Freeware for disabling programs running in the background

[Starbuck1975]

I was on travel recently, and was flipping through magazines at the newstand, and caught an article in one of the PC enthusiast magazines that summarized recommended freeware programs for PC maintenance and fine tuning.

I don't recall the name of the magazine, and don't recall all of the freeware that the article recommended.

I do recall one recommended program that allows you to turn off all of the programs and software that runs in the background of WIN XP. I recently purchased BioShock, and my PC is struggling to run it at playable frame rates with all of the eye candy enabled, so I thought shutting down background processes might help a bit.

Anyone know what this freeware might be?

 

[mechBgon]

Windows Defender can disable startup programs, if that helps. So can Spybot Search & Destroy, change to Advanced mode and go to Tools > System Startup (if I recall correctly).

 

[Allanv]

start / run / msconfig

 

[Skeeedunt]

Sysinternals AutoRuns also http://www.microsoft.com/techn...dThreads/Autoruns.mspx

 

[Starbuck1975]

I didnt realize that Windows Defender had a more robust tool for tracking what is actively running on a PC.

I looked through my startup programs, and beyond those listed for the OS, the only other programs I have listed are: EAX, nVidia, Zone Alarm, anti-virus, and Abit uGuru.

Now, once I get past startup, I didn't notice any programs running in the background that shouldn't...however, listed under the Microsoft header was about 10 or 15 programs...I assume these are all necessary background programs that support WIN XP?