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Is there a program or utility to monitor the running process and automatically kill specific processes? My work laptop has a whole bunch of useless crap that I cannot uninstall. Some of these processes keeps popping a specific intervals and consume tons of cpu and make my laptop useless. I always have to manually kill these processes which is annoying. I can't uninstall these otherwise they will automatically reinstall.

7 Answers 7

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you can make a vbscript, (or batch), then run as scheduled task,eg

Set objArgs = WScript.Arguments
strProcess = objArgs(0)
strComputer = "."
Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & strComputer & "\root\cimv2")
Set colProcesses = objWMIService.ExecQuery("Select * from Win32_Process Where Name ='" & strProcess & "'")

If colProcesses.Count = 0 Then
    Wscript.Echo strProcess & " is not running."
Else
    Wscript.Echo strProcess & " is running."
    'Kill the process
    For Each objProcess in colProcesses
        objProcess.Terminate()
    Next

End If

save the above as terminate.vbs and put this as schedule task

cscript /nologo terminate.vbs "sleep.exe" 
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  • I need to do greater than a threshold but colProcesses.Count > 2 always return True. Why is it so ? Aug 1, 2022 at 14:38
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Try attaching a debugger to the process and break. It shouldn't pop up anymore (since it's still running), but it shouldn't bother you anymore either (from the break). Apparently one of my co-workers used to do this to avoid automatic reboots after installing updates.

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AnVir Task Manager

Freeware process and startup manager. Remove spyware and optimize performance. Monitor and manage processes, services, internet connections, DLLs, drivers. Descriptions for startup programs and all Windows services. Alerts on new startups.

Icons in tray for CPU usage and disk load. Quick access to last launched programs in tray. Hide windows to system tray.

Automatically change process priority, permanently block undesired processes. Furthermore, comes with an attractive user interface.

Advanced startup manager allows you to: · Get full list of applications running automatically on Windows startup including all hidden applications. · Get all additional information about startup applications. · Disable/enable, add/delete, edit startup entries. · Stop or run once again startup application.

Startup guard allows you to: · See alert when any new application adds itself to startup. · Forbid some applications to be added to startup. · See alert when Internet Explorer home page was changed.

Process manager allows you to: · Get full information about all processes: CPU and memory usage, executable name with full path, priority, work time, user name. · Get executable file properties, icon and version information. · Stop many processes with one click. · Change process priorities.

Tray icons allows you to: · Get current information about CPU usage including list of most active programs. · Get current information about HDD usage. Protection against viruses includes: · Detection and destruction of most propagated viruses. · Virus database update. · Minimum usage of system resources.

A free and portable version can be downloaded here.

however, you may consider the Pro version, to permanently block undesired processes:

create a 'black list' of processes that are automatically terminated immediately after these processes start. Add to this list annoying and undesired processes that are started automatically without your will.

Anvir Task Manager Pro is shareware, try before you buy.

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If app blacklisting is enough for you, so you could take a look at Process Blocker it's free. Process can be blocked by its name (with wildcard support in paths and names), as well by its CRC32.

In paid version it has some additional features, such as whitelisting by process name, CRC32, and logged on username or user's group.

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  • Please read How do I recommend software for some tips as to how you should go about recommending software. At the very least you should provide more than just a link, for example some additional information about the software itself.
    – DavidPostill
    Mar 18, 2015 at 12:40
  • David, I have added details Mar 18, 2015 at 13:41
  • Unfortunately, it's not free :( 10 day trial
    – Jean Monet
    Jul 25, 2021 at 15:03
0

You should try Sysinternals Process Explorer from Microsoft TechNet.

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  • 3
    Can it automatically kill a process?
    – Snark
    Nov 12, 2009 at 22:35
  • AFAIK no, but with PE he can detect which program starts that process and then remove that program forever. Why killing a process every time the computer starts instead of finding its root and removing it permanently? If he wants to kill a process, it means that he won't need it. Nov 12, 2009 at 22:40
  • I know which program it is, i cannot uninstall it or IT will magically reinstall it somehow in the background... trust me i've tried
    – user17810
    Nov 12, 2009 at 22:41
  • Then Molly's answer is the right one. But I wonder: If you install a 3rd party software like AnVir, won't IT warn you? IMHO, you should tell them about those decelerators and they should find the solution. Nov 12, 2009 at 22:54
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    ideally yes, but they don't care. It is a pos backup software, backs up everything, non-configurable, and doesn't care if you're at home on the wireless, or whatever, and also takes up tons of cpu... cannot be disable, or scheduled, they are adamant we keep it installed, but don't know if we kill it every chance we get (which we do)
    – user17810
    Nov 12, 2009 at 23:04
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If you know Microsoft Developer Tools, you can use PSAPI (Process status API) http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms684884(VS.85).aspx to write nifty utility to do the things you want.

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Start msconfig from "Run program..." in the start menu. It allows you to disable programs started from the registry. The same goes for services too.

But I wonder. Is it your own laptop, or a company laptop. If the latter, then it might be something configured in the group policy that installs the programs again.

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