Too many Processes

I have a brand new computer. My security setup is:
1. Online Armor Firewall
2. NOD32 Antivirus
3. Malwarebytes Antimalware
4. Prevx2
5. Spywareblaster

She's running WinXP SP3. She is a dual-boot (both WinXP) running a DAW (digital audio workstation) in the smaller boot. I have two of my four HDD striped in RAID 1 hosting both boots. The other two HDDs are media libraries.

Task Manager shows 41 processes running when I boot her up.

This seems to my naive perspective grossly excessive. Suggestions? Is there a process manager utility that you would recommend that might inform me better than msconfig what all these processes are and which I can disable or delete?

 

I am running 59 processes on Vista and it doesn't effect the way my computer runs at all. It all depends what processes are running. Check and see what kind of resources the individual processes are running on your comp and then you can adjust accordingly.

 

bigc73542, thanks for taking the time to write. I've actually done what you said. My problem is my level of ignorance. I need more handholding than what I get by calling up msconfig.

BTW, my own research has dug up a couple of self-help guides to my problem. What does the community here think about the following two resources:
1. BlackViper XP SP3 Service Configuration
2. Bleeping Computer's Startup Guide

As you said,

I know their names and I know their resource utilization. What I don't know is whether I can get rid of them without crippling some aspect of my system which is rather delicate to start with, some aspect that I wont discover for a month and by then be completely unable to associate said dysfunction with the disabling of a given service.

Again, thanks. Take care.

 

Keep in mind, that disabling services might actually decrease overall performance and you will gain only a few MB RAM. It is like using registry cleaner to gain up to 5% performance increase, but which can result in system instability and other problems. I have tried many alternatives, vLited Vista with as little as 12 processes, normal Vista with as much services disabled as possible and so on and for now I have "normal" Vista with 57 processes. I have disabled only common dangerous processes, but I keep services like error reporting and sometimes really usefull system restore (after BSODs), though it is unable to get rid of Comodo Firewall.

P.S.: I have just noticed, that it is about XP, nevermind, the same aplies as well. Though using nLite might help, especially on lowend system.

 

TheTOM, thanks for taking the time. Yea, that always seems to be the tipping point (and has for ten years plus): slim things down until your system gets jittery.

I'm no IT guy, so I will err on not deleting a startup process unless I'm near positive my action won't compromise my computing experience. Unfortunately, that maxim is not so easy to live by. The real dilemma is when you run a software program a few months after you disabled some process or another and are now in a leaky boat with your misbehaving software, frantically enabling this process and that, trying to ascertain what it was that you did to yourself.

If I were an XP registry expert, I wouldn't shoot myself in the foot in the first place, but life's demands dictate that I have to live with a certain degree of ignorance. Hence I'm looking (perhaps in vain) for a utility that I can trust to make decisions for me. And it ain't so straight-forward. I was just contrasting Bleeping Computer's process list against Black Viper's process list and they're not the same. Conclusion: they abstract from different databases or there is a high level of subjectivity involved. Either way, who has the greater expertise?

 

Another list to consider
http://www.theeldergeek.com/services_guide.htm
I didn't know BC had a list.
FWIW, BV's list has done me no harm
He will often reply directly to any reasonable e-mails.
If you want to/are going to customise the registry, these tools are useful too
http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/

 

Longboard and Peter, thank you for responding.

I have 4GB of RAM and a Q6600 quad-core moving things here and there. I guess my trouble is a vestige of the old days where every byte counted for something. I still hate wasted resources, but if in the end it isn't harming me in any tangible way, perhaps you are right and I should leave well enough alone.

My concern is that my system is new and has not been put to the test. It's dual booted for a DAW (digital audio workstation) and I like to do movie stuff as well. And of course I like to play games now and again. When she gets cookin' I don't want to see a stutter that could have been avoided had I kept my machine in tip top shape from the beginning.

Too compulsive?

 

Try this
http://p-nand-q.com/e/pserv.html

Then start it. Then under the Templates menu, choose to export as .xml.

Next you can easily right click on any, with options being
disable
enable (manual)
start automatically

Reboot and see what happens. If you don't like it, under Template choose Apply Template, and re-apply what you saved. Back to where you started.. the easy way.

I currently have running in a LAN environment

AUTO:
DCOM Server Process Launcher
Event Log
HID Input Service
Logical Disk Manager
Logical Disk Manager Admin Service
Network Connections
Plug and Play
Print Spooler
Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
Secondary Logon
System Restore Service
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper
Themes
Windows Audio
Windows Management Instrumentation
Workstation

MANUAL:
Shell Hardware Description

And NOT running, but in manual mode:
Application Management
Computer Browser
Cyrpto Services
HTTP SSL
IPSEC
MS Software Shadow Copy Provider
Net Logon
NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing
Network DDE DSDM
Network Provisioning Service
NMSAccessU
NT LM Security Support Provider
Performance Logs and Alerts
Portable Media Serial Number
Remote Access Auto Connection Manager
Remote Access Connection Manager
Remote Desktop Help Session Manager
Security Accounts Manager
Server
Task Scheduler
Uniterruptable Power Supply
Universal Plug and Play Device Host
Volume Shadow Copy
Web Client
Windows Installer
Windows Management Instrumentation Driver Extentions

I use DNS cache in firewall, otherwise normally DNS Client should be on. You might want the windows firewall on, as well as automatic updates, DHCP Client if you use DHCP, IMAPI for cd burning built into XP, Help and Support if you use it, Security Center if you use it, windows time, wireless zero configuration. There are other options like Fast User Switching and Error Reporting service that could be on.

It all depends on what you do. For me, if I want to do some file sharing, I use the command from Run box: net start server. Otherwise, I don't have a need for services normally that are set to manual. Most people want many of those other services on. I just choose to do more stuff manually.

HTH.

Sul.

 

@sully: nice tools at that link: Ta.
@Mark

Wow, that should cover it.

Never

 

Yeah, just leave it alone. I have a Triple Core with 4 gigs ram here, 56 processes running, but who cares?

The only time to worry bout any of this is if you have no ram left for apps, or if you see performance suffering. I doubt you're seeing either there.

Relax as Peter says, and don't mess with a good thing....