Understanding the Basics of Computer Processes

When you give an instruction to the computer such as when you click on an icon or you use the keyboard to type something, you are telling your computer what to do. Any set of instructions that you give your computer is in fact a program. When the computer executes these instructions, we call the execution of these instructions as computer processes.Every different operating system will have its own set of process names and software that execute in a different way. Every program may require several processes to make it run successfully. When the computer is being used, there are several programs that run simultaneously and the computer is able to execute several instructions one after another without wasting its own resources and your time.In very simple words, computer programs have the ability to multi-task and the processes are switched by the computer’s processors without the user even coming to know about any change in the process execution. Processes in the computer system are further categorized or divided into threads. These threads remain active as long as the processes are being executed. As soon as the processes are terminated, the threads are also terminated. Sometimes, certain processes take up a lot of resources of the computer’s processor. This will make the computer to run very slow. At times, without your being aware of it, some process may be activated in your computer that could occupy the processor and in turn affect the working of the other programs in the computer.If you find your computer freezing or stopping on its own, there is surely some malfunctioning of the computer processes. This could be due to spyware, malware, viruses or Trojans that could have found their way into your computer system.  The simplest thing to do when you are not sure if a program is genuine or unwanted is to stop it from running. This can be done by ending the process using the Task Manager. You can also use the End Task option by clicking on the Go To Process link when you right click on the application.