If you spend any time at all poking through Task Manager, you know that loads of processes run on any Windows system. But what do they do? Is it safe to stop, disable, or re-prioritize them? We’ve got some answers for you.
RELATED: How to Use the New Task Manager in Windows 8 or 10
As part of an ongoing series, we’re taking a closer look at the processes spawned by Windows, common third-party apps, and hardware drivers. Here’s what we’ve collected so far.
Windows Processes
These are processes that are built into Windows:
What Is the Service Host Process (svchost. exe) and Why Are So Many Running? What Is rundll32. exe and Why Is It Running? What Is Desktop Window Manager (dwm. exe) and Why Is It Running? What Is ctfmon. exe and Why Is It Running? What Are wmpnscfg. exe and wmpnetwk. exe and Why Are They Running? What Is conhost. exe and Why Is It Running on My PC? What Is dpupdchk. exe and Why Is It Running? What Is “Runtime Broker” and Why Is It Running on My PC? What Is “Host Process for Windows Tasks”, and Why Are So Many Running on My PC? What Is “Device Association Framework Provider Host” and Why Is It Running on My PC? What Is the “System Interrupts” Process and Why Is It Running on My PC? What Is “Windows Shell Experience Host” and Why Is Running On My PC? What Is “Windows Audio Device Graph Isolation” and Why Is It Running on My PC? What Is “Windows Modules Install Worker” and Why Is It Running on My PC? What Is “Antimalware Service Executable” and Why Is It Running on My PC? What Is “wsappx” and Why Is It Running on My PC? What Is “SmartScreen” and Why Is It Running on My PC? What Is Client Server Runtime Process (crss. exe) and Why Is It Running on My PC? What Is Windows Logon Application (winlogon. exe), and Why Is It Running on My PC?
Third-Party Processes
Some processes, while very common, are not built into Windows, and are instead a part of popular software:
What Is Adobe_Updater. exe and Why Is It Running? What Is jusched. exe and Why Is It Running? What Is mDNSResponder. exe / Bonjour and How Can I Uninstall or Remove It?
And be sure to check back regularly. We’ll update this page each time we write about a new process.
