What is a process and how do they affect my computer?

A process usually a part of an installed application or your operating system that is responsible for running in functions of that application. Some application require that they have processes running all the time so they can do things such as check for updates or notify you when you get an instant message. Some poorly written applications have many processes that run that may not be required and take up valuable processing power within your computer.

Some processes can use up significant amounts of RAM and CPU processing power. This can have a negative effect on laptop battery life and system performance.

How do I terminate a process?

You can stop a process using the Windows Task Manager by right clicking on any process and then choosing 'End Task' or 'End Process'. This will terminate that process but it will not stop it from running again in the future. It is likely that the process will start again at a later time or when you restart your computer.

To terminate the process and stop it from running again you need to find out which application installed on your computer is responsible for running that process and remove that application.