Utility tracks active processes

How do I … know which drivers or processes I can safely shut down on my PC?

The average user usually has dozens of system processes and drivers loading up whenever using the computer.

To know which ones can safely be shut down, you can try to hack around in the Windows Msconfig file or the Services.msc group, but that’s not recommended.

We suggest using a handy free utility, What’s Running, to track your active processes.

Find the tool at whatsrunning.net and download it and then open the program.

In several tabs, What’s Running gives a nice overview of all the assorted programs that have loaded drivers or processes on your computer.

This is valuable if you realize some rogue processes are chewing up your PC’s RAM (memory) and slowing down your machine.

To learn more about the features of What’s Running, just check out the FAQs at whatsrunning.net.

One of the nicer utility features is the right-mouse option of “Get Info Online” on any suspicious process. That loads a Web page that identifies what company created that program and what it’s doing to your system (and whether it’s needed or not).