From the Individual Tools pane, click Manage System Configuration and then click Start next to Manage Running Programs.
The Manage Running Programs window allows you to manage the programs and processes that are running on your PC. The window displays a list of all running programs and processes, and notes if any of them are dangerous.
You can view detailed file properties, block processes, start processes, and run reports. Expert mode users can also prioritize running processes.
Unnecessary processes overburden system resources and memory. Use the Manage Running Programs to control running processes for performance and stability gains.
When you first open the window, System Mechanic collects all the system data and then displays the running programs.
You can view information, stop or block a process, start a process, and run reports. For information on prioritizing running processes, refer to the Prioritize Programs topic.
Note: By default, the standard mode applies. If you want to work at an advanced level, click Options to open the Process Manager Options window and select the Expert mode.
The window shows the process name, publisher, short description, user, startup mode (Manual or Automatic), CPU usage, and memory usage.
To view detailed information about a process, click the plus sign (+) next to the process name.
Note: To expand all entries on the window, click the Tools menu and click Expand all.
The following displays for each item:
Location. The location of the file on your computer.
Priority. The priority set for the process. You must be in Expert mode to change the priority. Click here for more information.
Caption. A display name for the file; generally only displays for programs.
Category. A classification for the file, such as "Necessary" or "Dangerous". Click here for more information.
Lookup. A brief description of the file.
Summary. Click the plus sign (+) to expand and view file details, such as file version and description.
Dependencies. Click the plus sign (+) to expand and view file dependencies.
In addition to viewing the information on the window, the following menu options allow you to access additional information for each process.
Tools > Open containing folder. Opens a Windows Explorer window, so you can view the folder that contains the items.
Tools > File properties. Opens a standard Properties window that shows file properties for the item.
Info > Ask Google about process. Open the Google search engine and searches using the process name.
To stop the current running of a process, either:
Select it and from the Stop menu, click Stop Process... Click Yes on the confirmation message to continue.
Right-click on it and from the right-click menu, click Stop Process... Click Yes on the confirmation message to continue.
In Expert mode, you can also block a process from starting again (for programs that are automatically set to start):
Select it and from the Stop menu, click Stop [x] and prevent it from starting... (where [X] is the file name).
Right-click on it and from the right-click menu, click Stop [x] and prevent it from starting... (where [X] is the file name).
To run a process:
From the Tools menu, click Start new process. A Run window opens.
Either:
Type in the executable location and name; or
Click Browse to open a standard Browse window. Navigate to the program or process and click OK. The executable location and name will display on the Run window.
Click OK to close the Run window. The process is now running and will display on the window.
To create a report and save the current status, from the Tools menu, click Save report.
To open a report, from the Tools menu, click Open report. The Manage Running Programs window will now display the contents of the report. To return to current results, click the Switch to live mode link.
Click Refresh to update the display of running programs.
Click Options to configure open the Process Manager Options window and select standard or expert mode.
Note: You can right-click on a process for quick access to selected Stop, Tools, and Info menu options. Click to view a list of the right-click menu options:
Related topics: