Windows Task Manager in English

You use Ctrl+Alt+Del to see what's running on your PC, to close crashed programs and processes, and to check performance. You probably avoid a few processes whose names mean nothing to you, but they're essential to Windows. svchost.exe sure likes to appear all the time and multiple times at that. What's taskmgr.exe? Oh yeah, it's the window you're looking at right now. ctfmon? Is he related to Pokemon? navapsvc.exe? Navy? Napa Valley? Navel? NOTA (none of the above).

This is not a comprehensive list as that would take days. It has the standard processes as well as process names from popular applications. If you want to know about a process, the best place to go is... ProcessLibrary.com. Just like adware and spyware, there are bad processes that come to life thanks to the bad guys like Trojans and viruses. The site has a list of the top five security threats, so watch out for those processes.

Also, beware the bad guys like to use legitimate names of processes. For example, rundll.exe is a system process that should not be terminated. However, recent reports have stated, "It can also be the LOXOSCAM virus depending on Operating System and file path; this is always a virus on Windows XP and 2000 operating systems however."

You can download software that provide more information about the process. Task Manager, as you know, says nothing except the name of the process and how much CPU it's using. One example is Process Explorer, a standalone application that also has the option of replacing the built in Task Manager for windows. It shows you information about which handles and DLLs processes have opened or loaded.

acrotray.exe

Acrobat Assistant that is used when printing documents to a PDF. The process should not be removed while converting documents to PDF.

ADService.exe
Active Disk Service is a component of the Iomega zip drive.

AppServices.exe
Also for the Iomega zip drive.

ccEvtMrg.exe
Associated with Symantec's Internet Security Suite. Keep it and protect your PC.

ccSetMgr.exe
Also associated with Symantec's Internet Security Suite. Keep it and protect your PC.

csrss.exe
System process that is the main executable for the Microsoft Client / Server Runtim Server Subsystem. It should not be shut down.

ctfmon.exe
Non-essential system process. If you're using only English as the language, then it is not needed. However, it's recommended to leave it alone.

explorer.exe
This must always be running in the background. It's a user interface process that runs the windows graphical shell for the desktop, task bar, and Start menu.

iexplore.exe
Internet Explorer browser. But why are you using it unless it's for a site that doesn't work in any other browser? Use Firefox instead.

lsass.exe
Local Security Authority Service is a Windows security-related system process for handling local security and login policies.

Navapsvc.exe, nvsrvc32.exe, and navapw32.exe
These are Symantec's North AnvtiVirus processes. They or whatever virus program you use should run all the time.

realsched.exe
RealNetworks Scheduler is not an essential process. It checks for updates for RealNetworks products. It can be safely disabled.

rundll32.exe
A system process that executes DLLs and loads their libraries.

savscan.exe
Nortons AntiVirus process. Keep it.

services.exe
An essential process that manages the starting and stopping of services including the those in boot up and shut down. Do not terminate it.

smss.exe
Session Manager SubSystem is a system process that is a central part of the Windows operating system. If you try to kill it, it will be difficult... hence, the importance of leaving it be.

spoolsv.exe
Microsoft printer spooler service handles local printer processes. It's a system file.

svchost.exe x 6
You may have more than six appearances of this process or less. It's there multiple times to handle processes executed from DLLs. Leave it there.

System
This is a file that stores information related to local hardware settings in the registry under 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE'. Kill it and kiss your PC's stability bye bye.

System Idele Process
Calculates the amount of CPU currently in use by applications. This won't go away no matter how hard you try. Don't try it, OK?

taskmgr.exe

Appears when you press Ctrl+Alt+Del.

wdfmgr.exe
Windows Driver Foundation Manager is part of Windows media player 10 and newer. Better not to stop the process.

winlogon.exe
Handles the login and logout processes. It's essential.

winword.exe
The great Carnac says, "You're running Microsoft Word."

Don't panic if you see something you have on the "bad guy" list. svchost.exe is important, but some are good guys and some are bad guys. Do your research before deleting anything. For instance, I have admin.exe, which has been reported as a bad guy. However, it is the admin process for one of my programs. When I closed the program, admin.exe also went away.

Protect Your PC from Viruses, Worms & Trojans

Each of the items in the checklist below is part of a broad and easy to implement security policy.

Install all windows critical updates for your operating system from the Microsoft Update site - it's free! All that's required to keep your Microsoft operating system up to date is an Internet connection.

Install and configure a firewall - either a hardware or software based firewall is a must! If you are using a router, it probably has firewall capabilities included. Software firewalls are available at minimal cost; one of the best is free!

Install and configure antivirus software - the cost is minimal, there are even free versions available - the protection is priceless! Update the definition files daily - scan your drive weekly - it can all be automated with most programs.

Create a backup - even the best plan can be circumvented - be prepared for the worst with a complete backup of your hard drive! If you already have a CD burner and software installed in your machine, you probably have the tools to create a complete system backup - for only the cost of a few CD-R's!

Obviously, the costs to properly protect yourself from the worst threats to your security are almost nil. If you need help with any step above, simply use a Google search to find help - it's freely available.

Follow these four simple steps and you will have implemented comprehensive and complete protection for your PC. If you are unable to initiate your own plan, hire an expert to do the job. You won't be sorry!

Are You Putting Off Productivity?

I recently took a good look at what was keeping me from accomplishing what I needed to do. After all, I had my goals. I had them written down. I read my affirmations daily. And still, I was not achieving what I wanted to do.

Leaving town was a major undertaking. And that's not good when you're a professional speaker! I need to be able to leave at a moment's notice and arrive ready to give my full attention to my audience. So it was time for a look at what was holding me back. Here's what I found.

1. I used my desktop computer in the office. However, my accounting program and contact databases were on that machine, so my assistant also needed to use it. We sometimes found ourselves waiting for the other person to get off the machine before we could do what we needed to do.
2. I used a 3-lb laptop on the road. Though I rarely used them, I had to pack the CD player and floppy drive, plus the docking bar with the parallel port on it - just in case I needed any of those items.
3. I often found myself without a file I needed or a contact's information. It took me up to an hour or two before I left town each time to decide on and transfer what I needed to my laptop, then another 30 minutes or more when I returned to update my desktop with all I had worked on while I was gone.
4. I had an early 2MB Palm V that could not hold any e-books and did not sync with my Outlook calendar and contacts. So again, I spent a lot of time copying and pasting information between my desktop or my laptop and my Palm.

In general, things were not working well and the problems were pretty obvious.

Here's how I resolved most of my issues.

1. I bought a new laptop. This is 3 years newer than the other, but it's four times faster and has a larger screen. And while I traded a 3-pounder for a 7-pounder, my new laptop has a built-in floppy and a built-in CD burner. That means all the pieces are with me all the time. And with the CD burner, I can back up data quickly or move it to another computer easily - very nice when you need to use someone else's computer!

2. I moved my desktop to another office for my assistant. That means she and I can be working at the same time on the rare occasions I'm in the office - what a concept!

3. I only put the programs I need for my tasks on my laptop. So if I don't think I should be doing it, I didn't load the software. I did not put my accounting program or my databases on my laptop; instead, I'm delegating those tasks to my assistant (another new concept!) If I need to look at anything on those programs, I'll walk into her office and check.

4. I purchased a new color Palm. It's color with lots of memory. Best of all, it syncs with Outlook contacts, tasks, calendar and notes. Plus it uses Word and Excel, as well as Adobe Acrobat Reader. This is truly revolutionary! To ensure I have the information I need with me, I put the Palm into its cradle and it automatically syncs everything. No more deciding what to take, then copying and pasting it! I find I'm editing
Word documents on the plane, plus I'm getting a lot of the e-books read in airports and sitting alone in restaurants.

When I want to create an article from scratch (as I'm doing with this one), I use the keyboard.
In short, my travel life has changed dramatically in the past 2 weeks! And as I walk back into my office this afternoon, I'll pull my laptop out and put it on my desk, then sync it with my Palm. I will have everything with me that I've had on the road for the past 10 days. My assistant's work life won't be interrupted and we'll never lose a beat in getting the job done!

Just the sense of calm and control are worth it. No more frantic transferring of files as I leave. No more waiting to use my computer while she prints invoices for the month. No more... well, you get the idea! I'm thrilled with the make-over!

Do you need to review your productivity? Take this short quiz and see: 

1. Do you always have the information you need with you - either on your cell phone, your laptop, and your PDA (personal digital assistant, such as a Palm Pilot or IPAQ)?
2. Are you trying to share a computer with anyone else?
3. Can you get on the Internet as often and as long as you need to?
4. If you need a client file while you're traveling do you have it? Can you get it within 15 minutes - even after hours?
5. If you need to move a file or print a file, so you have a way to do that while you're traveling?
6. Are there tasks that are not getting done? Why? Could it be cured by shifting or adding technology?

Remember: Technology is a tool that works FOR us. If you're working harder and longer because of the technology, it's not working the way it should. Don't put off productivity!
For more on productivity, get Jeanette's special repor "Ten Most Overlooked Productivity Tools" at TechTamers.com

How Secure Is Windows 8?

Windows 8 has recently come out with a software upgrade including the latest technological advancements and security features. The best feature is that of embedded security for hardware and integration of a complete security suite for the OS. As a user, you will be glad to discover signed apps, secure boot, authentication features and many more security features that are a part of Windows 8.

Let us find out more about these security features and discover how secure the new Windows 8 is.

Secure Boot software

The Secure Boot is designed to protect your system from the primary level of hacking. Hackers initially target bootloaders and rootkits. Secure boot rechecks the entire file before loading it during the booting process to ensure that these files are free of any malware, infection and that they have not been tampered with. For example, if there is an issue with the bootloader and it infected then during the booting process Secure Boot will restore your system and the system attack might be thwarted.

Inbuilt Windows Security program

As soon as you start running Windows 8 on your system the Windows Defender (inbuilt-antivirus) will be enabled. This anti-virus program pre-loaded in the software by default and is enabled while starting up. This means that you already have the much required security. You still have the option of uninstalling it or disabling this security program if you want. Remember, if you are installing any other security suite then you need to disable the previous one first.

Early malware detection software

Windows 8 lays great emphasis on security. No matter which antivirus software you have installed on your system, its early detection security software will be the first to begin with along with the booting process. The feature of ELAM (Early Launch Anti-Malware) ensures that the initial driver to load on the system is a software driver from the anti-malware program. This way the software drivers are approved through ELAM to ensure the proper working of the system. All this is made possible by the new changes that are a part of Windows 8.

SmartScreen was earlier an IE feature for providing security to users while browsing. Now this feature is added to Windows 8. The advantage of having this added feature is that after downloading a file, this program filters it for its popularity rating. This way the software is able to detect potential malware. If you download a low rated file on your system then SmartScreen will flash a warning alert on the screen.

Other password options

Windows 8 includes an added feature of Picture passwords. This feature allows the user to choose a specific picture from image library and create gestures that will combine straight lines, circles or taps combinations for setting a unique password. You can also choose to switch this with PIN authentication if you so prefer.

Improvements for Enterprise Security

The earlier versions of Windows user could define admin rights for accessing the files and folders according to number of users and groups. Windows 8 DAC is a feature that has a pre-defined functionality for the admin to access all the available data stored on the Active Directory. Now an admin can define rules for access control, login method including the location. For example if a category of private is defined for a specific set of documents that can only be viewed by marketing team then the admin has the right to make it accessible to marketing people only. This is how the access control rule works in relation to marketing.

Security for your App

The AppContainer is yet another addition to the security feature in Windows 8. This feature is useful for providing selective actions to the apps that you download on your system. This will protect the system from issues that might occur in the OS. You can also find the app on Windows 8 app store.

Complete data security

An added security feature by Windows 8 in relation to hardware security is yet another security measure by Microsoft. The drives will be self-encrypted, due to which systems will definitely be more secure. Now the data on your drive will be protected right from the outset and you need not worry about data security anymore.

After reading about how the new Windows 8 comes with inbuilt security features it is needless to say that it will surely be the most secure Microsoft enabled system till date.

She is a Technology writer who is keen on any new emerging technology updates. She is working with Qresolve as a Technical Support Engineer. Semeli Karen McPherson has been offering online tech support to global customers for issues related to laptops, desktops, Mac and devices including iPods, tablets, iPhones, computer support and more. She caters to the segment of core technology and provides viable solutions to any issues related to technology and software. Her expertise and skills in handling key technology issues is immaculate and quick result bearing. Through her articles and postings she aims to provide knowledge and solutions to common technology issues that a user faces.

Windows 8 Overview

Windows 8 is the next generation of OS from the Microsoft corporation for desktops, laptops, and tablets. Windows 8 adds a lot to the tablet world while still keeping its roots for desktop and laptop systems.

The biggest difference you will notice is that windows 8 has a brand spanking new start menu. Tiles are used for all your programs making it easier for tablets and touch screen laptops and desktops alike. The tiles are a nice upgrade to the new interface. For one, they update you with information on the fly. For example, the email tile will give you a summery for your newest emails right on the tile! You are able to rearrange all the tiles to easily access programs that are more often used.

Another great inclusion to Windows 8 is the Windows Store. You can now buy applications on the fly right from your computer. Better yet a lot of applications are free and the ones that are not free are generally inexpensive.

The user interface has changed quite a bit and may take a few hours to become accustomed. For example, windows 8 programs will not show up on the task bar. Windows 8 programs are tablet ready and all windows 8 applications run in their very own window in full screen. 

As such, to switch between windows 8 applications, tap the right corner of the screen and select which program you would like to use. if you are opening a standard application, the desktop will popup and the application will run in a familiar windows fashion.

Although there are a lot of great upgrades big and small there are still a few things to be desired. For example, if you have a lot of programs you may have a difficult time locating one out of the applications line-up as every single program shows at the same time. 

Also if you do not have a touch screen but instead have a multi-touch pad, many applications will not support two touch scrolling making it difficult to get around. For all you techies out there, you will be disappointed to know that Microsoft has become more vague in there descriptions. 

For example, Many times during installation you will gets status updates like "Doing some stuff please wait". Of course we know you're doing stuff, I want to know exactly what you are doing!

All in all I think it is a worthwhile purchase. However I would not recommend the upgrade version as it may or may not work very well. I personally tried to upgrade my laptop with years' worth of programs and files.

Everything eventually installed but half the time it would not boot and when it would boot half the tiles would not even work. I recommend doing a backup and reinstalling fresh. Good luck and I hope you have a great experience with the new version of Windows.