gHacks technology news » task-manager

Auslogics Task Manager Portable

Martin — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:14:01 +0000

Software development company Auslogics has released a free portable task manager replacement for the Windows operating system. Reason enough to take a closer look at the software program. We reviewed our share of Windows task manager replacements in the past; From DTaskManager over Windows System Explorer to the Free Extended Task Manager and the Anvir Task Manager. Alternative task managers that can be put on removable drives should be part of any troubleshooting toolkit. It has happened more than once in the past that the Windows Task Manager was disabled or damaged by malicious software.

The Auslogics Task Manager portable has a size of 1.66 Megabytes and divides the information in the four different sections applications, processes, services and open files. The applications and process window uses a similar interface that is listing the name of the application or process, a security rating, cpu usage, memory and disk utilization, Internet traffic and priority. The security rating is gathered from Auslogics’ own File Inspect service.

The Services view will display the running Windows services again with a security rating, category and path. Open Files will display all files that are currently open in the operating system. It will display name of the file and the application that has locked it.

Cpu usage, memory usage, disk activity and Internet traffic are displayed in graphs at the bottom. A left click on any application or process will display the utilization of that specific program or process which can be a great way of finding the resource heavy applications and processes on a system.

A right-click will open a context menu with additional options. It is for example possible to open the File Inspect website to retrieve in depth information about the selected process, application, service or file.

The file menu is providing quick access to Windows system tools like Computer Management, Control Panel or the Services manager.

Auslogics Task Manager Portable can be downloaded from the Auslogics website.

source Lee at Download Squad

Windows Task Manager Replacement DTaskManager

Martin — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 22:43:58 +0000

DTaskManager is a lightweight replacement for the default Windows Task Manager. It can be used side by side with the Windows Task Manager or replace it fully. If the second option is selected it will be launched when the user is opening the task manager the usual way. The program uses a similar layout as the Windows Task Manager but provides access to additional information and functions in its various tabs.

The five default tabs that are available in the Windows Task Manager are offered by DTaskManager plus the two additional Ports and Kernel Modules section. The program displays extensive information in each section of its interface, something that can only be partially achieved in the Windows Task Manager. The processes tab lists for example the path of the process and the cpu time by default.

The Ports section displays all network connections of the local computer system offering massive amounts of information that include the process name, local IP and port, remote IP and port, the protocol, path and socket status.

DTaskManager offers some advanced functions on how to deal with processes. It can for example kill processes the usual way, force the process to be closed and initiate an override to close the process which will bypass permissions as well. Another interesting feature is the ability to suspend tasks. This is a feature known from the Linux operating system which can temporarily halt tasks. That’s a handy feature in situations where all system resources are needed by a process as the user can suspend processes and resume them once the resources are not needed anymore for the priority process.

A few minor options are the ability to display the cpu and memory usage in the system tray. This can be displayed as a bar or as numerical values. DTaskManager is a solid and lightweight Windows Task Manager replacement. It is compatible with Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista.

Tags: dtaskmanager, microsoft-windows, processes, task-manager, windows software, windows task manager

Windows System Explorer

Martin — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 10:33:58 +0000

System Explorer is an advanced Windows Task Manager replacement that comes both as a portable and installer version. While it does display all the relevant information that the task manager is displaying it extends the information that are displayed beyond that and provides additional functionality to the user.

The interface of System Explorer is tab driven. It displays various information like Tasks, Processes, Modules or Opened Files in the various tabs on the top of the software program. Each tab will list the designated information, the process tab will for instance list the process names, their dependencies, cpu usage, process id and memory usage.

One of the interesting options that System Explorer provides is the ability to display or request additional information about an entry. A right-click on an entry will open a context menu with options to display file information, query Internet databases like Process Library or checking the file with online virus scanners like Virus Total.

That’s interesting for users who want to check up on processes or modules running on their computer system.

Unlike Microsoft’s Task Manager System Explorer does provide additional information. It will for example list all open connections of a computer system including the applications responsible for the connection. It will furthermore display the opened files or a process history in its interface which provide additional valuable information to the user.

Another interesting option is the snapshot ability. Users can create system snapshots and compare them to previous snapshots that they have created. This can be interesting to compare before and after system states while installing or updating software programs.

System Explorer provides access to additional system related features next to the extensive system monitoring options. It will list autostart entries, software programs that are installed on the computer system and link to system utilities like computer management or group policy management.

The software program can be used to replace the Windows Task Manager. To do that select the “Replace Task Manager” option in the Options menu on top. System Explorer will open whenever the user starts the Task Manager from then on.

Resource usage of System Explorer is low, it uses less than 5 Megabytes of computer memory while running which is acceptable considering all the advanced features that it brings to the table.

Tags: portable software, process explorer, system explorer, task manager replacement, task-manager, windows processes, windows software, windows tasks

Windows Task Manager Extension

Martin — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 13:51:36 +0000

While the Windows Task Manager does provide basic information about the performance of a computer system it fails short in numerous ways. Essential data like Windows services or open connections in the network or Internet are not displayed. The Extended Task Manager (via Nirmal TV) for Windows is a Windows Task Manager replacement that provides the same functionality as the Windows Task Manager plus extended information that put the usage of the Task Manager to a whole new level.

The extended Task Manager can be configured to replace the Windows Task Manager so that the default keyboard shortcut [CTRL ALT DEL] will open its interface instead. It can also be configured to run independently from the default Task Manager.

The extended Task Manager is tab driven like the original Windows Task Manager. It adds a Summary, Services, and Ports tab which can be used to access different kinds of data that are not visible in the Windows Task Manager.

The software program adds a few additional interesting options to the Task Manager. One of them is the ability to display the list of files that are locked by a process. Another option is to initiate a Google search right from the interface to get additional information about a running process.

The Ports tab will display a list of all incoming and outgoing connections including their process name, process ID, local and remote IP as well as local and remote port.

The configuration offers ways to enable additional information in the various tabs. The Port Monitoring configuration can for instance be used to add UDP port monitoring or limit the TCP ports that are monitored by the program.

The Windows Task Manager replacement uses roughly 5 Megabytes in minimized state and approximately 19 when active. The website of the software company does not contain information about the application’s compatibility. The only available information are that a 32-bit and 64-bit edition seem to exist.

Tags: task manager processes, task manager replacement, task-manager, windows software, windows task manager, windows task manager processes

Close Inactive Tasks

Martin — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 09:19:06 +0000

Just Close Some Tasks is an entry to the NANY 2009 Challenge over at Donation Coder. NANY stands for New Apps for a New Year. Members of the Donation Coder website create all kinds of applications for that day and it is usually lots of fun to see what they have created.

It is possible to get a sneak peak as some of the coders have already posted a few applications that they are working on. One interesting application is Just Close Some Tasks by Justice. This software program is especially helpful for users who tend to open many programs and forget to close them when they are no longer needed.

Just Close Some Tasks is a portable software that will keep track of all open applications and the time they have not been active. It will automatically mark tasks for closing that have not been active for a certain period in time. The time can be defined in the program’s options, the default value is 360 seconds. The program has been programmed to learn over time and adjust the expiry time automatically to fit the user’s needs.

The software program is hotkey driven. You press the hotkey which will open the main interface which will display all open processes and the time that they have been inactive. If the inactivity time of an application is greater than the time set in the program’s option it will be checked. A click on the Close button will close all checked applications and processes at once.

The application does not check if a program is active in the background which is one of the greatest disadvantages. It will for example mark defragmentation windows as inactive even though they are running in the background.

This can be countered by excluding processes temporarily or permanently. It would make sense to add all background processes to the list permanently to prevent that they are closed accidentally.

Tags: Close Inactive Tasks, close tasks, inactive tasks, portable software, task-manager, windows software

Windows xKill

Martin — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 07:22:29 +0000

The only way to terminate an application in Windows when it freezes is to open the Windows Task Manager and terminate it this way. It sometimes works by right-clicking the application in the Windows Statusbar and selecting close but this option is usually not working. It can also happen that it takes some time before the Windows Task Manager comes up. Even then it might be problematic to close the frozen application.

Windows xKill is a port of the Linux xKill program to Windows. The application is fully portable and sits in the Windows Taskbar after startup. The global keyboard shortcut [CTRL ALT Backspace] will load the application and display a skull and crossbones that is following the mouse cursor. The next click on a window or application will automatically terminate the instance.

Pressing [ESC] will close the application again which can be useful for testing purposes or when the application terminated in the meantime.

The software program uses a little bit more than 4 Megabyte of computer memory while running and can be useful to terminate frozen applications faster than usual.

Tags: frozen program, portable software, task-manager, terminate application, terminate program, windows software, windows task manager, xkill

Task Manager Software Extension

Martin — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 15:53:48 +0000

The default Windows Task Manager provides a good quick overview of the running processes of a computer system but it fails to deliver the information needed to analyze a process. The Task Manager software extension adds an incredible amount of information to the Windows Task Manager.

The Task Manager software extension changes the Applications and Processes tab in the Windows Task Manager. The Process ID is shown in the Applications tab while the major changes are visible and accessible in the Processes tab.

The default view in the Processes tab remains more or less unchanged. The only two differences are icons for every process listed and Windows system processes are grayed out to increase the visibility of non system processes.

The Task Manager software extension would be mediocre at best if those were the only changes. The majority of changes have been added to the right-click context menu. The two entries Information and Properties which display all kind of information about the selected process. Useful information include the system path, process environment variables and service information if available.

In addition to that users can view information about Files, Modules, Handles, Windows, Threads, Memory Maps and Process Security.

The Task Manager Software Extension added one additional menu to the top menu which provides access to additional information. Users can opt to view the loaded drivers, all handles and search for files and modules.

Tags: system information, system processes, task manager extension, Task Manager Software, task-manager, windows task manager

Add Process Quick Links To The Windows Task Manager

Martin — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 20:08:46 +0000

I used to research tasks of the Windows Task Manager by opening a website like Process Library and entering the process name in the search box on that website. I always thought that it would be nice to be able to click on a button to get the information that I was seeking instead and it seems that my wish come true in the form of the Quicklinks add-on for the Windows Task Manager.

Quicklinks (via Makeuseof) is powered by Process Library, one of the biggest websites on the Internet that contains a huge database of processes. The plugin adds a button in front of every task in the Windows Task Manager. A click on a button loads the process information page of that process at Process Library.

That page is loaded in the default web browser and thankfully not only in Internet Explorer. Installation is straightforward. The software has to be downloaded from the Process Library website and installed on the user’s system.

The application integrates itself automatically into the Windows Task Manager and the new buttons are available right away. Supported are all Windows operating systems that use NT technology starting with Windows 2000 including Windows XP and Windows Vista.

The program takes up about 5 Megabytes of memory when it is running in the background, not a big deal for users who check their processes regularly. Could also be worth installing if the user has the intention to check all system processes on a system.

Tags: process information, process library, process quicklinks, software, task-manager, uniblue, Windows

Task Manager Replacement

Martin — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 15:45:02 +0000

The Windows Task Manager is great for a first quick glance at the running processes and applications but it lacks functionality that is needed as well. If you wanted to check why an application or process is running you would have to check the startup settings which are not accessible in the task manager. This would mean to either look in the Windows Registry and open a system tool like msconfig or open a third party application like Autoruns from Sysinternals.

Another possible option is to replace the Windows Task Manager with a more powerful application that would load when pressing the CTRL ALT DEL keyboard shortcut. Anvir Task Manager Free is such a possibility. It adds much needed functionality to the Task Manager which reveals additional information.

The interface looks a bit overloaded at first glance but it’s rather easy to get used to it. The software has five main tabs: Startup, Processes, Applications, Services and Log.

If you take a closer look at the Processes tab you notice several additions. You might remember that the Windows Task Manager displays the process name and the memory used by the process.

The Anvir Task Manager displays if the process was automatically started and by which service or application, the executable file, the window name (if any) and much more. That’s only the information that you receive at first glance. If you mark a process you receive additional information such as a security risk analysis, information from a startup / services database, process properties, product information and files related to that process.

As you can see the Task Manager offers a wealth of information that makes live much easier. I could go on and explain other settings but that would lead to far in my opinion. Some other useful features are a menu that displays all connections of the system with the option to kill the process responsible, writing the traffic details to a log or to close the connection.

The right-click menu offers additional information and functions. You can perform web searches, send files to Virus Total to check them for viruses and much more.

Tags: software, task-manager, taskmanager, Windows

Automatically Adjust the Process Priority

Martin — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 09:52:48 +0000

There is no automatic way to adjust the priority of a process in Windows using the default tools supplied by Microsoft. It is possible to adjust the current process priority but this setting is only valid for the current setting. Once the process gets killed, for example by closing the application or rebooting, it reverts the priority back to the default one.

But what if you want to do it automatically ? Say you happen to transcode videos every now and then and want that process to be below normal to continue working with your computer during the process. Or you would like to assign a higher process priority to a game that you like to play and that needs all the cpu cycles that it can get.

I can tell from personal experience that there are many applications where an automatic adjustment of the process priority would come in handy.

One tool that does the job is Prio, the Priority Saver. It adds this functionality to the Windows Task Manager. The most important feature that it introduces is the ability to save priorities for processes. To do that you simply select another process priority and check the Save Priority entry in the same menu as well.

Every time the process is started it will run with the selected priority from now on. The different colors are also added by Priority Saver. Green colors are assigned to processes with a digital signature while red colored ones do not have one. Hovering the mouse over a process will display a tooltip with additional information about it.

Priority Saver adds two new tabs to the Windows Task Manager as well which are called Services and TCP / IP.

The services tab displays all services currently installed on the system. This menu makes it possible to start and stop services and change their startup mode which makes the services.msc application redundant.

The TCP/IP tab displays all incoming and outgoing network connections of the computer. Tooltips aid in determining the process that is responsible for the connection.

Process Priority is free for personal use and runs fine in Windows XP. There is no information available about other supported operating systems.

Tags: processes, services, software, task-manager, tcp/ip, Windows, windows tips

Fix Your Task Manager if it is Disabled

Cheryl — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 16:08:01 +0000

If you are running Windows as an administrator, it is possible to disable the task manager. This is one of the options you would get if you right click your system tray. However, the most common reason for a disabled task manager is viruses. Disabling the task manager is one way for a virus to prevent you from getting rid of it.

Luckily, enabling your task manager is possible, with a few simple steps. The first thing though is to make sure your task manager actually is disabled. If you right click your system tray and the task manager option is grayed-out, it is disabled. You can also check by going to Start –> Run and typing ‘taskmgr’. You will get a message saying your task manager has been disabled by the administrator.

If the task manager has been disabled by a virus, you will first need to get it out of your computer. Once that is done, you are ready to proceed. Go to Start –> Run, type ‘gpedit.msc’ and hit OK. This opens up the Group Policy Editor. Once there, double click the following entries;

User Configuration
Administrative Templates
System
Ctrl+Alt+Del Options

The first entry is ‘Remove Task Manager’, which will be enabled. Double click this entry to change its setting. Select ‘Not configured’ and click OK. Your task manager will be enabled after this.

The above method works on Windows XP. An alternate method is to modify the registry manually. Go to Start –> Run, type ‘regedit’ and click OK. Expand the following registry keys in order.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER
Software
Microsoft
Windows
CurrentVersion
Policies
System

You will see a DisableTaskMgr entry with a registry value of 1. Right click this entry and select ‘Delete’. Confirm the action and you should be able to access your task manager once again.

Let me know if any of these methods work for you. Also, comment if you know of any other ways to fix a disabled task manager.

Via [AskLeo]

Tags: task-manager, virus, Windows

Why is nvsvc32.exe running on my system ?

Martin — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 08:49:53 +0000

I do take a close look at the processes that are running on my system from time to time to make sure that no malicious process snug in. Sometimes I find a new process that I never saw before in the task manager and use the Internet to find out more information about it.

The nvsvc32.exe process was one of those that I did not recognize before and I was wondering what it was doing in there. I suspected it had something to do with my NVIDIA graphics adapter and a quick search told me it was. Nvsvc32.exe is apparently the NVIDIA Driver Helper Service which is a Windows service that is started automatically.

A way to get rid of this process would be to disable the service in Windows XP. Use the command line to start services.msc and disable the service NVIDIA Driver Helper Service. It is normally safe to disable the service but if you encounter any problems afterwards you have to activate it again.

Everything is still working properly on my system. I can use the configuration and all applications and games do work as before.

Some reports on the Internet suggested that this could indeed speed up shutdown and startup time. Some others reported problems with temperature reporting after disabling the service.

Read More:

Black Viper Strange Services

Tags: microsoft, nvsbc32.exe, services, task-manager, Windows

Manage your Tasks with Task Coach

Martin — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 17:45:47 +0000

The older I grow the more I have to rely on notes to remember due tasks. It is not that bad at the moment but I do seem to forget tasks more often than a few years back. A software like Task Coach comes in handy to aid me and everyone else who needs to write down certain tasks to remember them. Task Coach can be used as simple reminder of tasks to come (birthdays, events) or for business projects adding budgets and start, due and completion dates.

New Tasks can contain a description and subject, dates which have been mentioned before, a budget, attachments, categories and a set behavior (auto completion of task when all children are complete). Tasks can be sorted in various ways, filters can be applied and they can be exported in html, xml and calendar format.

It is open source and versions for windows, linux and mac exist.

source: winaddons

Tags: freeware, Linux, mac, notes, Open Source, reminder, task, task-coach, task-manager, Windows

Config Inspector

Martin — Sat, 24 Dec 2005 10:09:24 +0000

First of all, Merry Christmas everyone ;)

Config Inspector is a nice little freeware application for windows operating systems that could be described as an advanced task manager. Besides offering more information about loaded applications and processes it also displays vital information about memory and cpu usage, network utilization and general windows information.

A nice handy utility which is only 125K zipped. Just unpack and run, no installation required.

Tags: cpu, freeware, memory, network, process, task-manager, Windows

gHacks technology news » task-manager

Auslogics Task Manager Portable

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