Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers (
More info?)
Kathea
You have answered the wrong part of the thread..
--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/User
"Kathea Banshou" <KatheaBanshou@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:6F6A9B7A-B17A-4A18-900C-43E5309D24B6@microsoft.com...
>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@yahoo.junk.com> wrote in message
>> news:vji4g19k0ds9pgsm3orege01u63mq3jj1d@4ax.com...
>> >
>> >
>> > 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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