Have you noticed your computer doesn’t run as fast as it used to run? Is it difficult to open programs without crashing your operating system? If you answered yes to these questions and you are running Windows there are some easy ways for you to get a better handle on what your processor is being allocated to do.
First of all, there are a couple of places to check what is really running when you turn on your system. The first and easiest is to check the icon tray — usually located in the lower right corner of your screen. Here you can see some of the programs that are operating. Many of these programs start up automatically with your system when you load Windows. Check what each of these icons are as some of these programs do not need to be running unless you are going to use them. Often if you right-click you can view properties of the program or you can open the program and locate the options menu. Here you can deselect the “open on start up” command. Do this for all the non-essential programs in the icon tray.
The second step here is a little tricky and may require a little research. To see a list of all the processes running on your computer start by pushing CTRL+ALT+DEL. From here find the “Windows Task Manager”. From this window select the “Processes” tab. In this menu you will find a list of all the processes running on your computer. Many of them make little sense based on the name listed and that is where the research comes in. Use the tools available to you including the Internet to find which programs are needed and which are not. Be careful — just because the name doesn’t look familiar doesn’t mean it should be shut down.
Good luck, and learn what your computer is really processing for better performance.