Agent.Exe is likely Service based. If so, you can simply set it's
Start Mode to Disabled (4) in the Registry. That's probably a
makeshift solution as Omni page considers it a dependency. If
possible you might open Omni Page and see if it has an option
to disable automatic updates ( or checking ) this alone might
neuter the Agent.Exe from loading/running.
If you don't use Omni Page, I'd just uninstall it. The less you
have installed on the PC generally results in quicker/more reliable
operation.

"Jackson" <jjacXkdins@Xcox.net> wrote in message
news:shnq835iq2132eieidvhopgnq0gpvc3ufa@4ax.com...
>A process named Agent.exe is active in Task Manager to a ridiculous
> degree. The name pops up as a running process and during several
> seconds appears to make scores of read/write calls to the registry.
> Then it disappears for several more seconds until it comes back up and
> repeats the process (over and over and over...).
>
> I tracked the program to:
> C:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\UpdatServices\.
>
> I renamed it to ZZZagent.exe and rebooted. The machine goes thru a
> frenzy of trying to find Agent.exe which I renamed. It tells me to
> insert the ScanSoft Omni Page SE 4.0 disk and etc. Finally I keep
> cancelling the requests and it tells me that the Windows installation
> cannot continue and I should visit http://consumer.installshield.com
> for more information.
>
> Then it give me back my computer for about two minutes and the whole
> process starts over.
>
> I visited the page but found nothing of immediate help.
>
> Since I renamed agent.exe the LED for my HD only flash about once per
> second; with agent.exe active it flashed about three times per second.
> Once a second intuitively seems extremely excessive but it's still
> better than three times per second.
>
> My question: Do I really need this Windows Installation thing? If I
> can get along without it I would prefer to. How can I keep it from
> trying to reload? There must be a reference to "Agent.exe" in the
> registry that I could find and erase.
>
> Or, probably smarter, there is ScanSoft Omni Page SE 4.0 listed in the
> "Add and remove programs" thingy in Control Panel. Would I regret
> removing that???
>
> Any advice appreciated.