Probably, many users of Windows Vista and higher noticed a decrease in system performance due to the load on system resources from a sidebar process. What kind of program is it in startup, which affects the central processor and RAM so much, read on. Along the way, a decision will be considered on the deactivation of this component of the system, as well as issues of the appropriateness of its use.
Sidebar at startup: what is this process?
In order to understand what kind of service it is, you just need to translate the English name. It means “sidebar”. Usually, by default, this item is not displayed on the screen, but it is loaded with the system.
Does Sidebar need startup? The question is very controversial. Some users welcome the innovations from Microsoft, which affect the display area on the "Desktop" of additional widgets. So, for example, in the same “Vista” on the screen it was possible to turn on the display of a vertical panel with weather widgets, clocks, a calendar fixed on it, and in later systems, program elements with a web interface.
How does the sidebar work?
For Windows XP, the presence of such an element of accelerated access to some functions in the system is not provided. But in the modifications above, the panel can be configured in accordance with the wishes of the user.
Another thing is that the choice of widgets was initially extremely limited, and only then the set was somewhat expanded. As for functionality, the panel itself is a means of quick access to the most popular applets. And, if they are extremely necessary for the user in everyday work, the panel can be turned off.
Functionality Issues
This is a general outline of the Sidebar program . What is it in startup? The system process responsible for calling and maintaining the panel. But with him there are a lot of problems.
The fact is that when using the widget panel, very often there can be an increased load on the processor and RAM, and to such an extent that many users are incredibly annoyed. In addition, the service itself can sometimes cause the appearance of its own errors.
It is believed that in most cases this is due to an incorrectly installed or outdated Flash Player from Adobe (it is he who is responsible for displaying icons, their animation, etc.).
Process shutdown
Now a few words about deactivating the Sidebar process at startup. What kind of application this is is already clear, and you can disable this process in two main ways.
The first technique is to call the standard “Task Manager” and go to the tab of active processes, where you need to find the Sidebar.exe process and remove the task by clicking on the appropriate button or terminating the service through the PCM menu. The method is quite inconvenient, since upon rebooting the system this process is activated again. Thus, it is necessary to make sure that the service along with the OS does not start.
How to remove Sidebar from startup?
This technique comes down to calling the system configurator. In versions of Windows below the tenth, the msconfig command is used for this, which is written in the Run console, and in the tenth version, the Task Manager is called.
That in the first, that in the second case, you need to go to the startup tab, find the item there and uncheck the corresponding line. Of course, this is not removing Sidebar, but only disabling start and functionality. Removing the sidebar from the system, as it is literally understood, is impossible. Not even uninstallers that can remove components "wired" into the system will help.
Also, to deactivate, you can use the system components section, where the checkbox is removed from the Windows widget platform, followed by a reboot.
True, some "especially smart" users are trying to remove the sidebar by finding out the location of the executable file. But this is not recommended under any circumstances. Firstly, the system itself will not do this. And secondly, even with a full set of administrator rights or even when the file is unlocked by the Unlocker application, deleting this component can only lead to the fact that the entire operating system will malfunction or cease to function at all. Then you will have to take emergency measures to restore its performance, and sometimes even a complete reinstallation may be necessary. So be careful.
Brief Summary
Here's a quick summary of Sidebar. What is it in startup, I want to wear, a little clear. Only the question of the appropriateness of using this component remains unanswered. Of course, if we are talking about modern computer configurations with powerful processors and sufficiently large amounts of RAM, there is nothing wrong with using the side panel. On weak configurations, in order not to overload system resources too much, it is recommended to get rid of it by a normal shutdown (rather than removal). Well, whether it is needed on the screen, each user decides for himself. Please note that it limits the free space of the “Desktop”, however, you can configure it so that the panel in the inactive form automatically hides.
However, preference issues are entirely the responsibility of users. But in the case of using the panel, if, say, it ceases to function, it is recommended to reinstall or update the flash player. If the dysfunction is associated with the service itself, it (as an additional element) can be downloaded directly from the official Microsoft website.