• View all the processes running on your computer with Task Manager.ordinateur image by razorconcept from Fotolia.com
  
  Windows Task Manager is a tool used for monitoring system resources and applications' demands on the computer's memory and central processing unit. The Process tab displays a list of processes running at that time, with some process belonging to the operating system and others to individual applications. Most of the operating system processes should not be stopped, while individual processes can be stopped or started using Task Manager, which can be a useful tool when troubleshooting your computer.
  
  

Explorer.exe

• This process provides the desktop environment you see when Windows is running. It displays the task bar and desktop icons and the desktop wall paper. Stopping this service causes the desktop to disappear but should not harm the running of your computer; you can re-start the process from Task Manager.
  
  

Csrss.exe

• Task Manager cannot be used to stop this essential process. When an application calls a function from the operating system via an API--Application Process Interface--Csrss.exe communicates the request to the operating system Kernel.
  
  

Winlogon.exe

• Winlogon.exe manages the logging on and off of users to the operating system. It cannot be stopped using Task Manager and runs in the background even if your system does not require a log in ID. When a log on window is displayed it is Winlogon that is responsible.
  
  

Lsass.exe

• When a user logs on via the Winlogon process, Lsass.exe starts the processes that authenticate the user. When log on is successful Lsass creates a security access token that is then used to validate the user's credentials when starting other processes. This process cannot be stopped using Task Manager.
  
  

Spoolsv.exe

• When a user submits a print job to a printer, the application uses the Spoolsv.exe service to process the communication between the application and the printer's software. Task Manager cannot stop this process.
  
  

Svchost.exe

• Windows and applications running on Windows use DLLs--Dynamic Link Libraries--to perform some of their functions. DLLs cannot physically run by themselves and require another piece of software to enable them to be executed. Svchost.exe performs this task and may appear more than once in the list of running processes. Each instance of svchost may be running several different processes at once and cannot be stopped using Task Manager.
  
  

Services.exe

• Services.exe is an integral part of the Windows operating system and cannot be stopped using Task Manager. As the Services Control Manager, it is responsible for starting and stopping system services.