smooth performance and getting rid of junk processes/programs in start up

[adam]

my computer runs akwardly - I believe there are lot of
processes running that are not necessary to run the
computer, due to programs running in the background and
unecessary programs starting up through the boot up
process. Does anyone know 1) which processes need to run,
which would tell me which I can stop running when I see
them in the task manager, and 2) how to modify which
programs get started in the boot-up process. There are no
programs in the start-up directory so its programs that
are set somewhere else in the start-up/boot up process.

Thanks. !!!

 

[Tom Swift]

Only you can decide which processes are important. You need to learn what
each process does in order to make that decision. I did that by searching
the Internet, and came up with a great deal of helpful information. As you
do your research, try to discern opinion from fact. There's a lot of rabble
about which processes need to run and much of it is grounded in emotion
rather than knowledge.

The best way to prevent a program from starting with Windows is to look at
the program's own menus, where you'll likely see an option to start the
program with Windows or not. Microsoft also provides the System
Configuration Utility, which can prevent programs from starting with
Windows, but this is intended for troubleshooting and not as a long term
solution.

Your computer can run slowly for an almost unlimited number of reasons. You
should be sure to maintain a lean configuration for best performance. Over
time, almost all computers become slower.

Tom Swift