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Process Management & Memory/Storage Issues

Subject: Fundamental Of Computer Troubleshooting (VU-CYB 203)

Process Management


A process is simply a program that is currently running on your computer. For example, when you open Chrome, your system creates several Chrome processes to handle different tasks. Each process consumes CPU time and memory.

Inside a process, there can be threads. Threads are like smaller workers that allow the program to do multiple things at once. Imagine Chrome: one thread loads the webpage, another plays a video, and another checks for updates. This makes the program faster and more responsive.

Sometimes processes cause problems. Common issues include high CPU usage, too many background processes slowing the system, programs that stop responding, or “zombie” processes that don’t close properly. The usual fixes are simple: end the process in Task Manager, restart the app, or free up system resources by closing unused programs.

Memory & Storage Issues


Your computer’s performance also depends on memory and storage.

- Low RAM can make the system freeze, close apps unexpectedly, or run slowly. The solution is to close unused apps, upgrade RAM, or use lighter software.
- Disk read/write errors happen when the hard drive is failing, sectors are corrupted, or cables/power cause interruptions. Symptoms include slow booting, missing files, or crashes.
- File corruption occurs when files become unreadable due to improper shutdowns, viruses, or bad storage sectors. Tools like `chkdsk` (Windows) or `fsck` (Linux) can help repair them.

Practical Lab
Students can practice with system tools:
- On Windows, open Task Manager.
These tools show which processes use the most CPU or memory, and allow you to end unresponsive ones. Watching the numbers change in real time helps you understand how resources are consumed.

In programming, you can also check memory usage with Python’s psutil library:

Example 1

import psutil
print(psutil.virtual_memory())


Example 2: Convert by to GB and display properly

import psutil
mem = psutil.virtual_memory()

gb = 1024 ** 3 # Bytes in a Gigabyte

print ("Memory (RAM) Information:")
print(f"Total: {mem.total / gb:.2f} GB")
print(f"Available: {mem.available / gb:.2f} GB")
print(f"Used: {mem.used / gb:.2f} GB")
print(f"Free: {mem.free / gb:.2f} GB")
print(f"Percent Used: {mem.percent}%")

This displays total RAM, used RAM, available RAM, and the percentage in use. For example, if your laptop has 4 GB RAM and you open too many apps, usage may reach 95%, explaining why the system slows down.

Key Takeaway
Processes and threads keep programs running smoothly, but they can also cause issues if they consume too many resources. Memory and storage problems often show up as slowdowns, crashes, or corrupted files. Learning to monitor these with Task Manager or Python tools gives you practical skills for diagnosing real systems.

By: Vision University

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