Process Library Quick Access Info Bar
One of the first steps of troubleshooting a program installation problem or when your PC freezes up is to Ctrl + Alt + Del, open up the Task Manager, look down the list of running processes, etc. You immediately look for the process that is utilizing the most CPU percentage and hope that it isn’t a system dependant process, so you will be able to shut it down. Many people are familiar with this technique and it really is a good thing to know. What throws a monkey wrench in the whole thing is that these process names that are in the Task Manger’s list seem to be just a wee bit on the cryptic side, which I think makes people a little nervous.
If you can look at an entry like SPBBCSvc.exe and immediately know it is a Norton antivirus process that helps keep everything up-to-date, you’re better at this than I am. I need help to decipher these process names, which usually materializes in me performing an online search.
Well, today’s download should help remove the shroud of secrecy that has lingered in your Task Manager for so long with all the unknown processes that are running, unchecked, in your system. Well, not anymore. Not with the help of the Process Library.
Process Library is a Web service that provides a searchable database for users to search in an effort to learn more about the processes running in their systems. This isn’t ground breaking news; as a matter of fact, I did an article a long time ago where I showcased an online searchable process database.
What makes Process Library’s service so innovative and exciting is that they offer a free Quick Access Info bar plug-in. Basically this is a small service that plugs into your Task Manager, giving you the ability to search the Process Library’s database with one simple click. The Task Manager plug-in creates small round blue icons next to every entry in the Task Manager. If you click on one of the blue icons, you are whisked away to the Web site where the process has already been looked at and is waiting for you.
When the Process Library finishes loading, you will see that the process you are concerned with has actually already been looked into. The presentation page for the Process Library gives you an explanation of what it is, who makes it and how should you handle it. I know this will help a lot of people; yours truly being one of them.
This is a program that instantly went in my personal utility programs folder. It was love at first site and my life’s been a whirlwind of excitement ever since. Boy, I am a geek! Well, maybe you won’t be quite as excited as I was, but you should be! This is a great idea and a great program. So, stop those unnecessary and potentially dangerous processes with the Quick Access Info Bar. It really is a wonderful little service.
You can download the Quick Access Info Bar here.
~Chad Stelnicki