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What's running and why
Recently, I received a question: "I have too many background programs running on Windows XP Dell Laptop and it is slowing down the performance on my computer for a music program called SmartMusic that I use in my music class. I noticed over 50 programs running in the background. I feel like I have a lasso around my neck and I am on a short plank. Please advise." That's a good question. Many of those programs may need to be there, but some probably do not. The problem is figuring out which is which. Fortunately, some utilities exist that provide some guidance. Let's take a look at 2 – the free Starter from CodeStuff and the not free Ultimate Troubleshooter from Answers that Work.
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It's sometimes difficult to tell the good stuff from the bad stuff using just the Windows Task Manager. For example, here are the 81 processes currently running on my computer. Click any of the images you see on the left for a full-size view.
Some are clearly running because I want them to. These include autoreply (an autoresponder), all of the avg* applications (antivirus), and zlclient (the ZoneAlarm firewall).
Less obvious processes include a variety of g2* processes (GoToMyPC), dfragntfs (Diskeeper), and 2 instances of mysqld-nt (MySQL server).
But who owns khalmnpr, udserve, and retrorun? For whatever reason, some genius at Logitech decided to name one of the processes used by the mouse "khalmnpr"; something like "lmouse" or "logitech" would have been too obvious, apparently.
The second process (udserve) is the Undelete server.
The third (retrorun) is part of the Dantz Retrospect Backup application.
To learn what many standard processes are for, visit the Process Library website: http://www.processlibrary.com/.
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What can be turned off or eliminated?
One critical point to keep in mind is that it's better to err on the side of safety. If you're not absolutely certain that shutting a service down or killing a process will have no detrimental effect on the computer, leave it alone and seek advice from somebody who does know.
Shutting down some processes will cause the computer to crash and may keep it from booting. Recovery could be as easy as using the Last Known Good configuration, booting from the Windows CD to gain access to the Recovery Console, or reinstalling the operating system. Making changes on a whim is a bad idea.
Windows has many ways to start programs. They can be in an individual user's StartUp folder, in the "all users" StartUp folder, in the Default user's StartUp folder, in the current user's Run or RunOnce section of the Registry, in the "all users" Run or RunOnce section of the Registry, in the Default user's Run or RunOnce section of the Registry, or in the (deprecated) win.ini file, which XP can still process on startup.
If you have a corporate IT department, your system administration may have set specific security policies that run applications on startup and effectively make it impossible for you to make any changes. Nothing you read here should be used in a corporate environment without the sysadmin's explicit permission. |
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Starter can show all startup applications regardless of how they are started. Those applications with a green checkmark at the left are running.
Right-clicking an entry allows you to edit the startup settings or to disable the application. From here you can view the file's properties or delete it. Choosing "disable" is always faster and easier to recover from if you disable something you shouldn't have.
There are also tabs that show the current processes. You can right-click a process to terminate it.
The third tab shows services and is probably the most dangerous area. Many services have dependencies on other services and turning off a service you think you don't need can affect a service that you do need. |
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Here's an example that shows an application's properties. |
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To disable a startup application, clear the green check mark. Starter will ask if you're sure that you want to make the change.
Disabling an application moves an application out of the StartUp folder, but retains the information you'll need to re-enable the application if you decide that you made a mistake. |
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Use one or the other, not both
I'm describing 2 applications that can help you manage startup applications, so you might think that running both would be a good idea. It wouldn't.
The Ultimate Troubleshooter is able to detect some other applications that control startup applications and will warn you to pick one program or the other. The problem with running two applications that serve the same purpose is that they get in each other's way. |
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The Ultimate Troubleshooter offers far more information about the computer than Starter does. The author has strong opinions about applications that install startup functions without first asking the user. He feels that it's rude and that these startup applications often cause trouble.
Here I'm on the Tasks tab. TUT explains that the highlighted application (SetPoint) is needed to provide special features for my Logitech mouse, but that I could eliminate it if I didn't need the special functions. |
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Here's the Services tab. Several of the services are already known to TUT as good and some are know as needed under certain circumstances (User's Choice).
Others are services that have been installed or started without permission by (legitimate) applications. The highlighted service was installed by Creative Labs when I installed an Audigy sound card. It does more harm than good, so I've stopped and disabled the service. |
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And here's the StartUp tab. You can see that I've shut down 12 startup applications that other programs have installed. As with the Services tab, TUT knows about many of the applications and labels them as OK, Not OK, or User's Choice. Others are shown as Unknown, but with enough information that I can tell what application it belongs to. |
You can download Starter from the CodeStuff website and you'll find a trial version of The Ultimate Troubleshooter on the Answers that Work website.
Building a better browser
Within the past few weeks, Mozilla, Netscape, and Microsoft have all released new versions of their browsers. Internet Explorer continues to lead in market share, but the others – as well as browsers such as Flock, Opera, Safari (Mac only), Camino (Mac only) – are worth looking at. My primary browser is Mozilla Firefox. This is the browser that I start every time I start using a computer, Windows or Mac, at home or at the office. Netscape is occasionally a better choice and some shortsighted website designers create sites that will work only with IE, so I keep those browsers handy and updated. All 3 of the new browsers have features I like. If you're still using any 1.x version of Firefox, any 7.x version of Netscape, or any 6.x version of Internet Explorer, now would be a good time to upgrade.
If some cases, your choices will be limited. Firefox is the only browser that's available for all of the major operating systems (Windows, Mac, and Linux) and most of the variants of those operating systems. Mac users cannot run the latest version of Netscape and neither Mac users nor those Windows users who don't have the latest version of the operating system can run Internet Explorer.
This is not an exhaustive review of the browsers. Simply put, they all work well and do what they are supposed to do. I describe here features that attracted my attention – good and bad – and the illustrations are designed to provide little more than a quick overview.
Mozilla Firefox 2 |
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Netscape Navigator 8 |
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Internet Explorer 7 |
Summary |
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Summary |
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Summary |
| This is my favorite browser. It's the one that I use by default because it's the one I've become most familiar with. |
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Netscape has done a good job of taking what the open source Mozilla Project has done and extending it. |
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Microsoft, late to the tabbed-browser party, has a good product several years behind everyone and it's still the target all the bad guys are aiming at. |
Operating systems |
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Operating systems |
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Operating systems |
| Mozilla shows the power of open source software. Firefox is available for just about every operating system except Atari 800. If you use a Windows machine, a Mac, or a Linux system, Firefox has a browser for you. |
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Unlike IE, Netscape 8 is available for more than just Windows XP. It works with Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows 98SE, and Windows Me. Netscape 8, however, is not available for Mac OS X and Linux. |
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If you don't have Windows XP or better, Microsoft doesn't want to talk to you. IE works only on XP with service pack 2, Windows Server 2003, and Vista. Mac users and those pesky Linux users need not apply. |
Minimum system |
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Minimum system |
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Minimum system |
- 233 MHz processor
- 64 MB of RAM
- 50 MB of free disk space
- Microsoft Windows 98
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- 233 MHz processor
- 64 MB RAM
- 35 MB hard drive space
- Microsoft Windows 98SE
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- 233 MHz processor
- 64-128 MB RAM (depends on operating system)
- Disk space not specified, but 50 MB might be safe
- Windows XP SP 2 or above
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Neat features |
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Neat features |
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Neat features |
Vast assortment of add-ons (formerly called "extensions"). There are more than 1000 add-ons that enhance Firefox so that the browser does exactly what you want. Some of the add-ons are shared by Netscape. IE has a much smaller choice of extensions, some of which require payment.
Phishing protection. When you attempt to load a website that is a suspected forgery, Firefox will warn you and offer to take you to a search page so you can find the real website you were looking for.
An update system that actually works. Firefox’s update system always checks at startup to see if you’re running the latest version of the browser and all add-on. This may seem to be annoying, but it's a feature that keeps the browser and all add-ons up to date.
Spyware block. Firefox tries to keep rogue websites from downloading, installing, or running programs without your explicit agreement. |
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Quickly view the status of security protection. Netscape alerts user to certain problems automatically.
The browser attempts to let users know when something is wrong and what action to take. The security center pops up automatically once a day.
Real-time spyware scanning examines downloaded files and users may run complete memory and disk scans, but I have not found these to be accurate.
Netscape offers an anti-phishing function that depends on a blacklist of suspected harmful sites.
Multiple toolbars condense toolbars into single buttons to reduce page clutter. Users may add up to 10 different toolbars to the browser without stacking them. |
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IE is still the only browser that will run ActiveX, but it now disables most pre-installed ActiveX controls to prevent potentially vulnerable controls from being exposed to attack. Users may enable or disable these controls through the Information Bar and the Add-on Manager.
A Security Bar displays color-coded notifications that show whether the site owner has completed identity verification checks. Note, though, that passing validation means only that the site owner has enough money to pay for a site certificate.
Microsoft finally adds anti-phishing filters that warn users against potential or known fraudulent sites. An opt-in filter is updated several times per hour using the latest security information from Microsoft and several industry partners.
Cross-domain barriers limit scripts on one website from interacting with content from other domains. |
Firefox images |
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Netscape images |
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Internet Explorer images |
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| Click any of the small images to see a full-size view. |
Crowded; no mystery meat (above).
The Firefox interface is relatively uncrowded by default, but add-ons place menus and toolbars on the UI and there are hundreds of replacement themes, such as Nokia (the one I'm using) shown here. |
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Security settings (above).
Clicking the security shield on the tab opens a dialog that allows the user to change settings on a site-by-site basis. |
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Mystery meat icons (above).
To save space, Microsoft converted clear menus into puzzling icons. New users have trouble finding things because they're no longer clearly labeled. |
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Add-ons customize menus (above).
Some of the Firefox add-ons create menu items on the Tools menu. A few create their own menu entry. |
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Custom site settings (above).
Users may easily control what functions are available to a particular website and how the website is displayed. |
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Security settings & add ons (above).
Internet Explorer 7 has large security improvements, including anti-hijack and anti-spyware functions. There's also a link to manage add-ons, just like in Firefox and Netscape. |
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Browser security (above).
All 3 browsers are more secure than previous versions, but Firefox has built-in protection against rogue sites, allows users to define file types available to specific websites, and offers add-ons that lock down security even further. |
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Identity theft protections (above).
Each time the browser is started, it claims that identity theft and anti-spyware blacklists are 13,475 days out of date. Yes, that's nearly 37 years. After a few minutes, Netscape usually is able to get a new list and closes the 37-year gap. |
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The add-on difference (above).
Microsoft has a different approach to add-ons. In the Mozilla/Netscape world, these applications are almost always free. In the Microsoft plan, they are almost always not free. |
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Opening multiple tabs (above).
All 3 browsers offer some version of this function. Should Firefox crash, it will remember what sites were open in which tabs and offer to reload them when you re-start the browser. |
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Identity theft protections (above).
This is more like it. |
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More Internet Options (above).
The Internet Options panel has far more settings than in previous versions and the Advanced tab has a dizzying array of options. |
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Automatic updates work (above).
Previous versions of the browser had an automatic update function, but it often failed to perform properly. Firefox now can (at your discretion) check for new browser versions, new theme versions, and updated add-ons every time you start the browser. |
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Weather settings (above).
This is installed without my permission. I've never been a fan on Weather Bug and that's one of the reasons. Another reason: Well before dawn, Weather Bug reported the sky as "sunny". "Clear" would have been accurate. "Dark" would have been accurate. "Sunny" wasn't.* |
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Zoom (above)
This is an exceptionally useful feature, particularly when a website displays some tiny text that you want to read. Preset zoom ranges start at 50% and go to 200%, but you can set your own magnification or reduction. |
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| * That causes me to recall the time when WTVN announcers were forbidden to use the term "sunny" in weather reports for fear that we might remind listeners of "Sunny95" (an FM station) and they would leave in droves to listen to Sunny.
Have I mentioned recently that intelligence seems to be missing these days? |
Nerdly News
Here's $14.5MM; now bug off
Hewlett-Packard says it will pay $14.5 million to settle a lawsuit by the California attorney general regarding "pretexting" (also known as "lying") to obtain private phone records of board members and journalists. A little more than half a million is a fine, but more than $13 million will be used to create a Privacy and Piracy Fund that will be administered by the State of California. It will finance investigations of consumer privacy violations and intellectual-property theft. A pittance (more than a quarter of a million dollars) will cover the state’s expenses in its investigation of the case.
The state will not pursue additional civil claims against the company, its current and former directors, its officers or its employees – so maybe HP got off light. Criminal charges are still pending against 5 people, though, including Patricia Dunn, the former chair of the company, and the former corporate lawyer. They are accused of violating state privacy laws. All have plead not guilty. HP seems to have left Dunn et al. twisting, twisting in the wind.
The criminal cases contend that HP passed information to private investigators who passed it to other private investigators who then used "pretexting" (lying) to obtain the private phone records of several board members and journalists. Settling the civil suit ends HP's exposure on the state level, the the company is still being investigated by the Justice Department, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Federal Communications Commission.
Meanwhile, Hewlett and Packard continue to rotate at about 78RPM in their graves.
QWERTY, Dvorak, or New Standard?
The QWERTY keyboard has been standard for more than 100 years. Does it still make sense? A few people have converted to the Dvorak keyboard, but now John Parkinson has a better mousetrap. Or maybe a better keyboard.
Parkinson says the familiar QWERTY keyboard make no sense and that annoys him. The New Standard Keyboard places the keys in alphabetical order (the first half of the alphabet is on the left, the last half is on the right). In addition, Parkinson placed the arrow keys right in the middle.
There's also a version that lools less like a toy.
Will this work?
Maybe. It's ergonomic, which is another way (these days) of saying that it's split in the middle and angled. That's the only kind of keyboard I can type on now. Put a straight keyboard in front of me and I'll make a lot of errors. The bent keyboard I use is a Microsoft QWERTY keyboard. I tried a Dvorak system once and never could get the hang of it.
I suspect the same would be true of the New Standard Keyboard. No matter how much sense it makes, my fingers still have more than 40 years of experience in dealing with QWERTY. According to the Standard Keyboard website, "Even if you are already a competent touch-typist, there is room to significantly increase your speed, comfort, and accuracy by making the switch to the New Standard keyboard. After all, the Qwerty key layout was designed around a machine! It demands poor posture and difficult movements known to cause stress injuries in normal humans, and it has a letter arrangement that creates many awkward finger sequences that slow down the typist and cause errors. In contrast, the New Standard key layout was designed around the human hands. It is ergonomically correct to allow proper posture and easy movements, and it has a letter arrangement that maximizes fast finger sequences and minimizes awkward ones. The benefits are clear."
Whoever designed the New Standard Keyboard site insisted on placing two spaces after each sentence. This calls into question whether the company has its feet firmly planted in 2006 or still stuck in 1976. When I learned typing (now called "keyboarding") sentences ended with a period, a question mark, or an exclamation point. Each of these should be followed by two spaces. Computers generally deal with proportional text (the width of each letter is determined individually) and sentences no longer are followed by a double space. To create double spaces between sentences in publishing programs or on websites requires a lot of extra work. Example: I use Dreamweaver to prepare the Technology Corner website and no mater how many consecutive spaces I type, Dreamwever (and the browser) will show only one unless I use " " to insert extra visible spaces.
Ten spaces here > < Ten spaces there.
As you can see, the browser compressed the spaces to just one space. Now let's do the same thing with " ":
Ten spaces here> < Ten spaces there.
Can you change?
"We believe this is because the two skills are so different. If you changed from, say, a US Qwerty keyboard to a European Qwerty keyboard with just a few characters that were different, you might have persistent problems with those characters. Your brain and fingers would still be in Qwerty mode and the old habits could keep surfacing. If you change from qwerty to the New Standard keyboard, all the characters are different, the posture is different, the finger movements are different, and even the shifting is different so there is no familiar context to trigger the old habits."
For more information, see the New Standard Keyboard website.
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