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One way to find out what’s going on is to check the Task Manager. It shows you what processes are running on your PC. It’s a window into the background of how your PC is running, including CPU performance, Wi-Fi usage and graphics card processes.
Keep reading to find out how to open Task Manager and which processes are safe to stop.
How to open Task Manager
Opening your task manager in Windows is super easy. Just press the CTRL + Alt + Delete buttons simultaneously. Select Task Manager when the menu opens.
Processes can be stopped by simply opening Task Manager, clicking on the Process tab and clicking on a process you want to stop. Then hit the big End Task button in the bottom right corner. Let’s look at which ones you should end right now. (NOTE: You might not see all these processes running in Task Manager.)
End ctfmon.exe
The ctfmon.exe process runs in the background, so you’ll find it in Task Manager under Background Processes. It’s used to help with alternative text input, such as speech recognition and your on-screen keyboard. You can end this task if you just use a mouse and keyboard and don’t take advantage of these additional input options.
End OneDrive.exe
Do you have OneDrive hooked up to your Windows account? Many people do. OneDrive is part of the Office set of programs and often comes installed on your PC. This can free up some space, but if you enjoy backing up photos and videos, you can still choose to do it manually whenever you want.
End LockApp.exe
This controls the Windows lock screen, but it’s not necessary while your PC is on. You can end this if you shut down your PC when you’re done and don’t have to worry about screen burn-in. It’s constantly running in the background and can eat up small amounts of resources.
End NewsAndInterests.exe
When you search in the start bar, you get personalized news and information/content based on your interests. This is invasive advertising built into your PC. You can end this app to free up small amounts of resources and clear up your UI to make your PC much more enjoyable to use.
End GrooveMusic.exe
Even when you run music and media on Windows, it still defaults to Windows Media Player. GrooveMusic.exe isn’t necessary unless you actually use the service (many don’t). You can end this to free up small resources.
There’s one more thing you can do
You can prevent these processes from popping up again when you start your PC. It’s relatively easy to do. Here are the steps.
Open Task Manager.
Click on the Startup tab (4th option).
Click to highlight whichever program you want to prevent from opening on Startup, and click Disable. Do this for each program you wish to disable.
That will prevent programs from booting up during startup, reducing startup times and ensuring they don’t run in the background while using your PC.