The
Sysinternals web site is a great place to start for problems like this. They have two really good tools for shutting down running process manually.
PLEASE NOTE: Tinkering with and/or terminating a running process can be VERY DANGEROUS. Certain system processes must run continously in order to guarantee the proper operation of your computer. If you do not know what a process does, what it is intended to do, or what you are doing when you terminate a process - LEAVE IT ALONE!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!Having given you the above disclaimer - use the following information at your own risk. Terminating the incorrect process can leave you with an unstable/unbootable system:
1. Process Explorer - (
http://www.sysinternals.com/) Under Process Utilities - has a GUI [Graphical User Interface] and will actually allow you to search online to find out what a certain file or process on your system does. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR NOVICE USERS to keep from crashing a system. Not every unknown process is a bad one and not all processes should be terminated if you think something is wrong.
Process Explorer will also show you relevant information for each process such as:
- How much CPU usage each process is taking up on your computer
- Files and folders in use by each process
- Hooks and System Calls in use by each process
- What program and/or file started the process
Again, I am not recommending you use any software to randomly turn off running processes on your machine. If you think you have an infection or someone has hacked you, COME BACK HERE AND ASK FOR HELP IN THE APPROPRIATE FORUM!
2. PSTOOLS - same website, also found under "Process Utilities" will give you command line control over running processes and the ability to list (using PSLIST) or kill (using PSKILL) any process you can identify.
I CAN NOT STATE THIS ENOUGH - IF YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING, DO NOTHING!!! COME BACK HERE AND ASK FOR HELP.
I am not being sarcastic, nor do I think that you are not capable of fixing your system with the
right amount of training and knowledge. But in helping you to solve a problem, I have a responsibility to not make your situation worse by turning you loose with tools that could make your problem bigger.
If you have any questions, ask first.