Image Credit: 4artgarden.com via Pinterest viz. https://in.pinterest.com/pin/401875966721367818/
Its only when the mind becomes wordless is that, the true words start flowing through the pen.
— Neha’s Notebook
Thursday, January 21, 2021
Tuesday, January 19, 2021
When the Host turns into a Parasite? – The Story about A Spooky Component in Microsoft Windows 10
In late December, just before the beginning of 2021, I had been engaged in organizing some files and folders in my laptop. Meanwhile, I wanted to view and trim a series of videos using Microsoft Photos. And having this done, once I tried to delete the old video files, I discovered that the videos weren’t getting deleted from the system, despite of my persistent attempts. Instead, I ended up receiving a pop-up message which read,
“The action can’t be completed
because the file is open in Shell Infrastructure Host. Close the file and try
again.”
And thereupon, I came across the term ‘Windows Shell Infrastructure Host’. I do
have a background in information technology, but let me tell you the truth.
This term was as stranger to me as Mr. Bill Gates in person. That’s another matter
anyway.
But the moment I googled it, I found the concept
behind this term quite interesting. It spoke something to me. So, I decided to
write a piece on it. And, here it is!
An Overview of the Windows Shell
To begin with, I like to tell you that in each and
every computer, there is a control center.
You already know this, probably.
Let’s say, for instance, each and every human
individual has a certain amount of control in making the choice where to direct
or from where to withdraw one’s attention. You can think of a computer’s
control center as being analogously similar to this control center of a human’s
mind.
Right.
Now, let us consider the space of your mind. This
is the space in which all those beautiful as well as those crazy thoughts keep
popping up throughout the day. In the similar vein, a computer has a space
called as the ‘computer shell’. If you’re using Microsoft Windows, this
computer shell is particularly known as the ‘Windows Shell’. So, Windows Shell,
basically, refers to a space in which all the interface elements appear,
display and pop-up on your computer screen. Amidst this space is further
located a namespace in which all the labels, functions, processes, syntax,
vocabulary and programs are stored as a code for the proper functioning of the
system.
This shell namespace
could be seen in the form of an organizational library containing all the
information, details and instructions pertaining to the workflow, processes and
functioning of your computer’s operating system. In Windows, this namespace can
be observed in the form of the ‘File
Explorer’. You might have noticed that a File Explorer consists of all the navigation links, file names,
folder names, pinned folders, default program folders and details like these
for an easier traversing of the computer’s data.
From documents to text files, from images to
videos, all the files and folders are organized and arranged systematically in
a hierarchical view displayed inside this File Explorer window. These
documents, files and folders are specifically referred to as ‘shell objects’. Examples
of the shell objects include Control Panel, Recycle Bin, Shortcuts and more.
A Mysterious Background Process…
As also mentioned in the video-trimming example
above, many users of Windows [Windows 10 specifically] have experienced errors
like this occuring in their system time and again, and thereupon, coming across
this mysterious process running in the background on their device. Well, this
background process is related to a crucial software component of your computer’s
operating system. And, this component is named as ‘Shell Infrastructure Host’.
What is Shell Infrastructure Host?
Also denoted by sihost.exe
file, Shell Infrastructure Host is primarily a component of Windows 10
operating system package by Microsoft. It runs in the background of all the
workings of your system. You could take a look at this file running somewhere in
the Task Manager. Else, it can be found to be located on the path of the computer’s
drive which is, mostly, C:/Windows/System32.
Well, is this component some sort of a virus or a
threat for the computer system?
Well, not at all.
Rather, this component performs the responsibility of
handling and carrying out some of the most important processes of your computer
system.
Features of Shell Infrastructure Host
To put it in a poetic manner, I like to this of it
as a component which, as its name also suggests, hosts the infrastructure appearance of the shell space of the Windows
operating system by performing various essential processes in the background.
Well, this spooky software component is credited for
performing and handling a bundle of tasks and duties, especially pertaining to
the multiple and various graphical elements of the operating system.
GUI Elements
This is the component attributed to the management
of the computer’s GUI elements, as well as some of the automated visual
designer characteristics too. If you’re wondering what that means - Well, the
automatic accent colour which your taskbars and menu bars seem to pick; the
transparency prevailing at the taskbar; the switching of wallpapers &
slideshows – processes like these are handled by this component called Shell
Infrastructure Host.
This also includes the timeline views like that of
the grids, tiles, cards and flipcards. All those graphic icons in light yellow’s,
blue’s and green’s; as well as the icons resembling tiny little charms, the
shortcuts icons, these too are displayed with the support of this component.
Launches
& Autoplays
Even more so, some dynamic processes like launching
of the Windows, opening of the Windows Start menu, flipping of the screen
tiles, opening of folders & sub-folders, autoplays, notification flyers &
pop-ups; the background of tasks like these too is taken care of by this
internal component.
Applications like Action Center, Search, Cortana
and Bluetooth also find themselves thanking this ‘Shell Infrastructure
Component’ for their successful launch & running.
Now, the main thing is, so what’s the problem? When, this component holds so much of the
significance in the operating of the computer, then what’s the matter of
concern, if at all?
Well, you are thinking it right. When it comes to the
original component called the Shell Infrastructure Host, there is absolutely no
problem. Just like the other parts of a computer, this component too is
designed to support the overall functioning. However, there are certain errors which,
oftentimes, tend to act as barriers that might hinder it from functioning
properly.
These barriers attached to this component might end up
causing this very host to turn into a parasite for the system. To imply, rather
than supporting the system, it might start causing damage to it instead. In its
original form, the SIHost is neither a virus nor a threat. But, inside it are
some elements which might cause it to allow certain viruses or threats to
disrupt its functioning, unless you have the knowledge and awareness of it
beforehand.
So, here are some of these barriers. Read up on!
Pockets of Big Memory Leaks in The Windows Shell
This component named ‘Shell Infrastructure Host’ can
sometimes be observed to be using a large amount of computer’s memory. On
occasions, you might notice in the Task Manager window that the file pertaining
to this component [sihost.exe] is
eating up a space too much in the CPU or using up a large amount of memory from
the memory units. In cases like these, the system will communicate it to you in
various forms like that of slowing down of applications, certain files refusing
to load, or some program apps crashing down totally.
In my case, the system communicated it to me with
that pop-up saying that the video couldn’t be deleted and that I should try
deleting it some time later.
So, the question is, why does this component tend
to use a large amount of computer’s memory time and again? And how do we
prevent this large memory consumption or leakage?
Well, interestingly, you have a choice. There are a
number of solutions you can attempt in order to fix this issue.
#1 Simplify
the Graphics & Visuals Into Minimal
If SIH’s high memory usage is causing your system to
slow down, you could try changing some of the settings which might be mealing
on the memory in the background. If you have a slideshow or a theme style for
the wallpaper, try changing it to a static style backdrop.
You can change the automatic accent colour picker to only
one colour of your choice. Then, you can also turn off the autoplays and the file
previews.
If any of these elements had been eating up your
system’s memory, then the system will appear to show results soon enough in
terms of resuming its normal function. If still, the issue persists, you can
try the following trick.
#2 Limit the Memory
Usage in CPU’s Pie
The Task Manager, fortunately allows you to limit the
usage and memory consumption of some of the CPU’s processes, including that of the
SIH process file. So, it is quite possible for you to limit the memory
consumption via SIH file too. All you need to do is, to simply go to the Task
Manager, find the ShellInfrastructureHost.exe
file, right-click and select the option ‘Set Affinity’ to change the memory
usage.
But there is one thing. That is, do not ever try to
delete or remove this component for, this could disrupt or even damage your
computer’s functioning. Remember that the component plays an essential and
crucial role in the computer’s functioning.
VIRUSES FROM the Mischievous Malware Manufacturers
As also mentioned above, that this component is
neither a virus nor a threat or harm to the computer’s system, however, just
like some cracks or pockets of memory leaks, there is yet another barrier which
could make this lovely component to act like a parasite instead.
That is, some of those mischievous malware
manufacturers. Carrying mischief in their minds, some of these manufacturers,
these days, have a bad habit of creating malware files which contain the same
name as the SIH. The file’s name thereby makes it difficult for the users to
detect and fix.
The fact: While the original SIH.exe file is not
harmful but owing to its name, it does carry an equal possibility of carrying
some sort of virus or malware inside the file of the same name. Virus
manufacturers aren’t any buffoons after all!
In order to know whether the error you’re experiencing
in SIH is due to a malware/Trojan/worm, you can easily test it via a trusted or
verified portal. Mostly, it is a good idea to trust only the Microsoft’s
official community threads or pages bearing a verified seal. You can also
troubleshoot your system or re-install any of the applications, post-having the
backup.
Ending with…
So, this was a geeky story about the spooky host
component called as Shell Infrastructure
Host. I hope that you enjoyed this story.
I like to think of it as a lovely good-good host but
no wonder; it might start to turn itself into a parasite if the user fails to
have the essential knowledge about it.
This component is just like a human’s mind. I think.
What do you think?
Friday, January 15, 2021
On The Significance of Marrying Spontaneity with Structure & Birthing Zippy Days
There are good days. There are poor days. There are days that feel ‘just went well’. And there are days which you ‘wish that never really happened’. But among this wide variety of days, there is a kind of days called as ‘the zippy day’.
What is a ‘Zippy Day’?
Well, the word ‘zippy’ comes from the word ‘zip’ which
implies, “to move, act or function with
speed, energy, momentum or vigour”. Thereupon, a zippy day refers to a kind of day in which we find ourselves moving
through the day with fullness of enthusiasm, energy and flow.
Remember that day when everything seemed to be as
perfect as it could be. From the moment till you woke up till the end of the
evening, each moment appeared to be strung into a perfect harmony with each
other. That morning, which led to an unlikely stream of surprising events
throughout the day; or that call which made you jump like amazeballs, hence,
making your day. Perhaps, it was a day when you were wishing that the day never
ended at all. The summer vacations of the 90’s schooltime, is another such example
for many of us. In essence, we could, metaphorically, call days like these, zippy days.
Although, almost each one of us have had experienced a
zippy day like this, still and all, days like these don’t happen more often in
the total span of our lifetime. In fact, days like these tend to skip
themselves out of sight more often than not.
But whenever they are, mostly, we tend to love days
like this.
There is a big deal of reason for this. That is, as
human beings, we love the experience of spontaneity. Spontaneous living doesn’t
just make us feel good, but slightly adventurous too. There is an adrenaline
rush and a literal domino of emotions playing itself through our cellular
trajectories.
However, to live each day immersed in uttermost alignment,
balance and flow, is both a science as well as an art, the skill of which,
tends to build itself over the bricks of practice, and not just over passing moments
of time. Commonly, it is easier said than done.
Usually, the excitement of a zippy day doesn’t seem to last for long, except for merely a hangover
of its memories; even that seems to wear out soon enough. Little before we
realize, the shadows of our core insecurities and survival fears wailing behind
our heads, seem to pull us down into the terrains of compensation rather than towards
living each moment to the fullest.
In a way, a life of spontaneity do comes with its own
unique set of repurcussions. The biggest of these being, the greater the pleasure of a zippy day, the greater is the agony of an
unfulfilling day.
That’s life. There is no way out of it. But look,
there is a way through it. That is,
by marrying the spontaneity with the outlines of a structure. But before we do,
let’s take a note of what spontaneity is, really.
What is ‘spontaneity’? Is it impulsiveness? Well, yes and no. To put it in simpler words, we can say,
‘Spontaneity is like conscious impulsiveness’
.
That is, here, there is neither chase nor resistance
to any outcome seeming, in possibility or otherwise. In fact, the idea of
‘spontaneity’, in itself, is based on one’s total acceptance of the uncertainty
of the outer world.
For example, let’s say, I am working on a project and
a client assigns me to write a catalogue copy in a month, which consists of
about hundred products. Now, this is absolutely true that I do need the
spontaneity and flow essential for coming up with creative ideas for writing
the product copies. But if I depend on mere memorization to complete this
project, then I might set myself up for overwhelm or mismanagement. I might
even end up missing the project deadline or failing to spell-check my writing.
On the other hand, if I divide the thirty or
thirty-one day month into hundred small parts, or if I plan in advance my
processes of ideation, writing, editing, etc., then I could possibly traverse
the project timeline smoothly and successfully. I wouldn’t possibly be able to
carry out the creative process with ease unless I had a structure for it in the
first place. The crux, that, spontaneity is a result of passing through
impulsiveness, experiencing disintegration hands-on and re-integrating with a
fresh structure.
Marrying Spontaneity With Structure
“Spontaneity is a meticulously prepared art”
― Oscar Wilde
As also mentioned above, we humans love to live our
days with spontaneity and flow. However, with this, there appears yet another
side of it. That is, we like to resist structures too. Especially, to begin
with, a structure might feel like a confinement, a kind of loss of our freedom.
So, what is this ‘structure’ we’re talking about?
Well, it could be seen like, sort of, an outline that we provide ourselves in
order to navigate through the challenges of life with relatively lesser amount
of panic and more amount of ease.
Consider another example. Lets say, for instance, you
are traveling to a city or a town which, is relatively stranger to you in the
sense of your life’s experience. You might have read some books about it, or
you might have watched some documentaries on it, but unless you take a trip to
this town and experience it yourself in person, the town is nothing except one
of the ideas among a zillion others swimming in the space of your head. Be it a
full-fledged itinerary or simply a map on a piece of paper, it is evident that
you’re going to carry something with
you in order to guide you in this new, strange town. You might lose this piece
of paper on the roads of a street market or in waters of a beach, still and
all, till the time the piece of paper is with you, it is going to help you in
finding the direction. And even if it gets lost in the roads or waters, even
then it is going to help you find a direction, this time a direction leading you
towards locating a ‘map store’ in the town!!
The next question, probably, which pops up following
this, is, what do we need this structure for, when it comes to our life? Unlike
the stranger town, life doesn’t seem to be a stranger to us after all, right?
In one sense, yes. And in another no.
Just in the way, if we have a map of the town, it is
very possible that the map might or might not contain each and every detail of
the town. A small street market might not be mentioned in it, or a famous gift
shop. Just alike, no particular structure will possibly include all the details
of your life but it could offer some sort of guidance for you on the way.
There are mainly two kinds of structures possible.
That is, inner structure and outer structure.
Inner structure refers to a structure which you design
for your inner life whereas an outer structure is something which you design
for the purpose of functioning in the outer world. How and in what form these
structures are designed usually varies from individual to individual.
Ending with…
So, this is all about the significance of marrying
spontaneity with structures and about the zip-zippy days. How we can design
these structures for ourselves, I am going to write something about it in my
upcoming posts. Stay tuned till then!
Monday, January 11, 2021
From Peppers To Squashes - The Therapeutic Power of Cooking
It’s early morning and
already there are pleasant smells coming out of Nancy’s kitchen window. As a
cube of butter melts in the glossy black pan, Nancy scoops out some crushed
herbs from a glass jar and slips these into the melted butter.
Just like this morning,
Nancy wakes up each day, early in the morning, to prepare the family breakfast
and to pack the lunch boxes for her school-going children. While her younger
daughter loves to relish over toasted sandwiches and spiced potatoes, the elder
one is crazy for the fudgy pastries and cakes. While her parents-in-law’s
demands incline towards soft foods like idlis and dhoklas, on the other hand, a
tray of biscuit-sized barbeque patties almost always fulfils her husband’s
gastronomic goals.
Nancy is a self-made
chef. She works from home, occasionally selling packets of dry snacks and homecooked
food items which she makes during her free time.
Another woman Reeti, a
healthcare professional, likes to adopt a holistic element in her cooking. From
her kitchen cookware to the freshness of ingredients, she pays attention to each
and every detail while cooking meals for herself and her husband.
Sunaina is a
post-graduate student living away from her family in a shared apartment in the
city. With little time that she gets off from her studies, she likes to
experiment with her baking recipes and to share the treats with her house mates…
Not everyone is a gourmet but just like Nancy,
Reeti and Sunaina, there are millions of women (and men) across the world, who
take much fancy in the process of cooking. Albeit, to some, cooking is a daily
responsibility, to others, it’s a passion or profession. Some people like to
see cooking as a means to flavourful wellness while some like to see it as a
leisure engagement of body-mind.
Nevertheless the reason, the process of cooking
is both a science and an art which is loved by everyone, just in different
different forms. Of lately, it has also been proven that cooking, like any
other art or therapy, is a form of salubrious remedy for achieving a state of
body-mind wholeness in an individual human being. Read through the snapshot of
ways given below to know how the process of cooking also acts as your personal
therapist.
Cooking As Your Personal Therapist
It has been demonstrated several times that the
process of cooking itself acts as an ointment to calm and soothe the various physiological
and psychological systems in our body, which might have gone through utter
exhaustion throughout the day.
Even the simplest of acts of preparing a salad
or flipping a chapatti can be highly invigorating provided that, they are
carried out with mindfulness and attention.
Cooking Then And Now
While some of you have already heard stories of
your great-great-grandma cooking in an earthen oven, others might have seen a
wheat roti being smoked over an
actual tandoor oven.
Cooking originated millions of years ago
however, the techniques of cooking have evolved greatly through several
generations, spanning decade after decade.
Obviously, you will not find the raw flesh
being tossed in the fire or seeing bone fragments getting grilled smoky-gray
over the flames. The present day cooking might have seen the transformation of
advancing technological equipments, the process of cooking itself remains the
same.
There are still those textures and there are
still those aromas wisping in the space of a kitchen. There are still the
chopping knives and there are still the pestle pots.
From Ayurveda-style cooking in the Vedic period
to the delicate medley of flavours simmering in the Mughal kitchen pots, the
silky chassis of cookery has witnessed the liveliness bubbling through the cooking
rooms throughout the ages.
Since the
time being, there is something about cooking which has remained the same.
Perhaps, there is a reward of the cooking process.
That is,
eating.
Many of us
love eating above everything. From biting into the chewy-cheesy crust of a
pizza to slurping through a bowl of sizzling noodles; from indulging in a glass
bubbling with fresh smoothie on a Sunday afternoon to sipping spoonfuls of hot
soupy daal at the end of a long day at work…from a tiring day to a thumbs-down moment, the
process of eating, for most of us, has always been one of the best therapies we
ever need to soothe ourselves, and perhaps to ground ourselves. A cup of hot
masala chai slows down time and a bowl of bhel
adds even more tanginess to the teatime gossips.
Apparently, the other side of eating that is,
the act of cooking too comes with an element of therapeutic nature in itself.
An Unimaginable Sensory Retreat
Like activities such as gardening, dusting,
painting and paper cutting, cooking too offers a sensory retreat which is both
satisfying and pacifying to one’s mind. In fact, researchers note that these
days many psychological practitioners as well as art therapists are also offering
cooking courses in the form of culinary therapy.
Scientists say that the process of cooking stimulates
a behavioural activation response in one’s body, which involves the attention
from all five senses of an individual.
The rhythmic beats of cutting and chopping,
kneading the flour, rolling the dough, peeling off a vegetable skin, squeezing
a lemon and techniques like these offer the individual with a meditative
experience. In addition to taste, texture, scent and sight, the cooking
sounds also make up an important part of the dining experience. No wonder, the subtle music, the
clinks and the clanks of the cutlery is relaxing.
A Minibreak Of Mindfulness
The bread mustn’t overburn and the curry
mustn’t overboil. The quantities of salt and water are to be taken care of.
Cooking asks you to stay always in the monitoring. It keeps you constantly
focused, and this is one of the biggest plus points of cooking with love.
According to various studies in Positive
Psychology, cooking, like baking can boost concentration and attention span,
drawing your attention into the present moment, thus, helping you stay aware.
As the famous saying, Cooking with love provides food for the soul. [Valerie McKeehan], cooking
also helps you nurture a mindful connection with your family, friends and
social relationships.
A Cup of Creativity
Cooking can actually make you more creative, science
says. Whether you’re a creative professional, an artist, a bank worker or a
housewife, it has been studied that cooking can stimulate your creative
impulses thus inspiring you to complete that creative task off your bucket
list!
So, what ingredients are you going to put
together today to inspire your inner chef and to soothe your soul?
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