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Discovering and controlling the processes running on a PC is important for a couple of reasons, both affecting the performance and stability of the system. One is the presence of unnecessary processes, the other is the possibility of infection with spyware and adware.

Unnecessary Processes

The default installation of the Windows(c) Operating System configures a number of services that run automatically whenever the system is booted, many of which are never needed by the majority of users.

Shutting these processes down and preventing them from running can free up significant memory and CPU utilization, making the PC run more efficiently. There are utilities that can make the job of identifying and disabling unnecessary processes easier, but you can do some basic maintenance with Windows' own interface. Getting to this interface differs between versions of Windows, but it will be similar to this: Start->Control Panel->Administrative Tools->Services. Here you will see the list of installed services. For each one you don't want to automatically run every time you boot up, you would right-click on the name and select 'Properties.' In the dialog box, set the Startup Type to 'manual.' If you're sure you never want the service to run (for example, if you suspect it is some kind of malware), set it to 'disabled.' You can always change it back to 'automatic' if you experience problems. Once you've finished setting the startup type on any services you've modified, you should reboot your computer. Simply stopping a service does not always completely free up resources that may have been reserved. The following is a partial list of services that most people don't need (and a few that really should be disabled).

* Messenger Service - there is really no need for this, but it uses resources and poses a security risk. This has nothing to do with instant messenger (IM) software.

* Remote Registry Service - another security risk, and how often do you need to edit your registry from a remote location?

* Error Reporting Service - this is the process that pops up the annoying "notify Microsoft about this bug" every time something crashes.

* Alerter - no need for this.

* Fast User Switching Compatibility - only useful if you frequently switch users on the PC. Even with this disabled, you can still log off and log back on as someone else.

* Telnet - a security risk. If you must enable a command-line log on from a remote location, use a secure shell (SSH)

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