Just started to play around with a neat utility called EndItAll2.

This handy-dandy tool quickly and easily closes all or selected running programs with a single click. It’s perfect to use before running Scandisk or Defrag, since those programs running in the background usually cause restarts with both utilities. Just close all “visible” Windows programs, run EndItAll, then with one click, all programs (except Explorer, Systray & any others you’ve “protected” - like your Firewall & AV Software) are shut down.

I haven’t field tested this little gem yet, but it sure looks like it will come in handy for killing unwanted processes when fighting spyware and other junkware. User beware, however: this is a powerful tool, fully capable of crashing a system. If you use it, use it with caution. Experiment with it until you know how it works. The excellent Help file suggests a sequence of experiments.

If you try it, let me know how it works for you.