programs running in background

Question

While I am playing games, it appears that probrams running in background are using systems resources and screwing up game play. One pice of evidence of this is that the hard disk is "running" even though it shouldn't be. my questions are:

1) Can i force the system to only run the game and nothing in background ?
2) How to I edit "systray" or whatever is needed to not have some of these programs start-up automatically when the system boots up ( but I still want to leave them in the "Start-Programs" dialogue )

Goonboy · Answer

Go here. You can remove items from running at startup without losing access to them via Start - Programs, simply by following the instructions at the link site. Good luck. Click Here 'If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to serve as a horrible warning.' --Catherine Aird

daveg171 · Answer

thanks. one program I didn't see on that site is "wcmdmgr". Any idea of what that is and if it should be "unchecked" ?

Also, any ideas on forcing "no background programs"? ( hey, i got lucky with the first one, so....).

edlib · Answer

Wild Tangent is a WinAmp visualization plugin. They install an auto-update feature with the progams. That's what you're seeing. Safe to disable. In fact it makes me kinda suspicious that it might be spyware.

Bob11 · Answer

You can't exactly, but if you're not on the internet when you play games (or at a site you completely trust not to infect you with a virus) then an alternative is to use a little freeware utility called 'EndItAll' before you start a game. The utility will turn off everything that's running in the background except Explorer and, if you have it listed, Systray (Both needed by windows if listed). You can find the utility here.

Don't forget to reboot so you turn things back on after playing and before you get out of the net (EndItAll will shut off your virus scanner along with everything else).

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Goonboy · Answer

You could always do a Ctrl-Alt-Del, and end task on everything but Systray and Explorer (and your game), and do things that way. Minimizing the stuff that runs at Startup via MSCONFIG will probably do the most good for you.

As for "wcmdmgr," it appears that it has to do with an installed feature or application on your PC -
"Wcmdmgr.exe is our automated support engine; because of the complexity and rapid innovation of cutting-edge 3d hardware these days, we have decided on an automated solution for supporting all the latest hardware out there. The details of our support engine are given in our install screens, and described in the open letter from our CEO, Alex St. John here: http://www.wildtangent.com/candy/privacy.html. Please contact us at support@wildtangent.com if you have any other questions."

Whatever Wild Tangent is...I think you'll be fine unchecking it, though.

Get out! Leave while you still can! Aiyeeee!

Click Here

Shortcut to DellT@lk users FAQ Web Site - Opens in a new window.

"If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to serve as a horrible warning." --Catherine Aird

Goonboy · Answer

There was a specific mention of that in one of the Google hits I looked through on the subject. If it were me, I'd be running AdAware and Uninstall on that rascal...
:-0

Click Here

"If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to serve as a horrible warning." --Catherine Aird

Greg_Gorges · Answer

Take a look at enditall at http://navigation.helper.realnames.com/framer/1/113/default.asp?realname=PC+Magazine&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ezdnet%2Ecom%2Fpcmag%2F&frameid=1&providerid=113&uid=419107 or PC Magazine and search for the program enditall it works great for me.

My system is as follows:
Dimension 8100, P4 at 1.4Gz
256 Rambus non-ecc PC600
NEC CD-DVd 5880A
Sony RW CRX-160E
64Mb DDR NVIDIA GeForce 2 Ultra video card
Altec Lansing ADA885 speaker w/Subwoofer - THX
UltraScan P991 Trinitron Monitor
Turtle Beach Santa Cruz DSP sound card

Bowman

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programs running in background

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