IDEA: Button/hotkey pause every process except focused and...

[tmpusr]

A button/hotkey that I could tap and everything else except the focused process and the vital system processes would be suspended. Another tap would resume. You could stop/start services too.

You could have several different types:

Maximum: Suspend everything except focused process and vital system processes.
Medium: Leave some vital UI processes running, like FARR and TapTap, etc.
Minimal: Suspend only processes that have larger than n% usage.

See also
http://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=15926.msg139975#msg139975

[skrommel]

Have you tried AntiFreeze from www.resplendence.com/antifreeze?

Skrommel

[tmpusr]

How about some coding...
1 List running processes.
2 Remove exceptions and focused process from the list.
3 Suspend everything on the list.

Done?

[tmpusr]

Think of it as a Ghoster for processes. It could automatically resume processes when the current window loses focus.

[tmpusr]

I've tested the effects of this by suspending using ProcExp. I've also stopped/disabled most services leaving

DCOM Server Process Launcher (some software won't start without this)
DHCP Client
Event Log
Plug and Play
Remote Procedure Call
Windows Audio

And when installing, Windows Installer.
For LAN, Workstation and Server.

Some processes need to be closed/killed because suspending them makes Windows UI not receive clicks.

This is fairly useless when not running anywhere near 100% CPU load, but when you do, the effects are clear - things that reacted sluggishly are smooth, audio, video stutters especially the ones that happen rarely once or twice a movie, are gone. This is hardly surprising since the CPU gives the software its full attention. Obviously lower-end machines will benefit more. Before gaming, just pause/kill everything, play, then resume/start. The number of context switches drops from around 5-10K (20-30K max) to around 800-1200.