How to Stop Certain Apps from Loading ....

vja4Him

Member
Jan 14, 2011
102
1
There are many apps that keep loading, not only after a Reboot, but even when I use System Monitor to stop all programs, then when I open an app and check System Monitor again, a bunch of apps have relaunched!

This is really annoying, especially when memory is at a premium on the Archos 70 ....
 

gurgle

Super Moderator
Staff member
Aug 6, 2010
1,463
131
This may be a stupid question, which apps or services are you having issues. Have you thought about just not using them? ie Uninstall them.
Apps and services like PCs will autoload and set to run if that is what they are configured to do.
I ended up uninstalling Fring and some of the other preinstalled as I knew I would not use them.
 

vja4Him

Member
Jan 14, 2011
102
1
This may be a stupid question, which apps or services are you having issues. Have you thought about just not using them? ie Uninstall them.
Apps and services like PCs will autoload and set to run if that is what they are configured to do.
I ended up uninstalling Fring and some of the other preinstalled as I knew I would not use them.

Most of the apps that are preloading are apps that I use, so deleting them is not an option. For now I'm stuck with using the System Monitor quite often to force quit apps that are running. Strange that sometimes when I quit all the running apps, I end up with less available memory! Often, even force quitting all running apps only saves a small amount of memory.

And, sometimes even when I force quit the running apps, as soon as I open even just one app, many apps reopen.

On my MacPro, I never need to worry about apps running in the background, but with the Archos tablet, there isn't much working memory available ....
 

gurgle

Super Moderator
Staff member
Aug 6, 2010
1,463
131
There is an app called startup auditor. You can use it to select which apps you want to run on startup, and which apps you want to get auto-loaded again once your phone is booted up.

Good Point, I forget about this app. I only use it for diagnostics. Keep in mind. This is a point of progress. Prior versions would be single app threads. and you would be limited in multiple apps running. Froyo allows this. Unfortunately, the flip side is some apps keep running when no longer needed.
 

jkane

Member
Jun 23, 2010
51
4
Auto Memory Manager helps to set the automatic built in task killer be a bit more agressive. I like it on my Archos. It's still not agressive enough. I may tweak it more. I still use a one click task killer that I have taught which apps I don't ever need like ... fring is a great example! Why does it need to run all the time? Grrrr. Some day I hope to set Auto Memory tight enough to keep enough memory, but not so tight that it kills stuff that has to restart to use the tablet.

On my HTC Desire, though it kills the HTC Sense at random intervals though. I have not been abkle to fine tune it yet to keep that from happening. Not a big deal, as it just flashes a white screen and reloads. It's a few seconds I have to wait when I turni it on some days.
 

vja4Him

Member
Jan 14, 2011
102
1
This may be a stupid question, which apps or services are you having issues. Have you thought about just not using them? ie Uninstall them.
Apps and services like PCs will autoload and set to run if that is what they are configured to do.
I ended up uninstalling Fring and some of the other preinstalled as I knew I would not use them.

Here is a list I typed up today of all the running apps (most I had not opened myself, they just open up on their own):

1) System Monitor (always on the desktop)
2) Calendar Storage
3) Google Services Framework
4) Online Firmware Update
5) Bluetooth Share
6) Smart Notes
7) Temp+CPU V2 (always on the desktop)
8) Calendar
9) RealPlayer
10) Health
11) Medscape
12) mSpot
13) Settings (always on the desktop)
14) TuneSync Lite
15) ToDo Task Manager-Lite
16) Gallery
17) Search

14 of these I did not open! But they were still running ....
 

Bilgediver

Member
Dec 3, 2010
163
4
-sigh-

Another Task killer debate. I apologize if I seem a bit "linky" here but this is a thread at Droidforums.net about Task killers: Task Killers... The Answer from Google & Developers.
Long story short, its recommended not to use an automated task killer on top of Android because Android just pre-loads apps into memory anyway. I know it sucks, I had a similar frustration when I first got my Motorola Droid, it also had only 256 Megs RAM.
My Droid2Global is running great, though, with 1.2 Ghz and 512 RAM. I've noticed its not always the processor, having the extra RAM really helps.

Now back to your frustration. A lot of those apps aren't really running, they are just pre-loaded into RAM, and really just "sitting" there. There was a discussion about linux and when Microsoft was first coming out with Windows Vista. Windows Vista would literally pre-load all kinds of crap into RAM because unused RAM is really....kinda worthless. Now some Operating systems use free memory effectively, and others just pre-load it with anything they can find regardless if you (the user) is going to use that app or not.

I specified "Startup Auditor" in a previous thread because you can use it to disable certain apps from booting up with your Android device, and you can also choose to disable those apps from running when Android is already on. As far as I know it doesn't "kill" apps, it just prevents them from starting. A lot of Android system processes and apps show up on the list, so I would be careful which apps you choose to disable.

You must remember if you do use it and you disable it from auto-starting, you can personally start it yourself just by opening up your app drawer and pressing on the icon anyway.

However if there are apps you don't even see yourself using...why don't you just uninstall it and be done with it?

Please note to leave homescreen widgets off the list, too.

Another thing you can do is when you are done inside an app, press the "back" button instead of the "home" button. The "back" button is the closest thing Android has to a "close" button. The app still has information stored in your RAM, but is no longer taking processor power. Pressing the "Home" button from inside an app will take you to the home screen, but leave the app actually "running" in the background, still taking processor power.

Just remember that Android itself will clear RAM on its own if it needs some.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

vja4Him

Member
Jan 14, 2011
102
1
-sigh-

Another Task killer debate. I apologize if I seem a bit "linky" here but this is a thread at Droidforums.net about Task killers: Task Killers... The Answer from Google & Developers.
Long story short, its recommended not to use an automated task killer on top of Android because Android just pre-loads apps into memory anyway. I know it sucks, I had a similar frustration when I first got my Motorola Droid, it also had only 256 Megs RAM.
My Droid2Global is running great, though, with 1.2 Ghz and 512 RAM. I've noticed its not always the processor, having the extra RAM really helps.

Now back to your frustration. A lot of those apps aren't really running, they are just pre-loaded into RAM, and really just "sitting" there. There was a discussion about linux and when Microsoft was first coming out with Windows Vista. Windows Vista would literally pre-load all kinds of crap into RAM because unused RAM is really....kinda worthless. Now some Operating systems use free memory effectively, and others just pre-load it with anything they can find regardless if you (the user) is going to use that app or not.

I specified "Startup Auditor" in a previous thread because you can use it to disable certain apps from booting up with your Android device, and you can also choose to disable those apps from running when Android is already on. As far as I know it doesn't "kill" apps, it just prevents them from starting. A lot of Android system processes and apps show up on the list, so I would be careful which apps you choose to disable.

You must remember if you do use it and you disable it from auto-starting, you can personally start it yourself just by opening up your app drawer and pressing on the icon anyway.

However if there are apps you don't even see yourself using...why don't you just uninstall it and be done with it?

Please note to leave homescreen widgets off the list, too.

Another thing you can do is when you are done inside an app, press the "back" button instead of the "home" button. The "back" button is the closest thing Android has to a "close" button. The app still has information stored in your RAM, but is no longer taking processor power. Pressing the "Home" button from inside an app will take you to the home screen, but leave the app actually "running" in the background, still taking processor power.

Just remember that Android itself will clear RAM on its own if it needs some.

Thanks for the heads up! I'm glad that I haven't downloaded any of the app killers yet ... I was concerned there might be issues. I've read on numerous forums of people having problems with the various app killers.

I'm not sure what you mean by:

"Please note to leave homescreen widgets off the list, too."

If the Archos 70 doesn't need any app killers, then why are there a variety of app killers available?
 
Last edited by a moderator:

ailima

Member
Jul 4, 2011
1
0
Your initial question would be the best solution. Apps running in the background use up resources. On a low memory device, the OS spends cpu time:

1) trying to load an app (that you don't need loaded)
2) removing other apps from RAM to free up enough to load the app (that you don't want loaded)

Task killers are only a partial solution (if at all) ... they do the same thing as the OS. They are probably a little more efficient at it - but that efficiency can cause problems with certain apps.

The real solution would be to prevent the apps from loading in the first place. I have yet to see an app do that with a simple interface. (Though I haven't looked in a while). I bought "Autostarts" way back in the day (G1) ... rough interface. I might try it again though. I'll also try Startup Auditor. Gemini looks really interesting too.

Good luck!
 

JoSCh

Member
Jun 2, 2011
5
0
Thanks for the great info regarding task killers Bilgediver. That post could be sticky imo.
 
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