Turning off processes

[Daniel Schaffer]

Hi,

I'm interested in stopping some of the processes listed in Task Manager (Win
XP Pro, SP3). So far, in reading up on the subject, I haven't found the
answer to this simple question: if I turn off a process, can I turn it back
on? Just how would I do that?

Thanks in advance.

Dan S

 

[Lem]

Hi,

I'm interested in stopping some of the processes listed in Task Manager (Win
XP Pro, SP3). So far, in reading up on the subject, I haven't found the
answer to this simple question: if I turn off a process, can I turn it back
on? Just how would I do that?

Thanks in advance.

Dan S

It depends on what process(es) you're talking about.

In general, randomly stopping processes with Task Manager is not a good
idea.

 

[Jerry Ed]

Some processes that appear in Task Manager are Services.

To see services that are Automatic (launched when you boot (start) your
computer, click

My Computer > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services.

To stop any of these services, change the status from Automatic to Manual or
Disable.

(Manual means the service is started only when it is needed by WinXP.
Disable means disabled.)

To translate process name to service name, see
http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm about 1/3 down the page.


Other processes are launched from your Startup folder. Start > Programs >
Startup.

There are some other places where processes are launched. If you are still
interested, post back.

JE

 

[Pegasus [MVP]]

Hi,

I'm interested in stopping some of the processes listed in Task Manager
(Win XP Pro, SP3). So far, in reading up on the subject, I haven't found
the answer to this simple question: if I turn off a process, can I turn it
back on? Just how would I do that?

Thanks in advance.

Dan S

Which process? If it is one of your applications, e.g. Word, or Internet
Explorer, then you turn it back on again by its shortcut. If it is a system
process, e.g. svchost.exe, then it's probably a bad idea to turn it off. Why
would you want to?

 

[Elmo]

Hi,

I'm interested in stopping some of the processes listed in Task Manager (Win
XP Pro, SP3). So far, in reading up on the subject, I haven't found the
answer to this simple question: If I turn off a process, can I turn it back
on? Just how would I do that?

Thanks in advance.

Dan S

A reboot will start them all again; Task Manager just stops a process
for the current session. If you try to turn off system processes, in
most cases, you won't be allowed to turn them off. Because of that, it
isn't a practical way to look for malware, or the like.. If you're just
looking for the process that's slowing you to a crawl, this might work.
If you do turn off the wrong one, and the system freezes, a reboot
could lose data or damage files on the hd, just like with any other
power outage. But NTFS systems protect you somewhat from such
catastrophes, so you might get away with it, once or twice. ;o)

 

[Jose]

Hi,

I'm interested in stopping some of the processes listed in Task Manager (Win
XP Pro, SP3).  So far, in reading up on the subject, I haven't found the
answer to this simple question: if I turn off a process, can I turn it back
on? Just how would I do that?

Thanks in advance.

Dan S

TM is not used to stop/start processes. It can only end processes.

I imagine you can stop a lot of them, but you want to know what they
are and keep them from starting when you reboot if you don't need
them. You should see how short my list is.

First you should get Process Explorer so you can see what is "really"
running, expecially behind those multiple svchosts you see running in
TM. You'll like it when you get the hang of it:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896653.aspx

This will help once you get PE running:

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial129.html

Then with some Googling, you can look at each thing and see what it is
and decide if your configuration needs it or not.

No running process should defy reasonable explanation.

While you are in TM, check out the Virtual Memory usage by enabling
that display column:

Click View, Select Columns, check the box that says: Virtual Memory
Size. Expand the width of the Task Manager
box so you can see all the columns.

Click the VM Size column heading once or twice to sort by VM Size
biggest to smallest, top to bottom. Who's on top and why?

Everything you see running is taking up CPU and memory that might be
better used someplace else.

Get a list of what XP services are required and what are not:

http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm

If you are not sure, post specific questions and we can help you
understand and make intelligent decisions that do not involve guessing
or trial and error methods.

 

[Jose]

TM is not used to stop/start processes.  It can only end processes.

I imagine you can stop a lot of them, but you want to know what they
are and keep them from starting when you reboot if you don't need
them.  You should see how short my list is.

First you should get Process Explorer so you can see what is "really"
running, expecially behind those multiple svchosts you see running in
TM.  You'll like it when you get the hang of it:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896653.aspx

This will help once you get PE running:

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial129.html

Then with some Googling, you can look at each thing and see what it is
and decide if your configuration needs it or not.

No running process should defy reasonable explanation.

While you are in TM, check out the Virtual Memory usage by enabling
that display column:

Click View, Select Columns, check the box that says: Virtual Memory
Size.  Expand the width of the Task Manager
box so you can see all the columns.

Click the VM Size column heading once or twice to sort by VM Size
biggest to smallest, top to bottom.  Who's on top and why?

Everything you see running is taking up CPU and memory that might be
better used someplace else.

Get a list of what XP services are required and what are not:

http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm

If you are not sure, post specific questions and we can help you
understand and make intelligent decisions that do not involve guessing
or trial and error methods.

Well, you can start processes with TM actually but it is sometimes
more complicated than stopping one and would not be a good way to
figure out "what will happen if I turn off this process" kind of
questions.

It is better to say something like... Here is this ctfmon process
running all the time, what is it, what does it do, do I need it and
how to I keep it from running if I don't.

I corrected myself!

 

[mm]

Some processes that appear in Task Manager are Services.

To see services that are Automatic (launched when you boot (start) your
computer, click

My Computer > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services.

This is very interesting. I'm not the OP and I hadn't noticed this
page before. I have winXP Home SP3.

To stop any of these services, change the status from Automatic to Manual or
Disable.

Is there any way to change a status to Disable or Manual before
startup? Like by booting to DOS or Linux or if one has another OS on
the same computer. I mean, do these settings appear in a file
together that can be edited from another OS?

If it's the Registry, that brings up another question. Regedit and,
IIRC, the Norton registry editor don't ask which registry. They
assume you mean the one for the OS you are in. But when there are
problems starting XP, it would be helpful to be able to edit the
registry from outside XP. Can it be done?

(Manual means the service is started only when it is needed by WinXP.
Disable means disabled.)

One thing I notice about the ad tool, Services, is that I have, in
msconfig.exe, unchecked two services**, which appear here as disabled.

But there are also other services listed as disabled, like Clipbook,
DNS Client, Human Interface Device Access, Network DDE, Network DDE
DSDM, Routing and Remote Access. I'm know I'm not using Remote
Access, but why are the others disabled?

And the Service, Messenger, which I set in Messenger properties not to
start when Windows starts. So I guess maybe that is why that is
disabled, but how come that isn't listed as Mmanual. Wouldn't it
start if I started MS Messenger?


**(Shell Hardware Detection and Uninterruptible Power Supply)

To translate process name to service name, see
http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm about 1/3 down the page.

This sounds great! Thanks. And looks great too.

And thanks for the post.

 

[mm]

Hi,

I'm interested in stopping some of the processes listed in Task Manager (Win
XP Pro, SP3). So far, in reading up on the subject, I haven't found the
answer to this simple question: if I turn off a process, can I turn it back
on? Just how would I do that?

Trying to solve some problem I had -- I wish I could remember details
-- I came across a web page that urged a process to be stopped,
something to be done (that I think couldn't be done when the process
was runnimg), and then the same process to be started again.

A lot of processes require paramenters which aren't listed on the WTM
page. I just learned that for Services, they are listed in the
Services panel, if you click on the service and look in the General
tab. And even that assumes you know which one you stopped, and some
look the same.

Why do you want to do this. Maybe it can be done another way.

 

[Pegasus [MVP]]

This is very interesting. I'm not the OP and I hadn't noticed this
page before. I have winXP Home SP3.


Is there any way to change a status to Disable or Manual before
startup? Like by booting to DOS or Linux or if one has another OS on
the same computer. I mean, do these settings appear in a file
together that can be edited from another OS?

If it's the Registry, that brings up another question. Regedit and,
IIRC, the Norton registry editor don't ask which registry. They
assume you mean the one for the OS you are in. But when there are
problems starting XP, it would be helpful to be able to edit the
registry from outside XP. Can it be done?


One thing I notice about the ad tool, Services, is that I have, in
msconfig.exe, unchecked two services**, which appear here as disabled.

But there are also other services listed as disabled, like Clipbook,
DNS Client, Human Interface Device Access, Network DDE, Network DDE
DSDM, Routing and Remote Access. I'm know I'm not using Remote
Access, but why are the others disabled?

And the Service, Messenger, which I set in Messenger properties not to
start when Windows starts. So I guess maybe that is why that is
disabled, but how come that isn't listed as Mmanual. Wouldn't it
start if I started MS Messenger?


**(Shell Hardware Detection and Uninterruptible Power Supply)

The launch of services and tasks is governed by certain registry entries.
Msconfig.exe takes advantage of if this by manipulating the appropriate
registry keys to disable or enable the launch of a service or program. If
you study how msconfig goes about its job and if your "other OS" is cabable
of editing the Windows registry then the answer is "yes", you can
enable/disable Windows services and tasks from another OS, provided that
Windows is not active at that time.

 

[Dan Schaffer]

Trying to solve some problem I had -- I wish I could remember details
-- I came across a web page that urged a process to be stopped,
something to be done (that I think couldn't be done when the process
was runnimg), and then the same process to be started again.

A lot of processes require paramenters which aren't listed on the WTM
page. I just learned that for Services, they are listed in the
Services panel, if you click on the service and look in the General
tab. And even that assumes you know which one you stopped, and some
look the same.

Why do you want to do this. Maybe it can be done another way.

Hi,

Thanks for the many explanations.

Here is why I want to turn off processes. My wife uses AOL as her ISP and
e-mail service. Among the many bad things about AOL is that it preserves her
old e-mails in a file that, in Vista, I can't back up. When I try to copy
the file to an external drive, I get the failure report that the file can't
be copied because a program is using it. This is true even if AOL is closed.

As far as I can tell, the only way AOL can be said to be using the file is
that several AOL processes are running. I would like to close them, copy the
file and then turn the processes back on.

I'd be grateful for advice.

Good luck, Dan S

 

[Jim]

A potential risky method would be as follows:
1. Set a restore point.
2. Use Process Explorer to find which process has a handle to the file.
3. Determine that there is no file activity to the subject file (the system
may be performing a delayed write).
4. If there is none, delete the handle. (Process Explorer)
5. Reboot and see what happens.

Use this at your own risk.

Jim

 

[Pegasus [MVP]]

Hi,

Thanks for the many explanations.

Here is why I want to turn off processes. My wife uses AOL as her ISP and
e-mail service. Among the many bad things about AOL is that it preserves
her old e-mails in a file that, in Vista, I can't back up. When I try to
copy the file to an external drive, I get the failure report that the file
can't be copied because a program is using it. This is true even if AOL is
closed.

As far as I can tell, the only way AOL can be said to be using the file is
that several AOL processes are running. I would like to close them, copy
the file and then turn the processes back on.

I'd be grateful for advice.

Good luck, Dan S

Might be a good idea to post full details of your situation right at the
start . . .

Try hobocopy to back up your mail. It can cope with locked files. Remember
to test the backed up files a couple of time to ensure that they are usable.
HoboCopy - http://sourceforge.net/projects/wangdera/files/HoboCopy/

 

[Jose]

Hi,

Thanks for the many explanations.

Here is why I want to turn off processes. My wife uses AOL as her ISP and
e-mail service. Among the many bad things about AOL is that it preserves her
old e-mails in a file that, in Vista, I can't back up. When I try to copy
the file to an external drive, I get the failure report that the file can't
be copied because a program is using it. This is true even if AOL is closed.

As far as I can tell, the only way AOL can be said to be using the file is
that several AOL processes are running. I would like to close them, copy the
file and then turn the processes back on.

I'd be grateful for advice.

Good luck, Dan S

So is your real issue that in Vista you are unable to backup the AOL
emails but you can with XP?

What if you copy the email to a local drive to some temp folder for a
test (not external)? I would get that working first, then worry about
the external drive. That is another variable in what should be a
simple equation. Eliminate the variables and you will at least know
what it is not.

I don't use Vista or AOL (I know - I really suck) but read that AOL
has a procedure for backing up emails and read it, so if it works in
XP but not in Vista, I would think that they must know about it and
have some solution, advice or work around. You cannot be the first
person with this observation. If I used AOL, I would figure it out
for you but don't think I will be installing it .

As I recall, AOL runs several processes, maybe you don't need them all
- more information is needed unless you want to start using trial and
error methods.

If you post the exact text of the error message, AOL version, etc. we
can help you look for a solution.

 

[Daniel Schaffer]

Many thanks to Jim and Pegasus. I've learned a lot.

Good luck, Dan S