Helpful site - Windows Process Library
Dr. Kardasz - Here is a link to a useful site that discusses the various process that run in the background on a Windows operating system. If you press Ctrl-Alt-delete then Task Manager then Processes you will see a list of programs running on your system. The site below will help to identify what each program does and will also help identify problematic programs.
http://www.liutilities.com/products/wintaskspro/processlibrary/