Engadget: Task Manager Helps Spot PC Background Processes That Drain Resources

Background processes are programs, or parts of programs, running without direct user interaction, Engadget said. They handle tasks such as syncing files and installing updates as well as visual elements such as the windows a user clicks. Task Manager lists open apps and background processes, including system-level Windows tasks, and shows CPU, memory, disk and network use for each. It can be opened with Ctrl + Shift + Esc, through Ctrl + Alt + Delete, or by right-clicking the Start button or an empty area of the taskbar.

On the Processes tab, clicking the Name header groups entries by active apps, background processes and Windows processes, Engadget said. Clicking other column headings sorts by those columns and can bring the heaviest users to the top.

Some entries will be familiar, such as Chrome or Task Manager itself, while others are less obvious. A game launcher, for example, might leave an updater running after its main window is closed, and Windows services may appear under names users do not recognize. Engadget said users should not assume a process is unnecessary just because it is unfamiliar. Chrome runs many background processes while in use, including one for each tab and others for features such as hardware acceleration and extensions; Chrome's own Task Manager, opened with Shift + Esc, gives a clearer view of what each process does.

There is no one-size-fits-all number of background processes, according to the article, because the figure depends on a PC's specifications. A PC with slower hardware is more likely to be hurt by busy processes. Engadget recommended checking Task Manager when the PC is running normally to establish a comparison point, then watching for sustained activity that may indicate a process is hogging resources.

When a process appears to be using too much RAM or CPU, Engadget said users should avoid making Task Manager's kill switch their first choice. An app may be using resources for a reason, such as a game launcher downloading and installing updates in the background. Users should exit apps cleanly with the X in the top-right corner or an option such as File > Quit, and close background apps from the system tray at the bottom-right of the screen. If an app will not close normally, Task Manager can be used: right-click its entry in the Processes list and click End task. Ending a task this way is forcible, the article said, so an app will not have a chance to make sure work is saved, but a crashed app may leave no alternative.

Engadget also said users should search for any services they do not immediately recognize rather than guess what they do, citing names such as svchost.exe for various background Windows services.