What windows processes need to be running?

[ECLiPSE 2002]

My pc is very slow and after running all the recommended disk cleaners
and speedup applications it remains very slow. I noticed quite a
number of processes running in processes.

Is there a web site or other information source that has
recommendations on which processes need to be running or processes
that can be disabled?

Many thanks,

Mary

 

[Leonard Grey]

There is no such guide because each PC has a unique configuration.

Slow performance in a PC is easy to understand. It almost always has one
or more of three causes:

1- Malicious software (malware)
2- Hardware no longer up to the demands of the software you are running.
3- User misconfiguration.

The best way to avoid user misconfiguration (3) is to resist the
temptation for an ill-advised 'quick fix'. That includes avoiding
so-called registry cleaners and not tinkering with the system services,
unless you don't mind destroying your computer.

There are several ways to diagnose insufficient hardware (2). One way is
to start your computer in Safe Mode, which loads what is essentially a
skeleton version of Windows. If your computer appears more responsive in
Safe Mode that tells you that one or more of the applications you are
loading at startup is placing excessive demands on your system resources.

If you're unsure of how to diagnose and eliminate malware (1), I suggest
you show your computer to a professional. Unfortunately, malware is
getting tougher and tougher to eliminate.

 

[JS]

Processes hard to weed out as far as which are needed and those that may no
be.
but you can eliminate some unnecessary "services" and perhaps gain a little
speed.

Services Startup Type Descriptions:
Disabled - This service will never start.
Manual - May be started when needed by an application or another service.
Automatic - Started when Windows boots.

For more info on what services are needed or can be stopped see:
Optimize XP Services:
http://www.beemerworld.com/tips/servicesxp.htm
Services Guide for Windows XP
http://www.theeldergeek.com/services_guide.htm#Services

Windows XP Service Pack 2 Service Configurations
(should be the same for SP3)
http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm

JS
http://www.pagestart.com

 

[Big_Al]

My pc is very slow and after running all the recommended disk cleaners
and speedup applications it remains very slow. I noticed quite a
number of processes running in processes.

Is there a web site or other information source that has
recommendations on which processes need to be running or processes
that can be disabled?

Many thanks,

Mary

Try this link
http://downloads.techrepublic.com.com/abstract.aspx?docid=172521&tag=nl.e530

 

[§ñühwØ£f]

My pc is very slow and after running all the recommended disk cleaners
and speedup applications it remains very slow. I noticed quite a
number of processes running in processes.

Is there a web site or other information source that has
recommendations on which processes need to be running or processes
that can be disabled?

Many thanks,

Mary

Tweak away but back up your config just for the hell of it:
http://members.rushmore.com/~jsky/id01.html

 

[notval]

My pc is very slow and after running all the recommended disk cleaners
and speedup applications it remains very slow. I noticed quite a
number of processes running in processes.

Is there a web site or other information source that has
recommendations on which processes need to be running or processes
that can be disabled?

Many thanks,

Mary

Have a look at HijackThis:

http://www.trendsecure.com/portal/en-US/tools/security_tools/hijackthis

Do a scan with alog file, copy the logfile and paste the file for
analysis in:

http://www.hijackthis.de/#anl

From the latter site:

"HijackThis opens you a possibility to find and fix nasty entries on
your computer easier.
Therefore it will scan special parts in the registry and on your
harddisk and compare them with the default settings. If there is some
abnormality detected on your computer HijackThis will save them into a
logfile. In order to find out what entries are nasty and what are
installed by the user, you need some background information."

Good luck, Fred

 

[~Laughingstar~]

Thank YOU for this link ... I ran HT and ended up deleting a couple of files
that should not have been removed. Great program.
http://www.trendsecure.com/portal/en-US/tools/security_tools/hijackthis

Do a scan with alog file, copy the logfile and paste the file for
analysis in:

http://www.hijackthis.de/#anl

From the latter site:

"HijackThis opens you a possibility to find and fix nasty entries on
your computer easier.
Therefore it will scan special parts in the registry and on your
harddisk and compare them with the default settings. If there is some
abnormality detected on your computer HijackThis will save them into a
logfile. In order to find out what entries are nasty and what are
installed by the user, you need some background information."

 

[The Todal]

My pc is very slow and after running all the recommended disk cleaners
and speedup applications it remains very slow. I noticed quite a
number of processes running in processes.

Is there a web site or other information source that has
recommendations on which processes need to be running or processes
that can be disabled?

Many thanks,

I don't think you have said how much RAM you have. It is my impression
(rightly or wrongly) that in general a new installation of XP will run very
smartly on a PC even with a Pentium 3 and less than 200 mb of RAM but once
you install all the Windows Updates you find everything is slower, and you
can restore some of the speed by upgrading your RAM to at least 750mb.

 

[VanguardLH]

My pc is very slow and after running all the recommended disk cleaners
and speedup applications it remains very slow. I noticed quite a
number of processes running in processes.

Is there a web site or other information source that has
recommendations on which processes need to be running or processes
that can be disabled?

What is your current physical memory usage? What was your peak memory
usage (commit charge)? What is your CPU usage when your computer is
"slow"? Use Task Manager to find out under its Performance tab. If
there is plenty of physical memory unused and CPU usage is low, the
slowdown isn't because of what you have loaded in memory.

When you boot and after the POST (power-on self test) but before Windows
starts loading, you should see a screen showing your system. Check the
CPU specs to see that it is recognized at the speed rating for what you
thought you bought. It is possible the multiplier or speed is wrong in
BIOS. There are also utilities to show you that info within Windows,
like AIDA32 (Google on it as some sites still have it available) or
CPU-Z (http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php).

A site that tells you about which NT services and startup program can be
disabled/deleted won't tell you what YOU want to disable/delete and
which to leave running. If you have gobs free physical memory and CPU
usage is very low, disabling services or deleting startup programs won't
help. However, it is possible that a low-CPU usage process is generating
lots of disk traffic, like a background backup program running at low
priority. Add the I/O read and writes (in bytes) columns to Task
Manager's Processes tab (View -> Select Columns menu) to see if any are
generating lots of bus traffic for file I/O.

 

[Pennywise]

Try this link
http://downloads.techrepublic.com.com/abstract.aspx?docid=172521&tag=nl.e530

Same thing no log in
http://www.jasonn.com/turning_off_unnecessary_services_on_windows_xp

 

[chuckcar]

My pc is very slow and after running all the recommended disk cleaners
and speedup applications it remains very slow. I noticed quite a
number of processes running in processes.

Is there a web site or other information source that has
recommendations on which processes need to be running or processes
that can be disabled?

None for windows itself. Some wierd things like disc-at-once cd writing
software require it. You can safely disable *all* of them and then test
any strange hardware you have like digital cameras, blood glucose monitors
etc, to see if you need to enable anything.

 

[ECLiPSE 2002]

Many thanks to all responders - you have given me much to consider.

Mary

 

[JS]

You're welcome.

JS