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Process

A process is a running instance of a program.

Terminology mastery

Process

Many learners can open apps but do not yet know what is actually running underneath. Without this word, process management and troubleshooting stay mysterious.

Pronunciation: PRAH-sess Say it like: PRAH-sess
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Plain meaning

A program is the code on disk. A process is that program while it is actively running and using memory, CPU time, and other resources.

Explain it to a kid

A process is a program that is alive and working right now.

In plain words

A program becomes a process when the system loads it into memory and starts running it.

Common confusion

A window is not the same as a process. One app window can hide several processes, and some processes have no visible window at all.

Often confused with
  • program
  • service
  • window
Examples
  • Your browser can create many processes.
  • A process can keep running even when you no longer see a window.
Related topics
Processes, Performance, and Services

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What to do next

Best next step Learning

Study the larger concept after the word itself becomes clear.

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Visuals

Use diagrams when the definition still feels too abstract.

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