Count your processes
"My computer is running slow." This complaint tops the list as the number one computer owner complaint over the past few years. Once an infliction for older computers only, slow computer syndrome (SCS) can affect even the newest and most powerful of computers. With Windows XP, there is one quick barometer that you can use to test the health of your computer; the Processes list. Too many processes running automatically at startup can indicate either a poorly configured machine or sign of a serious computer problem related to viruses, spyware or both.
In the Windows world, a process is a program (or part of a program) that is currently running. Microsoft Windows itself starts at least fifteen to twenty processes when we turn our computers on for the day. Over the years, I have developed a mental chart that allows me to quickly assess a computer health just by looking at the processes running upon a fresh boot (start) of a computer:
- 25-34 Processes – Excellent
- 34-39 Processes – Good
- 40-44 Processes – OK
- 45-49 Processes – Fair
- More than 49 Processes – Poor
The numbers are purely anecdotal based on my experience with thousands of computers. However, they also offer a good way to quickly get a handle on where to start with a computer.
To view which processes are running on your computer (Windows XP or 2000 only), push Ctrl+Alt+Delete on your keyboard OR RIGHT Click on a blank part of your taskbar then click Task Manager. After the Task Manager appears, Click the Processes tab. In the lower left corner of the Processes tab window, the total number of processes will be shown.
Use my chart to gauge the health of your machine right at startup before you open any programs. If your system has more than 45 processes running at startup, you should search our site for two different terms: Spyware and MSCONFIG . You can use the tips listed under these topics to reduce the number of processes that start automatically with your system. In some cases, you may need to employ the help of an experienced computer professional to help safely reduce the number of processes (thus increasing the health and speed) of your computer.
For those that like to tinker with their computer and want to know what some of the cryptic names you will find in the Process list are, use the following sites to sleuth out the Processes listed in your Task Manager: