explorer.exe
 

Should this application be running even if Explorer is not open?

or even when I disable my wireless connection so my laptop cannot connect to the Internet?

explorer is the process that keeps all your folders, desktop icons, and the task bar visible.

I think you mean iexplorer.exe which is the Internet Explorer web browser. That one shouldn't be running if you not using IE.

Although if you have multiple explorer.exe running at once it could either be a sign of the computer potentially having a virus (one could be fake) or the computer itself is using up a lot of memory at the moment.

iexplorer runs when i am connected, and explorer.exe runs when I am not, at about 43,000 KB.....

Yeah, it's supposed to be there.

This isn't really true. Not to say a virus can't fake an explorer process, but a clean system can run multiple explorer processes (as intended). Windows can launch separate processes when you open multiple Windows Explorers for instance.

So don't be afraid.

lovely..... I just noticed that my laptop was working harder than normal..... that was my only point of concern.....thanks all.....