Re: XP Home Question About Thing Running In Background

A process and a program are different. A program may envelop or spawn a
number of processes and some processes (most notably svchost) will be an
umbrella under which several activities are running.

I think what you are looking for is something else. A number of
commercially packaged computers have a bazillion unnecessary programs that
are set to start when the system starts. They like to install their own
"management consoles" and "update notifiers", many of which are not necessary
for the correct functioning of your system. A program can start with
Windows by being placed in the run key(s) in the registry, in the startup
group on the start menu, or by running as a service. While an experienced
user may make changes to the run key(s) in the registry and disable services
in the services console, there are some serious (and sometimes unrecoverable)
consequences of making a mistake. A safer way is to use your Add/Remove
programs applet in your control panel (or type appwiz.cpl after going to
start > run) to view installed applications and uninstall things you don't
want/need. But be careful--if they came pre-installed, you may not be able
to re-install them if you change your mind without completely wiping your
system and restoring it to its from-the-factory condition.

Some programs that you may want to keep (such as Acrobat Reader or Real
Player--which I refuse to allow on my system), run an applet at startup that
places an icon in the system tray and runs an "assistant" that detects
available updates or attempts to open applications that might use the
program. You can usually uncheck a box that says "start with Windows" or
"load at startup" or something like that by going into the properties of the
program (right click on the icon and select "options" if available or
"properties".

There are websites that may help you to understand XP services and even make
suggestions for what is (and is not) essential. Use with care. One of them
is TheElderGeek http://www.theeldergeek.com/services_guide.htm. While there
is a lot of good information, there is also some that I'm leery of. It's one
of those caveat emptor situations.

"Mike Hall (MS-MVP)" wrote:

> Whayface
>
> To start, forget whatever Windows 9x did.. it was a Windows shell, running
> on a DOS base.. you can't apply the same rules to XP as you could to it's
> earlier cousin.. yes, cousin.. XP is NOT a continuation of the Win 9x
> family..
>
> For an OS to run, there has to be background code running.. how do you think
> that XP keeps a desktop in the order that you set it up?.. how do you think
> that XP knows when you plug in a USB device?.. or remembers that there is a
> mouse and keyboard connected?
>
> Looking at Task Manager, there are a whole bunch of processes listed, but
> they are NOT all running.. some will be invoked by others.. they are doing
> no harm, and if you disable them all, you will be back here complaining that
> some things no longer work.. and this assumes that you can still connect to
> the net..
>
> XP manages memory way better and differently to Win 9x.. the constraints
> that a Shell running on DOS presented no longer exists..
>
> The items in system tray, or notification area all appear because the user
> has determined (in most cases) that the function is required.. do they slow
> the system down?.. some maybe but not all.. and if you don't want them
> there, right click on each one, and see if there is not a checkbox to stop
> it appearing..
>
> MSCONFIG is and always has been a DIAGNOSTIC tool, not a quick way for a
> user who can't say no to downloading or installing all kinds of things to
> try to get some performance back.. the laugh here is that some would become
> paranoiac about system tray entries, and yet have 150 assorted icons
> scattered across the desktop, a scenario which had just as much effect on
> the system as ever a few icons in system tray ever had.. and yes, Win 98 had
> code running in the background to keep them all there.. you just didn't have
> access to the process or the knowledge that something was running..
>
> If you system has enough RAM, a half decent cpu, a clean hard drive that is
> not almost full to spilling, and you take precautions re. net access and use
> tools to help with this, your computing experience will be a whole lot
> better than ever it was with Win 9x, and that is without much intervention
> from you..
>
>
> --
> Mike Hall
> MVP - Windows Shell/User
>
>
> "whayface" <whayface7540722@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:vji4g19k0ds9pgsm3orege01u63mq3jj1d@xxxxxxxxxx
> >
> >
> > Got new box with XP home and was wondering what HAS to be running in
> > background. I am one
> > of these persons that do not like having a bunch of stuff running that is
> > not need. In
> > Win 98se I think Explorer and Systray HAVE to be running for Win 98se to
> > run. What about
> > XP? What HAS to be running for XP to run? Not what people think SHOULD
> > be running.
> >
> >
> >
> > http://users.ameritech.net/lestark/
> >
>
>
>
.

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