W2k & XP cleanup...?

  • Thread starter Thread starter The Quintessential Man...
  • Start date Start date
T

The Quintessential Man...

Seems like every time I load a new application on my PC several more
"processes" show up in the process window of task manager. I suspect
that this is part of the reason that my machines keep running slower and
slower. (I do periodic defrags and such...) Yes, it is convenient when
the PC automatically recognizes my PDA or camera, but a mouse click is
not that much of an inconvenience compared to the applications bogging
down. For some applications I have had to resort to taking the machine
off-line, shutting down the virus scanner and firewall, and even
stopping some process that do not appear to be critical (apparently not
critical when, through trial and error, the machine does not shut down
when I stop the process...)

Someone once showed me where and how to stop the noncritical processes
from launching unless called for. Could someone please tell me again.

Any other suggestions...?

Does anyone know where I can find the canonical list of W2K and XP
processes and their associated level of relevance?

FYI: The XP machine is a P3 1.2ghz Sony notebook with the factory load
(but reloaded a few times) stock with 256m ram and an after market 60g
HDD. The W2K machine is a Compaq P4 1.5 with 512 and a 160g HDD.
(Supposed to be an XP machine too, Compaq's ?%$#*@! brilliant idea of
putting the OS restore image for a HDD failure on the HDD. It'd be like
GM putting the airbags in the truck...!)

Thanks

John
 
A lot of these "extra" processes are Startup Tasks. Many can usually be
turned off in their individual configuration/preferences dialog. Look for
a checkbox that reads something like "Load at Startup", "Load when
Wiondows Starts", etc. Many will have System Tray Icons; right-click
those and look for an Options/Configuration/Preferences choice.

For those that do not have a built-in option, you should get a copy of the
Startup Control Panel:

http://www.mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml

Using it you can disable any startup item. Use w/ care, and take good
notes in case an unwanted side-effect crops up (a feature you liked is
sudenly gone). And there are a bunch of web sites out there that
specialize in identifying startup tasks, and whether they are really
necessary or not; I usually just start w/ a Google of the item's name to
find out what the heck it is.
 
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