This free utility is brought to you by the people behind the processlibrary.com website. What it does is tweak the Windows Task Manager to add a little green button next to each process in the process list (see screenshot), which when clicked instantly searches processlibrary.com for information on the process you are interested in.
ProcessQuicklink 2 is a tiny app that comes in at less that I meg of memory usage. Process information appears on the processlibrary.com website in your browser.
You may be wondering as to who might need an app like this, so here’s a list
- People, like myself, who install a whole lot of software and frequently like to check out what is going on in their system
- Anyone who may be investigating an issue such as erratic windows behavior or potential malware.
- Ubergeeks in general.
Search box: one thing that appears in the screenshots on the developers’ site that does not appear in my screenshot is a little searchbox built into the Task Manager that can be used to quickly search the processlibrary.com site. I am unsure as to whether that function was since removed or if it simply didn’t work on Windows 7 64bit (where I tested). In any case hope that it is optional, as it seems like too much clutter in the little space that is the task manager.
The verdict: I will have to tip my hat to the people at processlibrary.com for such a brilliant idea so well implemented. I am unclear, however, as to whether this website ranks amongst the most comprehensive of its kind, as it seems that most of the processes on my system simply found no match in their database, necessitating a Google search in order to get any kind of info.
Still, at under 1 meg in memory I am willing to give this little utility a chance and let it live on on my system and hope that this app helps processlibrary.com build up their library. Also it is just so super cool to click a button to get info on a process!
Version Tested: 2.0.0.12
Compatibility: Requires Windows 2000 / 2003 / XP / Vista, an Internet connection and an Internet browser.
Go to the program home page to download the latest version (approx 412K).
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This isn’t new, or brilliant. Process Explorer has more features, and allows web searching of *all* processes…including dll’s and exe’s.
Download Process Explorer from:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/default.aspx
@Mick : +1 Process Explorer is much better
And It can replace Task Manager quickly
I didn’t find this very useful. I clicked on 3 or 4 processes, it pops to that website — and “no information on this process.” So, of dubious value IMHO.
You guys are all correct;
(1) Process Explorer did this before ProcessQuicklink 2, so not so original.
(2) Process Explorer is a superior program, although the comparison is not really fair since ProcessQuicklink 2 is simply an informational tool.
(3) As previously mentioned, fully half of the processes I searched for turned out no info on the process.
On an unrelated note, I spent 2 days crafting a review of a program that, just before posting, I found was actually Shareware not freeware. Oh well!
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Installed ok, but didn’t function on my 64-bit Vista machine.
Also, as regards the comments posted above, the on-line search in Process Explorer was largely ineffective. Not to mention I can do a Google search myself !
The Computer Rodent
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