Why does cis.exe get launched as a service?

Comodo Internet Security - CIS Install / Setup / Configuration Help - CIS
1

Why is cis.exe (and cistray.exe) run as a service and not as a normal program under explorer.exe?

http://i58.tinypic.com/57gh4.jpg

Is it wanted or do I have some problems?
Windwos XP 7 & CFW 8.2 shown in signature

2

This probably allows to cis to start earlier in the boot process to protect your computer. cis runs at a driver (kernel) level so it is loaded before explorer.

3

OK, thanks :-TU
I thought that CFW run in that way could give less protection

4

no problem

5

The processes that protect are actually Comodo Internet Security Helper Service (cmdagent.exe) and the Inspect packet filter driver (which runs under Comodo Internet Security Helper Service). They start very early in the boot process. Cis.exe is the client program; it is the program that provides the UI and instructs cmdagent.exe how to behave. Cistray.exe provides the tray icon, widget and starts cis.exe.

Protection is provided regardless whether cistray.exe and cis.exe are running.

6

Thanks for your reply :-TU

What I see, anyway, is that sometimes CFW is launched as a service (like in the pic I posted before) and sometimes as a “normal” program (see below) like it is in this moment

http://i62.tinypic.com/r9505s.jpg

There is an entry in the scheduled tasks, as shown in Autoruns screenshot

http://i61.tinypic.com/21dreky.jpg

If I uncheck the first line “COMODO autostart…etc…”, at the restart CFW is started as a normal program, but the “entry” is automatically “checked”
When the entry is “checked”, CFW is started either as a service or as “normal”, randomly.

7

When a program gets started by Task Scheduler it does not mean it is started as a service.