What is tpshocks.exe and is it needed for an SSD drive?

[#1]

Question

I have ThinkPad Edge E420s and it is equipped with an SSD instead of a normal hard disk and  I noticed a process running called tpshocks.exe .

I think this has to do with the "airbag" like protection - ThinkPad Active Protection that would normally park the heads of a hard disk if it detected sudden movement of the system, as if it were bumped or dropped.   I understand that this would help reduce the chances of losing data from the heads touching down in a data area of the drive.

But, as I have an SSD with no moving parts, can I just uninstall this?  How?

Answer

Yes, tpshocks.exe is a core process of the ThinkPad active protection program and no, you don't want or need it with an SSD.  The program can be uninstalled:

[Windows 7]

1. Start Windows and logon with administrative account.
2. Click Start, click Control Panel.
3. Make sure View by Category is selected, click Uninstall a program.
4. Select ThinkVantage Active Protection System, and click Uninstall or Uninstall/Change.
5. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete uninstallation and restart the computer.

[Windows Vista]

1. Start Windows and logon with administrative account.
2. Click Start, click Control Panel.
3. Make sure Control Panel Home is selected, click Uninstall a program.
4. Select ThinkVantage Active Protection System, and click Uninstall or Uninstall/Change.
5. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete uninstallation and restart the computer.

[Windows XP]

1. Start Windows and logon with administrative account.
2. Click Start, click Control Panel.
3. Select Add/Remove Programs.
4. Select ThinkVantage Active Protection System and click Remove or Change/Remove.
5. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete uninstallation and restart the computer.

For additional details, or to obtain the Active Protection Software, visit the Lenovo support site page here.