Quick overview:
Watch out: On average, between 60 and 100 maintenance functions are active in the background on every PC with Vista and Windows 7; Microsoft calls them "scheduled tasks". They usually start invisibly and fully automatically - either at predefined times or at a specific moment! Some are useful, others only cost computing power or connect to the Internet unnoticed. Windows Tweaks reveals how you can quickly find out which ones are active on your computer, what they do and how they can be switched off if desired. [By Sandro Villinger]
Windows and some of the most frequently used programs perform these "scheduled tasks" under Windows Vista and 7: These include regular checks for Media Center updates, defragmentation of the hard disk or the search for Java updates.
Windows prioritizes correctly, many programs do not
Windows makes sure that scheduled tasks are executed as often as possible in idle mode and do not slow down performance when working or playing games - but this does not always work. Third-party maintenance tasks in particular, such as DivX, Java or Google Updater, are much more aggressive. You can find out which tasks are active and which .
1. Click on the Windows start button and type "Task planning" in the search field. Press Enter.
First click on the main heading "Task planning library". Here you will find the scheduled tasks of all third-party manufacturers, such as Google, Java or DivX. To find out what is behind a task, double-click on it and switch to the "Actions".
2. Then take a look at the "Trigger" - here you can find out when and in which situation the planned task is carried out. In the example, Google checks for updates every day at 23:29 and every time the user logs in by starting the "GoogleUpdate.exe /c" file. To deactivate the task, right-click on it and select "Deactivate".
3. Now it's time for some hard work: go through all the task categories (especially "Microsoft Windows") and switch off any tasks you don't need. All-clear: None of the tasks - apart from security-related tasks such as "Microsoft Antimalware" - are necessary for smooth PC operation. However, we strongly advise against doing without important update functions.
We hope this has given you a little more control over the numerous background tasks of Windows!
Sandro Villinger
On Windows Tweaks you will find time-saving tech guides for PC, software & Microsoft. For a stress-free digital everyday life. Already We have been tweaking Windows since 1998 and just don't stop!
Good piece of information. Thanks.