When you turn on your PC, there are dozens of invisible processes that take effect. To see what’s going on in the background of your PC, press Ctrl+Shift+Esc. A Windows Task Manager popup will open with a list of all the processes that are in use.
Here are some of the most common.
svchost.exe
Svchost.exe is what is known as the “Generic Host Process” used to manage DLL files (also known as dynamically linked library files). DLLs cannot start themselves, so svchost.exe is the executable file that starts DLLs within the operating system.
spoolsv.exe
Spoolsv.exe is the built-in Windows service for managing print and fax jobs. This particular process allows you to “queue” printing and faxing in the background so your PC doesn’t get bogged down. Thanks to spoolsv.exe, you can print that email while looking up airfares to Aruba.
jusched.exe
Jushed.exe is a process used by the Java Update Installer. Which, if you use some kind of update manager, you may not need it. This process can slow down your PC even when it is running properly. You can remove jushed.exe by going to your Control Panel, clicking on Java, and unchecking “Automatically check for updates” on the Updates tab. Click “Never Check” on the next message window that appears.
explorer.exe
Explorer.exe is an executable file for Windows Explorer. Windows Explorer is the “graphical user interface” or file and folder windows that you see when you open items in My Computer or the Start menu.
winlogn.exe
Winlogn.exe is a logon process that manages user logons and logoffs in Windows. It is required for Windows user authorization and activation checks. This little process is what loads the user profile after login and also locks the profile after inactivity triggers the screen saver.
ctfmon.exe
This little guy here is used to activate the Alternate User Input Text Input Processor in Microsoft Office. It also works with Microsoft’s language bar and allows input via applications such as “pen and ink” and “speech”. It loads at startup and runs in the background of Windows on your PC.
services.exe
This particular executable process manages starting and stopping services, such as auto-sharing when you start your PC and then stopping those services when you shut down the computer.
csrss.exe
Csrss.exe is the Microsoft Client Server Runtime executable file for managing things like threads and graphical instruction sets for your PC’s operating system. It provides some very critical functions.
lsass.exe
This process is Microsoft’s local security authentication server, which verifies the validity of the user’s identification as part of the operating system’s security policy.
smss.exe
Smss.exe is a process that is responsible for managing the “sessions” on your PC. It is part of the Windows operating system called the Session Manager Subsystem.
All of these startup processes perform specific tasks, some essential, others not so much. If you notice a definite slowdown in PC performance, you may want to check the validity of your startups. Viruses and malware can often disguise themselves as one of these .exe files, wreaking havoc on your system. If you have questions, visit a website such as http://www.processlibrary.com, a library of known startup processes and the corresponding security risks.
