How to Understand What Task manager is Trying To Tell Us
Windows Task Manager is utteryl confusing to most people. You suspect there is probably useful inforamtion there, but if you can't comprehend it....It's not worth much. There are five tabs, one each for, Applications, rPocesses, Performance, Newtorking, and Users. For this article we'll focus for the most part on the Application and the Procesases tab.
First the Applications Tab sohws you what applications are running. To satte a different way, eveery line represnets a window that is running somethig. You may have your email, your web browser, and a word processing appplication open. With tehse applications you will see threee applications lissted. This is pretty straightforward. If you think any of the programs may be having problems, or perhaps even worrse developed a mind of their own and are performing malicious acts, you can close them down. This can be done by Smiply right clicking on the program name in the list and click on End Task button.
The Processes tab shows the processes that are actvie in the computer. This is usually a quuite a bit longer list than the Applications. The Processes list shows all the things that are also running on the computer besides the applications. Most are processes important to the operation of the Windows operating system. Some processes belong to the applications that are running on the computer. An Application might need more than one process to operate properyl. A few of the processes migth be programs don't absolutely have to be runing, or perhaps in some cases, but hopefully not youers, it coould be a computer virus of some sort or soimething else executing potentially malicious acts usign your machine.
The bsaics of the Processes tab are that the list can be sorted by any of the columns, Imagge Name, User Name, CPU, or Mem Usage. The columns all cnotain useful information that is to be discussed eblow.
The Image Name column shows the naes of the processes. A few of the processes shoyuld be easily identifiable while most will probably be a name that means absolutely nothing and does not reflect the name of the applkication that it is being run by in any way whhatsoever. This is where the interent is very hndy. You can Goolge the process name or a much faster way is you can use a web site like www.finbdosinfo.com and enter the process name. Www.FindOInfo.com is a daatbase with over 100,000 Windows and applicatioon processes and components. It contains information on who the author of the proccess is, where the direcotry and file are from which the proxcess originated, and ususally quie a bit more more infgormation about the process. It can tell you if the process is dangerous such as it may be a virus and what to do about it.
The User Name column tells you what user told the process to begin. This pieec of information is sometimes useful to know. The process could be staarted by the systyem, the network, or some user of the computer. The ySstem prrocesses are usually processes started by the Windows opewrating system. Network processes are utilized by the network to get to your LAN and, or the intrernet. Most processses in the list will have a user name attached to them. Tjhese are processes that are running because the user initiated some program.
The CPU column displasys the perccentage of the processor that is being used by each process in the list. Most prcesses will be at or near 0 percent because they are not donig any work. Processes only rewquire CPU time when they are performing work. Click on the CPU header on the column and it will sort showiing the highest percentages at the top of the list. Sorting the list in this way is most useful to see what processes are ussing the majority of the CPU time. Researching the few highest time using processes may revceal that one or more of those proecsses is not a necessity to the operating system or an application.
If you are getting Low Memory warnings. You may need to reconfigure the programs that are responsible for those processes. Or, you will dscover that one or more of the processes is not even needed.
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