In the Windows operating system, you often have to change certain settings: remove unnecessary programs from startup, disable services that came from nowhere, search for and eliminate viruses in the list of processes. To work with the system, it is convenient to use free, time-tested programs, after which you would not have to reanimate the system. In this article we will look at useful utilities that will help you understand Windows startup, processes and services.
Srvinstw.exe
We all know that Windows has services that can be seen by right-clicking on the “My Computer” icon and selecting “Manage” from the context menu. If one of the services starts along with the operating system, it can be disabled by setting the startup mode to “Manual” or “Disabled” instead of “Auto”. But not everyone knows that a service can be easily and quickly removed from the list of system services forever. This feature is very useful if you like to clean up viruses manually or want to get rid of some annoying program that imagines itself to be a system service. Sometimes there is also a need to install a program to run as a service.
A small program, srvinstw.exe, consisting of just one file, will help you deal with system services. The program is designed in the form of a convenient Wizard, when you launch it you will be asked to choose an action - deleting an existing system service or installing a program to run as a service.
The program can remove not only Windows services, but also device drivers loaded with the operating system. Check the “Include device drivers” option and in the list of services you can select the driver to be removed.
Srvinstw allows you to manage services both on your own PC and on other computers on the local network. To do this, just check the “Remote machine” option and enter the name of the remote computer in the “Computer name” field.
Srvinstw is a small but very useful utility that does not require installation and works great in both Windows XP and Windows Vista. Please note that in Windows Vista the program must be run as an administrator.
Process Explorer
Being a worthy replacement for the standard Windows Task Manager, Process Explorer shows a list of running processes in a convenient way. The program belongs to the Sysinternals utilities and can be downloaded from the official Microsoft website
The main window of the program displays almost complete information about each process: description, identifier, use of computer system resources, developer of the source application of the process, path to the executable file, program version, dynamic libraries (DLLs) loaded by the process and other data defined in the " menu View" - "Select Columns". If desired, the list of processes can be saved in a txt file.
All processes are presented in the form of a tree and are grouped according to a hierarchical structure. Thus, the services.exe group includes system services, and the explorer.exe group includes programs launched by Windows Explorer. When you hover your mouse over the process you are interested in, Process Explorer will display the folder of the corresponding program. For svchost.exe processes, a pop-up window will not only show the process folder, but also list the Windows system services it starts.
Process Explorer can terminate individual processes and the process tree, restart processes and change their priority, and also search for information about a process on the Internet using Google. These features are available in the context menu of each process.
One of the undeniable advantages of Process Explorer is obtaining comprehensive information about the selected process: program version, processor, memory and network usage, user permissions, etc. To do this, just select “Properties” in the process context menu. The data presented here can be useful not only to ordinary users, but also to system administrators and programmers.
A convenient function for searching for processes that open a specific handle or load a certain DLL will provide significant assistance to software developers and administrators. To do this, in the “Find” menu, select “Find Handle or DLL...” or press the key combination “Ctrl” + “F” in the Process Explorer window.
Process Explorer gets along well not only with Windows XP, but also with Windows Vista. The program, of course, is free and does not require installation. Process Explorer belongs to the category of programs that every user should have on their computer. The utility can help out both when an application freezes and when searching for a virus in the system.
There are portable versions in Russian:
Process Explorer- a compact but powerful program with a convenient interface for monitoring in real time the actions taking place in the system. Provides detailed information about all running actions, including owner, memory injection, libraries involved, etc.
Additional Information:
The workspace of Process Explorer consists of two windows. The top window displays a list of active activities, including the names of the accounts that own those processes. The information that is displayed in the lower window depends on the selected operating mode of the program. In handles mode, the lower window shows all open handles of the process selected in the upper window, and in DLL mode, all dynamic libraries loaded by the action and memory-mapped files. In addition, Process Explorer also has massive search capabilities that let you quickly find out which process has a specific handle open or a specific DLL loaded.
Process Explorer's unique capabilities make it useful for troubleshooting DLL version problems and handle leaks, as well as for understanding how Windows operating systems and applications work.
The best program for viewing running processes has been updated - Process Explorer.
In addition, Process Explorer allows changing the priorities of processes, “freezing” and “killing” them. Has a powerful search system that allows you to search for processes that load a specific DLL or open a specific handle. You can search for a description by module name in Google and MSN.
What's new in this version:
VMMap v3.1: VMMap, the virtual and physical memory analyzer process, now shows ASLR image status and reports "unusable" virtual memory areas. RAMMap v1.11: This update to RAMMap, the analyzer's system memory usage, adds command line features for loading files and exporting scans...
Autoruns
We all sometimes have to fight for the cleanliness of startup, removing from Windows startup the utilities, plugins, agents and other unnecessary applications that slow down the loading of the operating system. Autoruns will show you not only programs from autorun, but also everything that starts together in Windows: toolbars and add-ons for Internet Explorer, interceptors, the Task Scheduler list, Windows Explorer extensions, services, drivers, codecs, dynamic libraries.
Just look at the “Everything” tab to see a complete list of applications and modules that load with Windows. Moreover, for convenience and clarity, all startup elements are also grouped into sections on separate Autoruns tabs: “Explorer”, “Services”, “Drivers”, “KnownDLLs” (Dynamic Libraries), “Internet” Explorer" (Browser Add-ons, including Browser Helper Objects), etc. For each startup object, the Windows registry branch that launches it is also shown.
Next to each autorun element is its description, information about the developer, and the path to the downloaded file, which will allow you to most likely identify a virus or malicious DLL among peaceful programs. Information about the startup item selected in the list is also available in its context menu (the “Properties” item) and in the lower part of the Autoruns window.
Fortunately for administrators and users, Autoruns allows you to not only view, but also disable or permanently remove unnecessary items from autorun. To disable an element, uncheck the box next to the unwanted object. Allowing autoload of a previously blocked program is just as easy - just return the previously unchecked box to its place. If you select the program and click the “Delete” button on the Autoruns Toolbar, it will be deleted from startup forever.
The context menu of a startup object allows you not only to delete this element, but also to find information about it on the Internet (“Search Online”), go to the registry setting that launches this program or module (“Jump to...”), and finally find the corresponding object process in Process Explorer (“Process Explorer” item). In this case, Process Explorer must already be running on the computer.
Useful Autoruns features include searching for startup items and exporting the startup list to a txt file. In addition, the program allows you to view startup items not only of the current user, but also of other accounts. To do this, just select the desired account in the “Users” menu.
I was pleased that with the help of Autoruns you can edit startup not only in Windows XP, but also in Vista. Please note that for the program to work productively on this operating system, it is recommended to run it as an administrator. Like Process Explorer, Autoruns is a Sysinternals utility and can be downloaded from the official Microsoft website: http://technet.microsoft.com/ru-ru/sysinternals/
Starter
Previously, we looked at system utilities, each of which is designed to solve its own highly specialized tasks: remove and install system services, manage the list of processes and startup. But there are many programs that combine all these functions. One of them is the free Starter utility, which has in its arsenal not such advanced tools for working with the system as Autoruns and Process Explorer, but will allow you to quickly edit autorun, terminate unwanted or frozen programs and manage Windows services.
Starter can be installed on a PC in the usual way, and then copied the folder with the program to any media and other computers. Starter is perfectly Russified and has a pleasant interface. The functionality of the program is concentrated on three tabs, each of which is responsible for solving specialized problems:
. Autostart - autostart management;
. Processes - view a list of processes and perform various actions on them;
. Services - manage Windows services.
Among other things, the processor and RAM usage (as a percentage) is displayed at the bottom of the program window. It is also possible to save lists of services, processes and startup not only in txt format, but also as an html file.
The Startup tab shows startup items based on registry keys, the Windows Startup folder, and the contents of the Win.ini file. On the right side of the window is a list of programs and modules loaded with Windows. For each startup item, a description, registry key, registry key or executable file, and manufacturer are displayed. A short summary of this information is also duplicated at the bottom of the Starter window. To remove a program from startup, just uncheck the box next to it and confirm your decision. In this case, the “Disable by Starter” branch will appear in the Windows registry. At any time, the checkbox can be returned to its place, allowing the program to boot along with the operating system.
Unfortunately, the startup management capabilities in Starter are not as impressive as those of the Autoruns program, but the context menu for startup settings is somewhat richer. It allows you to add a program to the startup list, view the extended properties of the file being launched, open the folder with the program and the registry section responsible for its launch directly from the Starter window, and also find additional information about the downloaded program on the Internet not only using Google, but also other search engines systems
On the “Processes” tab, you can monitor the list of processes running on your computer, change their priority, terminate and restart processes, view the properties of executable files, with one click go to the folder with the source file of the process and, of course, receive information about the process on the global network. It provides impressive information about each process, including its identifier, executable file, RAM usage, number of errors, priority and other information useful to the average user. Compared to the Process Explorer program, Starter was disappointed by the lack of ability to view the list of services launched by svchost.exe processes.
The Services tab provides extensive options for managing Windows services, including deleting them and changing the startup mode. For convenience, all services are divided into groups, which are listed on the left side of the Starter window.
The right side of the window provides extended information about each service: name, name, status, startup type, service type, executable file, description, account under which the service is running and other data. Starter's tools for working with system services are impressive, allowing the program to claim to replace the standard Windows service management tool. Having looked at the entire list of services, you can easily stop unnecessary services, find the source of problems in the operation of any Windows network component, or remove a service from the list of services forever.
To delete a service, simply select the “Change” item in the service’s context menu, and in the window that opens, click the “Delete” button. The vigilant Starter will ask for your confirmation for the total liquidation of the service, because if you make a mistake, it will be impossible to return the service back. Although, using the program described at the beginning of our article, this will not be difficult, if, of course, you remember which file launched the accidentally deleted service.
The Starter program works stably in Windows XP and Vista, helping to solve the whole range of trivial tasks related to managing startup, processes and services. A clear interface with support for the Russian language will allow even an inexperienced user to quickly understand the program’s capabilities.
Conclusion
The advantage of the applications we reviewed is that they are free, undemanding to system resources, and stable operation without the usual installation procedure in the most common operating systems of the Windows family today. Using Process Explorer, with one click of the mouse you can terminate a frozen program, identify the developer of a suspicious application, determine how many system resources a particular process is consuming from your computer, and also find the desired handle or DLL. If from time to time you need to install or remove any Windows service, you will need the tiny program srvinstw.exe, designed as a step-by-step Wizard. Autoruns and Starter will help you solve startup problems. Moreover, if the first program is intended exclusively for setting up autorun and has enormous functionality, then the second shows only some objects loaded with the operating system, but in addition allows you to manage running processes and Windows system services.
Quite often, many users of computer systems are faced with the question of what system programs are. If you know the principles of their operation and use them correctly, you can achieve a lot, or at least avoid errors in the system or speed up (optimize) its operation.
As the name suggests, programs of this type are special utilities and tools for regulating a computer system - from diagnosing all software and hardware components to making maximum use of absolutely all the capabilities of the PC, even hidden ones.
In a sense, system programs and applications can be called a layer between the OS itself, installed software and hardware. A prime example is driver packages.
In general, if we describe programs in more detail, it’s worth first focusing on what they are, what functions are assigned to them.
If we talk about dividing system programs into classes according to their purpose, we can distinguish several main groups. Thus, system programs include (in different classification options): management (resident and transit), processing, basic and service.
Considering the functions of system software in general terms, without going into the intricacies of the principles of their operation, we note that control applications are designed to use internal OS data and are responsible for the correct functioning of all computing processes. Processing programs ensure data exchange between the operating system and installed components (the most striking example is DirectX and driver sets). Basic programs are the minimum set of software required for the functioning of the system as a whole. Finally, service programs also improve the performance of modern computer systems.
As for Microsoft Windows, they all have a certain minimum set of applications that are installed on the computer system when installing the operating system itself.
If anyone doesn’t know, the system programs themselves, for example, in Windows 7, can be found in the “Start” menu in the “Programs / Accessories / Utilities” section. In addition, there are two more directories: “Administration” and “Maintenance”. All three directories contain system utilities designed for monitoring, optimization, system protection or recovery, backup, etc. There is no point in describing them in detail, since, as a rule, not every user turns to them, preferring third-party applications developers. And this, I must say, has a certain meaning.
It is not possible to remove Windows system programs from your computer. Tricks like in the Android OS, when if you have root rights you can remove any system component right down to the operating system itself, do not work here. In principle, only applications installed by the user can be uninstalled. In general, this is correct, because after such an intervention the entire system will simply stop functioning.
Windows OS is considered to be almost the most common operating system in the world in terms of the number of users. However, in terms of vulnerabilities, a minimal set of functions, a huge number of shortcomings and the lack of seemingly mandatory tools, it, unfortunately, is also ahead of everyone. It is probably for this reason that many system software developers create a huge number of utilities and software packages specifically for this OS. Judge for yourself, because by and large the same programs for system administrators are practically absent in Windows.
But there are also pitfalls here. The fact is that very often a system error occurs: “The program cannot be started (for such and such a reason or for no reason at all).” This is only due to the fact that each utility can be installed on systems, say, due to mismatch of system requirements, different OS architecture and installed application (error: “... is not a Win32 application”), lack of necessary drivers, etc.
Nevertheless, third-party developers have a much wider range of basic system programs than Microsoft. Let's look at the basic applications that every computer system user should have at their disposal.
As a rule, after the first installation or reinstallation of the system from scratch, the first thing you need to do is install an anti-virus software package that could provide system protection at all levels, including monitoring for external threats, the penetration of viruses into the computer’s RAM, network or Internet monitoring, etc. d.
What kind of program it will be, the user decides for himself. Now the choice is quite wide. Among the most popular anti-virus packages are the most famous: almost all Kaspersky Lab software products, Eset corporation applications (NOD and Smart Security), products like Dr. Web, Norton Antivirus, AVG, Avira, Panda, Avast, etc.
Naturally, each of these packages has its own advantages and disadvantages. In addition, some applications are distributed completely free of charge and have no restrictions on use, while others will have to be paid, and very often a large sum. However, everyone decides for themselves what to use.
The second component of mandatory software that must be installed on any system is a program for working with archives. Most often, applications of this type are built into the Windows shell (program shortcut commands are located in context menus).
The most popular, according to many users, are WinRAR, WinZIP, 7-Zip and many others. Why is their installation necessary? Yes, simply because compressed archives are now used everywhere. Even downloading large files from the Internet is done as archived data.
Of course, one could limit oneself to using only “native” Windows tools, but they provide far from complete information about the state of the system and its components. For example, if you go to the “My Computer” / “Properties” menu, you can see only the basic parameters of the hardware and the installed operating system.
The same goes for DirectX. Although the information here is more detailed, it is still far from what you can squeeze out of third-party applications. The only nice thing is that DirectX allows you to perform special tests on some Plug&Play devices.
You can determine the system load or get more detailed information in the tabs of the “System Configuration” menu, called up by the “msconfig” command, use “System Information” in the Control Panel, or, finally, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Alt + Del, which opens the Task Manager (monitoring running processes, load on the central processor and RAM, etc.).
It is much easier to use utilities like Everest or something else, which not only provide detailed characteristics of the installed equipment, but can also monitor changes in its physical parameters in real time.
In addition, this also includes some programs for the system administrator, whose task is to monitor the state of the local network, its correct functioning, and prevent the penetration of threats or unauthorized access to network computer terminals and servers.
System optimization programs are very important. This probably doesn't need to be explained to anyone. Over time, the system begins to slow down, in most cases due to junk or computer debris accumulated there. In addition, the reason may be the presence of a large amount of fragmented data. Of course, you can use standard Windows OS tools such as cleaning or cleaning, but, as practice shows, they are less effective than third-party software products.
The registry is even worse. There is no tool in Windows to clean it up. And manually deleting or correcting incorrect or outdated records and keys is an absolutely thankless task. This way you can “plant” the entire system.
As a rule, almost all utilities of this type are universal packages that contain a fairly large set of tools for all occasions. This could be a program for system errors in terms of correcting them, the same hard drive defragmenter, a garbage cleaner on the hard drive or in RAM in the form of constantly hanging processes and services, an optimizer or defragmenter of the system registry, which allows you to remove everything unnecessary and unnecessary without damaging the system. streamline its structure for faster access, an uninstaller that removes installed applications entirely, leaving no traces of their presence behind them (which cannot be said about the “native” Windows uninstaller), updating drivers and much more.
As you can see, the versatility and ease of use of such software packages is obvious. The most famous applications of this type are CCleaner, Advanced System Care, Glary Utilities, Ashampoo WinOptimizer, etc.
The convenience of working with them also lies in the fact that almost all of them have a special mode for searching and automatically fixing problems “in one click.”
System programs for creating backup copies of data on the hard drive, drivers, or an image of the operating system state are no less important than all other system software. Using such copies, you can restore Windows functionality in a matter of minutes. In addition, when saving images of a hard drive, its logical partitions or removable media, you can avoid losing important information even if the hard drive, flash drive or removable hard drive such as a USB HDD fails.
Windows OS itself has this feature. You can create a special recovery disk or use the System Restore menu, for example, from Control Panel. But here, too, there are glitches. Sometimes recovery is impossible due to errors on the hard drive, and in the area where the snapshot taken as the recovery checkpoint was saved. In this case, even checking the disk with automatic error correction does not give the desired result.
Special system utilities such as Acronis True Image help here, which is rightfully considered one of the most functional in terms of using capabilities in operations and fine-tuning, as well as most applications for working with images (Daemon Tools, UltraISO, Alcohol 120% or the same package Nero Burning ROM).
Finally, among the additional tools for comfortable work, you should install sets of codecs and decoders for watching video and listening to audio (in addition to standard device drivers). The most famous package is the K-Lite Codec Pack.
Adobe Flash Player is a must for playing some types of streaming video on the Internet, as well as programs like Adobe Reader for working with PDF files, which are among the most common in their field today. Although the second application is not a system application, its presence is required.
Most technical documentation or user instructions are distributed in this format.
Only the basic system programs, applications and utilities were described, which are simply necessary for the correct functioning of the entire computer system and optimization of its operation. Of course, there are still many different kinds of system utilities designed to solve specific problems. But it is simply impossible to describe them all. In this review we are dealing only with the most necessary set.
System utilities designed to maintain computer hardware, especially storage drives, operating system and other applications.
Testing and diagnostic programs serve to check the performance of the computer and its individual components, as well as to identify existing or potential malfunctions. Such programs, for example, can check certain parameters of drives in order to identify defects and predict the time of its failure. System information programs show complete information about the computer hardware and serve as an aid in the work of people servicing computer equipment.
There is a wide class of programs that are designed to disk drive and information maintenance, which is stored on them. Diagnostic programs allow you to identify and eliminate faults in the logical structure of information located on the drive. Defragmenter programs organize information located on disks so that it can be accessed at maximum speed. There are programs that restore information deleted from disks, and those that allow you to delete it without the possibility of recovery (for example, if this information contains confidential data).
A separate class can be distinguished file managers. These are programs for managing information on storage devices. They extend the operating system's functionality for managing files and directories or make such operations more user-friendly.
Modern operating systems, like computer hardware, are a complex set of programs and modules that have many settings and parameters. And although the operating system contains tools for configuring its parameters, specialized programs cope with this task much better, providing the user with greater flexibility and information content when carrying out such actions. By adjusting parameters using such programs, you can achieve increased productivity under specific operating conditions, make working with the operating system more convenient, and add special effects that will decorate the user interface.
By using optimization programs The configuration parameters of the operating system are checked for correctness and compatibility, and identified faults are eliminated. There are such optimizers for certain application programs, allowing you to achieve maximum performance from them.
