Managing Installed and Running Programs in Vista

Windows Vista provides several management tools for working with programs. These tools include:

• Software Explorer Helps you determine and manage startup programs, currently running programs, network-connected programs, and programs that use Windows Sockets (Winsock)

• Task Manager Provides options for viewing and managing currently running programs as well as options for viewing resource usage and performance

• Windows Features Helps you view and manage the Windows components installed on a computer

• Programs Provides tasks for viewing installed programs, adding and removing programs, viewing installed updates, and more

• Default Programs Helps you track and configure global default programs for the computer, personal default programs for individual users, AutoPlay settings for multimedia, and file associations for programs

These tools are discussed in the sections that follow.

Managing Startup and Running Programs with Software Explorer

Windows Defender tracks a computer's potentially malicious programs using a subcomponent called Software Explorer. Software Explorer is responsible for tracking all the programs running on a computer and identifying how those programs are being used. You access Software Explorer in Windows Defender.

Using Software Explorer, you can quickly determine a computer's:

• Startup programs

• Currently running programs

• Network-connected programs

• Winsock service providers

To access Software Explorer, click Start, point to All Programs, and click Windows Defender. In Windows Defender, click Tools on the toolbar and then click Software Explorer.

Managing Startup Programs

"Customizing the Desktop and the Interface," programs that run in the background and start automatically when a user logs on can be viewed and managed through the Startup folder that is located within the profile data for that user (%UserProfile%\App-Data\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu) or through the Startup folder for all users (%SystemDrive%\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu). You can also use Software Explorer to view and manage startup programs for individual users.

In Software Explorer, you select Startup Programs in the Category list to view currently configured startup programs. By default, startup programs are grouped by software publisher. (See Figure 1.) You can also group programs by startup type by right-clicking in the left pane and then selecting Startup Type.

Figure 1: Use Software Explorer to determine startup programs.

When you click a program in the left pane, details about the program's configuration are shown in the right pane. The details listed for each startup program include:

• Classification Shows the classification of the executable file as either allowed or not allowed

• Date Installed Shows the date and time the file was installed

• Description Shows a description of the program

• Display Name Shows the application name that Windows Vista uses

• File Name Shows the executable file name

• File Path Shows the complete file path to the executable file

• File Size Shows the size of the executable file in bytes

• File Type Shows the type of file listed in the File Name field, such as whether a file is an application file or an application extension file

• File Version Shows the version and revision number of the executable file

• Location Shows the folder path where the startup program shortcut was created or the Run registry key value

• Publisher Shows the company that published the software

• Ships With OS Shows whether the executable file ships with the operating system (OS)

• Startup Type Shows how you have configured the program to start automatically, such as whether the startup program is in the Startup folder for all users or the Startup folder for the current user

• Startup Value Shows the options or parameters passed to the program at startup

• Verified Shows whether the file has been digitally verified as authentic

When you select a startup program in the left pane, you are then able to use the following options to manage the program:

• Remove Click Remove to delete the shortcut or registry value that sets the program to start automatically.

• Disable Click Disable to configure the program so that it doesn't start automatically, without removing the shortcut or registry value that sets the program to start automatically.

• Enable Click Enable to allow a previously disabled startup program to run automatically when a user logs on.

Managing Currently Running Programs

In Windows Vista, you can view and work with a computer's currently running programs and processes using either Software Explorer's Currently Running Programs category or Task Manager. Software Explorer's Currently Running Programs category enables you to view and manage currently running processes for all users. Both foreground and background processes are listed. By default, Software Explorer groups running programs by software publisher. You can group programs by user by right-clicking in the left pane and then selecting User Name.

You can view details about a running program's configuration by clicking the program in the left pane. Although the details listed for each running program are similar to those for startup programs, the details also show the process ID number of the related process and the user account under which the process is running.

Using the Currently Running Programs category view, you can:

• Terminate a process When you select a process in the left pane, you can then terminate the process by clicking End Process and then clicking Yes when prompted to confirm the action.

• Run Task Manager When you click the Task Manager button, Windows Vista opens the Task Manager. You can also open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete.

As Figure 2 shows, Task Manager has two tabs for working with running programs:

• Applications Task Manager's Applications tab lists applications that are currently running in the foreground by name and status, such as Running or Not Responding. To exit a program, as might be necessary when it is not responding, click the program in the Task list and then click End Task.

• Processes Task Manager's Processes tab lists all background and foreground applications running on the computer by image name, user name, and resource usage. To stop a process, click the process and then click End Process.

Figure 2: Use Task Manager to work with running processes.

By default, Task Manager's Processes tab only shows running processes for the currently logged on user and the operating system. To see running processes for all users, you must click Show Processes From All Users.

Tip

On the Processes tab, you can manage processes in additional ways by switching to administrator mode. To do this, right-click in the Processes tab and then select Perform Administrative Tasks. You will then be able to right-click processes and select from an extended list of options, including Open File Location (which opens the folder containing the executable file for the process in Windows Explorer), End Process Tree (which stops the process and all dependent processes), Create Dump File (which creates a memory dump file for the selected process), and Properties (which opens the Properties dialog box for the executable file).

Managing Network-Connected Programs and Winsock Service Providers

Software Explorer provides two additional views. In Software Explorer, you select Network Connected Programs in the Category list to view programs that are connected to the local area network (LAN), the Internet, or both. When you select a network-connected program, you can view that program's configuration details in the right pane. The details provided for a network-connected program show active connections according to the following:

• Foreign Address Shows the remote Internet Protocol (IP) address and port number being used (if any)

• Local Address Shows the local IP address and port number being used

• Protocol Shows the TCP/IP protocol being used

• State Shows the state of the port being used, such as whether it is listening for incoming requests

Using the Network Connected Programs category view, you can:

• Stop a program When you select a user-started program in the left pane, you can then terminate the program by clicking End Process and then clicking Yes when prompted to confirm the action.

• Block incoming connections to a program When you select a user-started program in the left pane, you can block incoming Winsock connections to the program by clicking Block Incoming.

In Software Explorer, you select Winsock Service Providers to list programs that are acting as local service providers for Winsock. When you select a network-connected program, you can view that program's configuration details in the right pane. The details provided for Winsock service providers include the LSP Type (which shows what type of provider the program is) and Special Path (which show the device path being used by the program for Winsock communications).

Managing and Repairing Installed Programs

Windows Vista considers any program you've installed on a computer or made available for a network installation to be an installed program. In earlier versions of Windows, you use the Add Or Remove Programs utility to install and manage applications. In Windows Vista, you use the setup program that comes with the application to install applications, and you use the Installed Programs page in Control Panel to manage applications.

You can use the Installed Programs console to view, add, remove, or repair installed programs by following these steps:

1. Click Start, Control Panel. In Control Panel, click Programs.

2. Click Programs And Features. You should now see a list of installed programs.

3. In the Name list, right-click the program you want to work with and then select one of the following:

   • q Uninstall to uninstall the program

   • q Change to modify the program's configuration

   • q Repair to repair the program's installation

Designating Default Programs

Default programs determine which programs are used with which types of files and how Windows handles files on CDs, DVDs, and portable devices. You configure default programs based on the types of files those programs support, either globally for all users of a computer or only for the current user. Individual user defaults override global defaults. For example, you could consider Windows Media Player the global default for all types of files it supports, and then all users of the computer would use Windows Media Player to play sound, audio, and video files it supports. If a user wanted to use Apple iTunes instead as the default player for sound and audio files, you could then configure iTunes to be her default player for the types of media files it supports.

You can configure global default programs for all the users of a computer by following these steps:

1. Click Start, Control Panel. In Control Panel, click Programs.

2. Click Default Programs and then click Set Program Access And Computer Defaults.

3. As shown in Figure 3, choose a configuration from one of the following options:

   • q Microsoft Windows Sets the currently installed Windows programs as the defaults for Web browsing, sending e-mail, and playing media files

   • q Non-Microsoft Sets the currently installed programs as the defaults for Web browsing, sending e-mail, and playing media files

   • q Custom Enables you to choose programs as the defaults for Web browsing, sending e-mail, and playing media files

   
   Figure 3: Choose a global default configuration.

4. Click OK to save the settings.

To override global defaults, set defaults for individual users. You can configure default programs for the current user by following these steps:

1. Click Start, Control Panel. In Control Panel, click Programs.

2. Click Default Programs and then click Set Your Default Programs.

3. Select a program you want to work with in the Programs list.

4. If you want the program to be the default for all the file types and protocols it supports, click Set This Program As Default.

5. If you want the program to be the default for specific file types and protocols, click Choose Defaults For This Program. Select the file extensions for which the program should be the default and then click Save.

Configuring AutoPlay Options

In Windows Vista, AutoPlay options determine how Windows handles files on CDs, DVDs, and portable devices.

You can configure separate AutoPlay options for each type of CD, DVD, and media your computer can handle by following these steps:

1. Click Start, Control Panel. In Control Panel, click Programs.

2. Click Default Programs and then click Change AutoPlay Settings. This displays the AutoPlay page in Control Panel.

3. As shown in Figure 4, use the media selection list to set the default AutoPlay option for each media type as appropriate.

   
   Figure 4: Set autoplay options for CDs, DVDs, and portable devices.

4. Click Save to save your settings.

Adding and Removing Windows Features

In earlier versions of Windows, you use the Add/Remove Windows Components option of the Add Or Remove Programs utility to add or remove operating system components. In Windows Vista, operating system components are considered Windows features that can be turned on or off rather than added or removed.

You can turn on or off Windows features by following these steps:

1. Click Start, Control Panel. In Control Panel, click Programs.

2. Click Turn Windows Features On Or Off under Programs And Features. This displays the Windows Features dialog box.

3. As shown in Figure 5, select features to turn them on; clear features to turn them off.

   
   Figure 5: Add or remove operating system components.

4. When you click OK, Windows Vista reconfigures components as appropriate for any changes you've made.