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RAM is occupied by non-run programs

 
zgpan_1
Occasional Contributor

RAM is occupied by non-run programs

My windows XP takes long time to start up. I checked the source usage in the task manager. There are 2-3 programs running. but when i checked the processes, I found there were 43 processes there. Some of them I never started them. E.G., Matlab uses 35Mbyte RAM but i did not run it. How do I enhance the start-up speed? How do I prevent the programs running without my permission? I once used the msconfig to disable the auto start of programs. But when I tried it, the XP gave an error message and suggested me to use the default setting.
3 REPLIES 3
Roger Faucher
Honored Contributor

Re: RAM is occupied by non-run programs

Hi:

I'm a little confused by your post. Matlab is a third-party math software product and if you didn't install it, someone must have (it doesn't come with Windows). Either you, your IT dept, or your system integrator must have put it on the system. I'm not familiar with that software, but it's not unusual for certain products to always have a component running.

You had the right idea when you tried to stop certain things from running, in an effort to isolate the problem. You probably chose some critical components to NOT run.

I suggest you boot the system up and before you load/run any programs, go to task manager and record all the running Applications. If there are any you don't want to run on Startup, go to the Startup folder and remove them or contact the vendor's tech support and find out how to keep them from running at startup. Once you've got the applications handled, see if your problem is solved. If not, investigate the Processes under Task Manager and do the same thing (identify them and try to stop the ones you don't want to run by default).

Consider that your symptom may be caused by inadequate hardware, or incorrect configuration. If you're connected to a LAN, make sure you're not running any unnecessary protocols, etc.

Give us your system specs; CPU/RAM, HDD, HDD free space, etc. and we may be able to make some suggestions.

Roger
Make a great day!

Roger
zgpan_1
Occasional Contributor

Re: RAM is occupied by non-run programs

The laptop is pavillion 5495 with windows XP home, PIII 1.06GHz, 512M RAM, 30G hard drive. I really want to shorten the start-up time and prevent program running without my permission. The matlab was installed by me. But I do not want this program and other applications running untill I really need them. Just after start-up, only 222M RAM is available. More than half of the RAM is occupied by the programs who are not shown in the task manager.
Roger Faucher
Honored Contributor

Re: RAM is occupied by non-run programs

There are a number of tips to speed up machines running MATLAB available on their website, esp. related to AntiVirus software. Check them out at http://www.mathworks.com/support/product/ML/
under Startup and Speed/Performance.

Good luck!

Roger
Make a great day!

Roger