Task Manager

• Start by hitting "Ctrl-Alt-Del" simultaneously. In Windows XP, this will bring up Task Manager. If you have never used Task Manager, it will appear with the "Applications" tab activated. Otherwise, Task Manager will appear with whichever tab was active the last time it was closed.
  
  

Applications

• The "Applications" tab lists all the user programs currently running, but not the Windows XP system processes. Sometimes these programs, or tasks, will not close properly and will need to be closed here. Simply click on the program name you want to close to highlight it and then click the "End Task" button at the bottom of the window.
  
  

Processes

• If the processes cannot be closed from the "Applications" tab, click the "Processes" tab. Unlike the "Applications" tab, this tab lists all the processes currently running, including Windows XP system processes. To remove a process, highlight it by clicking it and then clicking the "End Process" button. A warning will pop up indicating the possible negative outcomes of ending a process this way. Click "Yes" if you still want to remove the process. Be careful which processes you remove, because some of them will cause the entire operating system to shut down. If you are having trouble finding a process in the list, you can click the column headers to sort them.
  
  

System Processes

• If you are unsure which processes you can remove and still keep Windows XP active, there are two things to examine. These rules do not always apply but are good guidelines when deciding which processes to remove. First, look to see if you recognize the process's program name. "Winword.exe" is readily identified as Microsoft Word and will not harm the operating system if you remove it. Second, any process with a user name listed in the table as "System," "Network Service" or "Local Service" should be avoided unless you are experienced and can properly identify the process's function.
  
  

Start-Up Processes

• To remove a process from Windows XP's start-up routine, you must edit the configuration file. Open the "Start" menu. Select "Run..." Type "msconfig" into the command line and hit "Enter" to bring up the system configuration menu. Under "Services" and "Startup" tabs, deselect the processes you no longer need to run. You must be careful about which processes you choose, however, because if you deselect a critical process, Windows XP may not start the next time you boot your computer. Click "OK" when you are done.