Which of these can I "end task" and free up some RAM?

[johnjohn320]

I think I started a thread like this once before and didn't get the response I was hoping for. Here goes: My dad has all this useless sh!t running on our computer, and it just eats up the resources. I recently installed additional RAM (we now have 160 Megs) but still, just flat on my desktop, not running any windows or anything, I have between 19-25% of my resources free. A simple ctrl+alt+del explains why. There are a TON of programs running, but I don't know what most of them are, so I don't know what I can "end task" and what I can't, and still have functionality. So guys, help me out. I still wanna connect to the net, have sound, all that good stuff. But a lot of this has got to be worthless crap. What can I end task? Here's what we have running with no windows open and my desktop displaying:

WinFax MOD-U.S. Robotics 56k (etc etc)
Explorer
Sysdoc32
Gwhotkey
Wfxctl32
Monwow
Wmencagt
Csinsm32
Wcescomm
Osa
Poproxy
Whagent
Navapw32
Rundll32
DirectCD
Hpcdtray
3cmlnk
Starter
Systray
Csinject
Nprotect
Winampa


Thanks!

 

[Platypus]

Find out what they do.. I know for a fact you can kill off:


Whagent
DirectCD
Hpcdtray
Winampa

 

[Vikaden]

Jeebus man! I only have 4 things in the Close Program box.

 

[crawfish]

Everything except Explorer and Systray.

 

[ViperMagic]

Everything but Explorer and Systray. If you close soemthing and something bad happens, reset the computer. and dont crtl-alt-del it again

 

[johnjohn320]

crawfish, buddy you missed the part of I still want functionality. I can't connect to the web or anything like that with just explorer and systray running.

 

[eLiu]

You can annihilate everything except explorer...and it'll still run. No systray means no startbar...

Also...disable as many programs as you can W/O using end task first--ie close anti viruses, close winamp agent...etc etc etc, then use endtask.

OORRR (this is an easier way to do it)

there's this program called "KillWin". It annhilates all non-essential programs for you. Search for it...i forgot where i got it

 

[crawfish]

Looks like I am not alone.
OK just after you finished boot up and before you go online, do a ctrl-alt-del, and anything except Explorer and Systray are disposable.

 

[Platypus]

Might be common knowledge, but do this:

Start->Run->"msconfig"->Startup-> there are all the programs that run at startime. Ditching some of those will free up mem.

 

[CrazyHelloDeli]

Hole-E-Crap! Lmao thats alotta programs...like many have said, Disable all but Systray and Explorer. Youll still be able to get online and do whatever you want.

 

[JohnnyKnoxville]

Here's a website for you Resource Management

Read it ,learn it ,live it

 

[bunker]

FYI OSA is Office Startup Application. It's put in the start folder by MS office, take it out, you can do without it.

 

[BoberFett]

Hell, get rid of systray too. I don't use it, the volume control just doesn't show up, that's all. On a clean boot all I have is Explorer. And Win98SE is perfectly stable.

 

[Amused]

Osa - Office Start up program. Kill it

DirectCD - You can start this when you need it. Kill it.

Hpcdtray - You don't need this either.

Winampa - You can start winamp when you need it. there's no reason to have it running in the background. Kill it.

The rest I have no idea. YOU need to check each one out to find out what they are, and decide if YOU want them to start at boot, or if you canm simply start them when you need them.

 

[NotoriousJTC]

<<
WinFax MOD-U.S. Robotics 56k (etc etc)
Explorer
Sysdoc32
Gwhotkey
Wfxctl32
Monwow
Wmencagt
Csinsm32
Wcescomm
Osa
Poproxy
Whagent
Navapw32
Rundll32
DirectCD
Hpcdtray
3cmlnk
Starter
Systray
Csinject
Nprotect
Winampa


Thanks! >>



Do you know which ones your dad use on a regular basis? The only one's off the top of my head i know for a fact you can do without on startup are:

hpcdtray
winampa
directcd
oh yes and whagent, i belive thats Web Hancer from Audiogalaxy, dont need it

The other's im unsure of.

 

[PrinceofWands]

You know, it won't do any good to ctrl-alt-del them, since they'll just come back the next time. Start by uninstalling every program that isn't used. Then go to 'msconfig' and under startup disable everything you don't need, that way it won't come back boot after boot.

 

[xarmian]

BoberFett is right, actually. Systray doesn't do anything remotely rational with the exception of the Volume Control icon on the taskbar. You will not lose your Start Menu (or taskbar for that matter) by killing the process. Explorer controls the taskbar and desktop and basically all the rationally functional things. This is really the only thing you need in able to run and use Windows. If you use a cable modem, you will still be connected with only Explorer running, and if not you just need dial-up networking as the additional process. The rest are simply for convenience.

-xar

 

[ThisIsMatt]

WinFax MOD-U.S. Robotics 56k (etc etc)
Explorer
Sysdoc32 <-- kill, die die die!!! Norton System Doctor is garbage and a total resource hog, disable it from EVER running.
Gwhotkey <-- you need that for your gateway kb if you use the hotkeys
Wfxctl32 ???
Monwow ???
Wmencagt ???
Csinsm32 ???
Wcescomm ???
Osa ???
Poproxy <-- probably should run if you're using a proxy
Whagent <-- kill
Navapw32 <-- antivirus
Rundll32 <-- can kill, but will reload when it is needed
DirectCD <-- kill, disable from starting
Hpcdtray <-- kill, disable from starting
3cmlnk <-- probably can kill
Starter
Systray
Csinject <-- antivirus thing
Nprotect <-- antivirus thing
Winampa <-- kill, disable from starting


Norton System Doctor would be your main problem.

 

[Axman]

everything but Explorer and systray

 

[Cyberian]

<< Which of these can I &quot;end task&quot; and free up some RAM? >>


For my own edification, 'RAM' and 'resources' are not the same thing, are they?

 

[bigbootydaddy]

lil off topic, is there a good site that lists all the win2k services and what can go on/off??

booty

 

[duragezic]

bigbootydaddy: Link.

Good guide. My services.exe is much smaller after it.

johnjohn320: Make sure you go into each of those programs running and disable them from starting up. Or just uninstall that crap. Whagent is spyware too. If there isn't an option in there to disable, then use msconfig to further get rid of them. Then restart and see how much is still being loaded.

 

[Amused]

This is all I have running in the background at startup:

Explorer (I need this to live)
Systray (I like my clock, dammit)
EM_Exec (I need this for my Logitech mouse to work right)
MixGhost (This gives me the ability to adjust my speakers on screen)
Rsrcmtr (I like to see where my resources are)
rundll (This is up so I can switch resolutions from the systray)

I start up at 97% system resources. 3% ain't a bad trade off for the stuff I have running.

 

[Pretender]

3cmlink sounds like &quot;3com link&quot; to me, maybe you have a 3com NIC with special software, in which case you might not be able to close it without losing connectivity.

 

[bigbootydaddy]

<< 3cmlink sounds like &quot;3com link&quot; to me, maybe you have a 3com NIC with special software, in which case you might not be able to close it without losing connectivity. >>


i think its that NIC doctor...its crap software to begin with.

booty