar conditions as mine. |
| barmes | that file freeze my pc |
| Spywarehater | Spyware made by microsoft.com |
| subodh | it is important file but should verify that it is not a virus |
| boogadiboo | i squished a bug today See also: Link |
| yamaha356 | I just killed it and my internet still works fine. |
| Death to Spyware Developers | I use 3rd Party Firewall and share a Printer - everyone goes to the Internet through a Linksys Hub. I let Zonealarm Deny this bastard any connectivity as it is possibly a leech on my system |
| Rob | If it is in the System32 file its ok, Delete any other version of it |
| | When I turned this off in the task manager I stopped having problems with one of my games. What use is it otherwise? |
| Hin_Richter | verbraucht speicher, kann ausgeschaltet werden.. inet läuft trotzdem.. |
| Allaoua Cheraitia | It sends many MB to the Internet. It was up to 30MB when I noticed it. I stopped the process. All is well now and the traffic from my computer to the Internet (who knows where to) is down ot thew bytes sent for requests. |
| | It is located on my computer in C:\i386 amongst a bunch of inciminating spyware/trojan style stuff. I found pictures of other ppls computer(screenshots), pictures of people sitting on computers, regedit, keystroke logger, and a bunch of stuff that looked like it was stolen off of anothers computer. it was a separate instance from the one running in system and is a little smaller(41k) |
| topgun | Flagged by Kaspersky anti hacker when specific macine ids attempt to access my system. blocking inbound activity has had no negetive effect. |
| Mechpaladin (Vernon Chan) | alg.exe is a part of the Win XP OS. ALG means Application Layer Gateway Service. This is a core process for microsoft internet connection sharing & firewall. That being said, it should not be terminated. |
| Zeno | Used to allow software firewalls (ZA,Norton) as well as XP firewall to operate and works with ICS too. While a virus could overwrite this file or delete and run as, your AV should notice this(you do have one right?) Only disable if you are behind hardware firewall or not using any firewall at all (you really like to be infected with viruses don't you) |
| rice addict | 3rd party firewall (firewall other than your OS firewall) |
| xpsp2 rox | Required components for Windows Firewall and Internet Connection Sharing,,Key binary - alg.exe, hnetcfg.dll, hnetcfg.mof, ip6fw.sys, netfw.inf . |
| Chugnut | If you don't want it to run as a background servicethen just disable it in services - If you have problems, then just revert it to it's initial state before u changed it! |
| Firefox 06 | This file allows access to your computer from other puters on the net. See keystroke logging and computor monitoring software. Remote desktop software in XP. |
| Timothy R. Linde (TimeLord) | Does Not work well with Java apps in IE |
| | I got rid of this file and my network connection works well ... |
| MB | Internet Connectionsharing |
| Haplo | I had problems with 'unknown' programs using ALG.EXE to FTP out. I have disabled the ALG service and stopped it. FTP works fine. I have Windows SP2 and SPF (last version) with Windows Firewall enabled. |
| Kent | If you cannot connect to ftp's reinstall the program or reset it thru Command.com or CMD.exe. |
| | It appears to be a registered task that links with IE, but can be tied in with parasites |
| Petja | I couldnt access yahoo games,torrent clients,webcam connecting stuff etc even if my firewall exepted them,even with firewall off.was sweating for days&nobody could tell me why i can't access these things I was initially able to.meanwhile i found some trojan in my comp (in system volume restore)which was removed but i still had this problem with access to applets etc. then when i was ready to reinstall my windows as the only sad perspective,i found this darn process in my task manager.once i removed it, everything ran normal.it's in system32 but its a dang trojan,be careful! :( |
| MFEM MFEMFE | Some Prog use this as back door to phone home. If you have a REAL fire-wall, showing you ALL out going requests |
| Peter Mumo | File used by Windows XP Firewall |
| Maur | go to start run type Services.msc ok look for Windows Firewall double click under Startup Type click Disabled then click Stop to remove from Process list. NOTE: only applie to those with a 3rd-party Firewall installed already! |
| go2hell | It is acctually essential if you use ICS - Internet Connection Sharing. Without it, some elements on the other users' computers will not work properly. |
| DraGonWire | Ist der Windows Firewall |
| alex | open to abuse. sometimes communicates with Boddah's-ultra file sharing portal (203.36.91.97) More spyware people. Want access to put third party garbage in machine. |
| | A Windows file that tries to hijack my firefox. Deny access and internet connection doesn't work. |
| Majid | This file use for ICS |
| Javewa | You can disable it even if your PC is hosting the ICS. No problems there, other clients are still able to connect to the internet through you. |
| Milind | I have got AVG Anti-Virus and everytime my machine starts it says alg.exe is infected. Even if I "Heal" it, the same thing happens next time. And it creates hell lot number of IExplorer.exe instances in memory. Please help me out of this. |
| Daya Anand | Everytime I end the alg.exe process. This makes my machine much faster and better. There is no chance of loosing the internet connectivity if we end the process... It is working fine,, |
| | it is part of the windows firewall |
| mike | some programs may use it (carom3d), if the program crashes killing/restarting the process *can* help |
| the man who don't trust pros | it is a microsoft file (biggest threat to your computer) a target for malware producers. turn it off and get zone alarm full version (pay for good protection) a prog like spybot sd can tell you what modules it is running so you can kill them and not lose the file. crap like nail adds a module to an existing exe thet spawns the malwares own exe's, nail hits print spooler. if the module is killed the exe is fine. ps i have killed nail by hand so i know |
| shock312 | i found this along with other trojan related processes...i can vouch for what someone said about it messing with norton, i had multiple trojans and norton could do nothing to get rid of them, though it did detect the other trojans. |
| Kisara | Core part of the Microsoft Windows Operating System for Internet Connectivity ;) See also: Link |
| Lucky | all you people saying that this is the problem when you end it everything works fine well it may not be alg.exe by itself it could have been corrupted but it is not a trojen it is not a virus i have never had any of the problems you guys speak of(oh and the guy calling himself mcfee virus tech....dude think of a better name than that mcfee blows even if you really are a tech there i wouldnt go around telling people that) |
| | befindet sich im Ordner C:\Windows\System32 |
| AlphaViper | It has applications in XP, should apply the philosophy "If its not broken, don't fix it" |
| Smirnoff | no problems with terminating the task, connection remains untouched (im posting with alg.exe off) |
| Rahul | its block my internet when it is running.so i have to shut it down manually.then the net works fine. can somebody tell me how to remove it ? |
| Pissed Off | When Active, It hogged 99% of my AMD3200+ CPU Virtually disabling my computer. |
| | If you have picked up spyware there's a good chance your alg.exe has been changed to a trojan downloader disable in if it trys to FTP out to IP address you don't know. |
| Ravi chandra | Its File which you need to add into the Firewall to access FTP sites if you are not able to access . |
| WindowsIstKacke | nachdem ich die alg.exe entfernt hatte, habe ich nun das gefühl als ob sich die seiten nun schneller aufbauen |
| Lamar | I dont know much, but theres only one of these on my computer. it was located in C:/WINDOWS/system32. Just yesterday when i was shutting down comp (XP) it said Ending Program "Hidden Window" then i made a search for this today, and hope i did the right thing |
| itisme | it is part of the windows firewall and is safe to have running |
| | alg.exe is located in "C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\" on Windows 2000 and "C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\" on Windows XP. If the file alg.exe is in other place, it could be a spyware, trojan, worm or virus! |
| Rinkidink | Since disabling alg.exe, transfers to clicked links in web pages is much faster - almost no delay. Also, my FTP connections to my web servers is much faster indeed. I've experienced no problems at all with it disabled, only good. My advice would be give it a try - you can always enable it again if needed. |
| catalac | I disabled this process using the control panel an security center (it is windows firewall) but it comes back in task manager. I then went into control panel and administrative tools and disabled it in the services folder(application layer gateway).I had no problem after that. |
| Ammar | Its an microsoft based file, usually connects with the ftp server, if you block this file through any firewall program you are not able to connect to ftp (file transfer protocol) |
| Tarek Merhebi | i use internet ove network. it works around 30 min and then i lost the internet untill i restart the computer ill get it back. |
| jeylan | this file make my connection worse |
| Pheonix | It attached itself to my FTP processes. I never even saw it as I use Spygate firewall. The other day, it pooped up when I went to FTP and if I disable it, I cannot FTP. |
| | habe diese datei noch nicht gehabt (vor einer woche), dann ist mein rechner immer langsamer geworden. Diese Datei und 6000 weitere finde ich im ordner C:/i389 |
| UnderSky | It's at trusty application, is a service for Lan- internet gateway ! Application Layer Gateway! |
| Jotti | öffnet auch bei deaktiviertem dienst ports, wird automatisch zur ausnahmsliste in jede firewall eingetragen, ich will nicht wissen was microschrott sich dabei gedacht hat |
| hate disconnection | i stop it after an error message appear "windows services.exe" or somthing like that, i stop this service and now my internet connection is fine. Probably a bug or connection stopper in xp sp2 |
| ms | Application Layer Gateway Service |
| BigTutti | Also... alg.exe kann Gefahrlos deaktiviert werden... Start- Systemsteuerung- Verwaltung/Dienste- "Gatewaydienst auf Anwendungsebene" deaktivieren und Schluss isses mit dem generve. Eine Firewall und Virenwächter sollte reichen. Alles andere bremst das System. Gerade der Schrott von Microsoft. Große Progs aber sehr minimaler Schutz. Evtl. noch "Windows-Firewall/Gemeinsame Nutzung der Internetverbindung" ebenfalls deaktivieren. Mein OS läuft über LAN und WLAN und es läuft ausgezeichnet auch ohne diese Dienste. Vorausgesetzt das System hat mindestens eine Firewall und einen Virenscanner. |
| Jingle Bells | I found this vie ZoneAlarm firewall. I trust this software. |
| jinn | you will *NOT* lose all internet connectivity if you stop this process! |
| | Bog-standard XP component; No known vulnerabilities, but could be spoofed, of course |
| Peresium | I am running Vista Ultimate and Windows XP on a shared connection. The XP computer hasnt even installed service pack 2 yet i am getting this file. I believe alg.exe to be a monitoring device to police our downloads and sniff our systems. You dont need it and yeh im running norton as well and it messes with that. If you trust Microsoft you are a fool. |
| | It is the Application Layer Gateway Service. |
| Pres | alg.exe is a part of the Microsoft Windows operating system. It is a core process for Microsoft Windows Internet Connection sharing and Internet connection firewall. This program is important for the stable and secure running of your computer and should not be terminated |
| Vijay Masih | Using internet connection |
| Sev | It's part of windows inbuild firewall, in XP if you are not using the windows firewall you can kill this safely will no ill effects and the net connectivity will still work (at least mine does). Can sometimes be a big target for trojan replacement files, malware and spyware too. Best to protect with a 3rd party fairewall and kill windows firewall and this process. |
| Pierce | When I end alg.exe, it seems to effect my AVG E-Mail Scanner, why is this? AM I correct, or is there another problem? |
| fred | Stellt Programmen eine Internetverbindung zur Verfügung, die sonst z.B. durch eine Firewall geblockt würden. |
| Draztten | Ist der Windows Firewall |
| Michael | Alg.exe becomes active when your Windows firewall is turned on |
| emprear | many new ms aplications (IE7 / Messenger Live) require alg runing and not blocked by firewalls in ICS or under routers connections |
| dragon4 | ALG is a service which can be disabled in the Services.msc but if u dont have a firewall don't try it, it will hamper in the way of ur explorer |
| | Not dangerous, required for firewalls like noro |
| Anuj | this process is required for the 3rd party firewall. |
| OhSoCareful | I use Intel Pro/Set Wireless for a wireless connection, and without this process running, I lose all internet. |
| James | On a windows XP system, the worm msrv32.exe hides itself within WINDOWS\System32\ and hijacks your internet. It creates a service by the name of 'Application Layer Gateway' and can easily be mistaken for this legit service. (Explanation: Its missing the word 'Service' in the description name.) |
| Vivi | The file is needed for you to access the internet. It's pretty harmless. |
| mattie_boi | i always end this process as it i find it annoying in task manager and i still have internet connectivity this websites definition is wrong! |
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