Which Processes Can I End?

[Guest]

I know I have a lot of processes running on my computer that shouldn't be.
The problem is I don't know which ones I can end and which ones need to
remain active. I'm assuming I can end all OWNER ones and keep all the SYSTEM
ones on but I'm scared to try it and need your help.

 

[thecreator]

Hi jacyln,

What is your XP version? Windows XP Media Center or XP Media Center
Service Pack 2 as examples. Did you run a Full Anti-Virus Scan and a Spyware
Scan?

 

[tarverlee]

I know I have a lot of processes running on my computer that shouldn't be.
The problem is I don't know which ones I can end and which ones need to
remain active. I'm assuming I can end all OWNER ones and keep all the SYSTEM
ones on but I'm scared to try it and need your help.

Download process explorer
(http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/ProcessExplorer.html ) and it
lets you right click on the process and google it. Google will tell you
which ones are essential and which ones are not. Do run a virus scan
and spyware scan. Usually most are essential if no viruses or spyware
are found. Unless you have a lot of applications that startup with
windows. I assume you know how to edit your startup programs. MSCONFIG
on the command prompt.

KT

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I know I have a lot of processes running on my computer that
shouldn't be. The problem is I don't know which ones I can end and
which ones need to remain active. I'm assuming I can end all OWNER
ones and keep all the SYSTEM ones on but I'm scared to try it and
need your help.

If you don't know which you need to keep, how can you possibly know that
there are *any* that shouldn't be there? In most cases, these just should be
left alone. You are more likely to cause a problem fooling with this than to
correct one.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for your suggestions but I'm afrid I have to admit that I'm not very
computer savvy especially when it comes to this stuff so I'm kind of afraid
to download a bunch of processes and programs. How do I know there are too
many processes running on my computer? Becuase 45 of them are running and I
know thats too many. I have been getting more pop ups lately and some minor
perfornace issues and annoyances. A virus scan turned up nothing and I'm not
sure how to do a spyware scan since I heard those can just lead to more
spywares. I thought maybe there was a way to identify vital processes or
worthless ones. If it more difficult than that I'm afraid I may not be able
to help myself. As for what version I have, it is a windows XP and does have
some media things on it I never use. I have no idea what version it is but I
can tell you its a HP pavillion laptop that was bought in 2002. I make a
habit not to download anything and I don't knowingly engage in site that
might cause me trouble so I don't know where the trouble is coming from.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Thanks for your suggestions but I'm afrid I have to admit that I'm
not very computer savvy especially when it comes to this stuff so I'm
kind of afraid to download a bunch of processes and programs. How do
I know there are too many processes running on my computer? Becuase
45 of them are running and I know thats too many.

No, you're wrong. 45 is quite normal, and many people have more than that.

I have been getting
more pop ups lately and some minor perfornace issues and annoyances.

Then you should post the specific problems here so people can make specific
recommendations for fixes. I don't know where you got the idea, but you're
starting out with the assumption that your problems are all caused by some
of those 45 processes, and that's almost certainly an invalid assumption.

A virus scan turned up nothing and I'm not sure how to do a spyware
scan since I heard those can just lead to more spywares.

There are rogue spyware applications available that can infect you, but
fortunately there are several very good free ones that don't represent such
a danger. And if you have been ruinning without spyware protection, I would
almiost be willing to bet that you are infected with spyware, and all, or
most of your problems are attributable to it.

You need to install and run several anti-spyware programs. First note what
Eric Howes, who has done extensive testing on Anti-Spyware products, states:

"No single anti-spyware scanner removes everything. Even the best-performing
anti-spyware scanner in these tests missed fully one quarter of the
"critical" files and Registry entries"


See http://spywarewarrior.com/asw-test-guide.htm


So I recommend that you run several. Start with these, all free:


Spybot Search and Destroy at http://www.safer-networking.org/


Adaware SE Personal at http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/


Spyware Blaster at http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html



Then post back here. Let us know what the anti-spyware programs have found,
and also describe, very specifically what each of your problems is.

 

[thecreator]

Hi Jacyln,

Right now I have 90 processes running on my computer. Do you have a
Anti-Virus program as well as a Firewall?

 

[Guest]

You get all kinds of pop ups? Like what kind, what are they? Are they error
msgs, runtime msgs, low memory, etc.....???? What is the size of your
virtual memory? Could you be running several antiviruls at the same time?

What might help is to disable your startups. Go to start > run > msconfig >
startup tab > disable all. Reboot.

Then you might want to use a software like systemmechanic and run all the
options it has.......

 

[Marek Kalisz]

Often my system slows down, memory resources I drained rapidly and CPU
monitor shows 100% use. Then I discovered (Task Manager) that it happens
when I have from one to a few "dumpsrep" or so processes running. I have no
idea hwat they do (can only guess) but now when I see them I'm ending each
of them manually. After a moment COU use goes radically down and memory is
also recovering fast.
I'm not sure that what I do is "kosher" but it works (for me, at least,
until someone will ge me a better suggestion).
Marek Kalisz