Unnecessary background stuff – list?

jmdraft · 20 Nov 2016

Stuff running in the background slows down the computer so I want to disable (stop) as many as I can without messing up stuff I want to keep (happen).

What I want to keep (happen).

1. Auto fill – name, address, email address, phone# etc.
2. User names and passwords. They’re set up to sign into my most used websites e.g. credit cards, user groups (forums), bank etc. I don’t want to mess this up so keep cookies etc.
3. Time, alarm clock etc…………basic stuff

I don’t know what many apps are, so I’m looking for a list (+ brief descriptions) of those that I don’t really need e.g. marketing, reminders (pokes) to upgrade-download stuff that I will have to buy.

Can someone recommend a place to find this?

CountMike · 21 Nov 2016

Start by checking startup program list (Task Manager > Startup), disable anything you are not using regularly. With time and most ready made, brand name computers , specially laptops, manufacturers put in whole pile of programs that are a drain on system resources.

jmdraft · 21 Nov 2016

I did that a few weeks ago but it’s still slow. So, like I said, I need a list of unnecessary stuff with brief explanations. Example, I want Microsoft Edge. But I don’t have it open and it says it’s running in the background. What does that mean? If off, does that affect its function-performance………what? There is a lot of stuff like this and I don’t want to have to keep turning off, going back to check, turning on again, not remembering what I did, or did not do etc. I want to do it once and forget it.

Sven1458 · 21 Nov 2016

You can go here, it will let you know what happens if you disable anything and gives recommendations on what you can and should disable
http://www.blackviper.com/
Sven

jmdraft · 21 Nov 2016

Thanks but waaaaaaaay to complicated. Just a list: Disable these:……. Let these run:……….

dalchina · 21 Nov 2016

No-one's going to give you a list. We just don't know what's running on your PC.. P=personal i.e. what might be important and useful to one person may not be to another.

Look at your task manager. What's using a lot of disk/CPU/network resources?
How much is being used?
When is your PC slow? Startup? After logging in? In normal use once logged in?

When your PC is nominally idle, your CPU use should be well under 4%, preferably under 2% (depends what you have running). And your disk and network use should be near enough 0.

Focus on those- do you need them? If not, can you uninstall them?
Then have a look at Memory while you're there.

Post a screenshot of your task manager if there's something you need help with. Make sure you click on the tab at the top of the relevant column so processes using most resources are at the top.

Don't bother playing around with services (ref. Black Viper above) - you're more likely to get into difficulty than gaining anything.

Specific things like a slow response to right clicking things (context menu) is something different again.

Try the above and compare a clean boot with a normal boot and see what difference there is. That will help you to decide.

Steve C · 22 Nov 2016

I recommend Autoruns to check and disable what is loading on startup and what 3rd party services & tasks are running. See https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/.../bb963902.aspx

dalchina · 22 Nov 2016

@Steve C - I'm guessing that's a bit too technical and wouldn't help to prioritise.

jmdraft · 22 Nov 2016

Here is a place to start: The first one says “Turning this off will reset your ID”. I don’t know what this means but, possibly, it’s exactly the kind of thing I want to avoid. I don’t want my changes gone to a lot of trouble to set up.

Barman58 · 22 Nov 2016

Windows 10 is not windows XP, the vast majority of the Microsoft services that run in the background are essential to the correct, safe and secure running of the system, and those that are not are highly recommended to run,

The OS is built To monitor it's services and hardware and manage system changes when required.

A Service is not often something that does not require other services and settings to perform its tasks, So even if you do not need a service, something that you do need may need it

If you can find a particular service that you are sure you do not need (A network system if you never go online or communicate on a local network), for example,

Never disable the service, set it to manual, so that when you do actually need it or some other process that you need requires it to be running it will start when called

A lot of third party services are however just there to provide unnecessary "bells and Whistles" to an application.

Check what non Microsoft items are included in start-up, remove those that are non essential but only after thoroughly researching the functions they provide, something the just gives quick access to a program is easily replaced with a standard shortcut which has no overhead, the control panel for your antivirus is more important, but even this can often be accessed from some other route without the overhead of a background app if you are realy short of memory