Following is a list of services and their descriptions. If you don’t need the service, feel free to kill it. Please note that alot of programs will install their own services as well. Additionally, most services have a description attached to them already, though these tend to be less descriptive than they could be.
So what do all of these services so, and is it same to remove them? Here is a list of services used by Windows XP and Vista, with a description of what they do and recommendations if you should remove them or not.
| Service | Description |
| Alerter | Notifies selected users and computers of administrative alerts. This is only useful if you’re on a large network with many users… |
| Application Layer Gateway Service | Provides support for 3rd party protocol plug-ins for Internet Connection Sharing and the Internet. This actually provides services for the XP firewall. Only disable this if you are not running the XP Firewall. |
| Application Management | Provides software installation services such as Assign, Publish, and Remove. This should be set to manual. If you’re having problems uninstalling/modifying a program’s installation, reenable this service. |
| Background Intelligent Transfer Service | Used to transfer asynchronous data via http1.1 servers. What this is ACTUALLY used for is to allow you to transfer data from WindowsUpdate…and to continue it even after a reboot (if the prior transfer wasn’t complete). This is pointless, so disable it. |
| ClipBook | Supports clipbook viewer, which allows pages to be seen by remote clipbooks. This is some sort of network copy/paste utility. Totally useless. |
| COM+ System Application | This allows COM+ applications to function. However, there are decidely few of these, and chances are you don’t need it. Check “c:\program files\com+ applications” to see if you have any apps. If not, disable it. You will get some error logs in the Event Viewer if you disable this, however. |
| Computer Browser | Maintains an up-to-date list of computers on your network and supplies the list to programs that request it. This is meant primarily for networks, so if you’re not on one, disable. If you are on a network, then everything will still work with this turned off. This cache is helpful in a large network, but if you have less than 20 computers on your network, you can safely disable it. |
| Distributed Link Tracking Client | Sends notification of files moving between NTFS volumes in a network domain. If you’re not in a domain, disable this. |
| Distributed Transaction Coordinator | Coordinates transactions that are distributed across two or more databases, message queues, file systems, or other transaction protected resource managers. Very long way of saying multiple connections to different places. This won’t happen in a home user environment, so disable it. |
| Error Reporting Service | This service will report error messages and such back to Microsoft. If you want MS knowing more about you than they already do, then by all means leave this enabled. |
| Fast User Switching Compatibility | Unless you use fast user switching, this service is pointless. Most people run XP with only one user, for instance. Disable it. |
| Help and Support | This service is required to access Microsoft online help documents. Most people never use this, so Disable it. |
| IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service | This service allows the XP burn-cd feature. By setting this to manual, this service will automatically load and UNLOAD itself when needed. If you still have problems burning CDs, enable it. No burner at all, disable it. |
| Indexing Service | This service allows the computer to index the contents of drives for speedier searches. However, it’s an incredible resource hog and tends to start and very inopportune times. To get rid of this, go to the control panel, add/remove programs, the windows setup tab, and remove it from there. |
| Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) / Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) | This is basically for if you’re using ICS to share out your connection to multiple computers. Honestly, buying an actual router is a better idea. Disable this unless you use ICS. |
| Service | Description |
| IPSEC Services | Manages IP security policy and starts the ISAKMP/Oakley (IKE) and the IP security driver. What this does is enable IP security features. 99% of us don’t use this (we just get firewalls) so disable it. |
| Logical Disk Manager Administrative Service | Administrative service for disk management requests. This is used to run the Disk Management MMC console for dynamic volumes, whatever that means. I would disable it, but if you’re unable to “manage your disk”, then reenable it. |
| MS Software Shadow Copy Provider | This is a service for MS Backup. If you don’t use it (who does?) then disable it. Net Logon This service is used to log in to a domain. If you don’t have a domain, disable it. If you don’t know what a domain is, disable it. |
| NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing | This allows remote desktop sharing for Netmeeting. I don’t even use Netmeeting, and would definetely not share out my desktop. Disable it. |
| Network DDE | Provides network transport and security for Dynamic Data Exchange. Disable it unless you use some sort of network DDE programs (unlikely). |
| Network DDE | DSDM Manages shared Dynamic Data Exchange and is used by network DDE. If you disabled Network DDE, disable this. |
| Network Location Awareness (NLA) | This is a service that allows the use of Internet Connection Sharing (ICS). If you don’t use ICS (and who does in today’s environment), then get rid of this service. |
| NT LM Security Support Provider | Provides security to remote procedure call (RPC) programs that use transports other than named pipes. This is used for message queuing and telnet servers. Useless to most of us. |
| Performance Logs and Alerts | Configures performance logs and alerts. This service gathers performance data and logs it. Pretty useless for a home machine unless you’re benchmarking or troubleshooting a performance issue. |
| Portable Media Serial Number | This service retrieves serial numbers from portable music devices that you connect to your computer. Disable it, and if any of your music devices cease to function, reenable it. |
| Print Spooler | Loads files to memory for later printing. If you have a printer attached to your computer, keep this on. If not, disable it. |
| Protected Storage | Provides protected storage for sensitive data, such as private keys, to prevent access by unauthorized services, processes, or users. This basically allows autocomplete to work. By disabling this service, you won’t be able to store passwords, either locally, for shares, or for websites, as well as disabling autocomplete. Personally, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. |
| QoS RSVP | Provides network signaling and local traffic control setup functionality for QoS-aware programs and control applets. This provides traffic control for IPSEC apps that support QOS. This is really pointless, just disable it. |
| Remote Desktop Help Session Manager | This manages and controls remote assistance. If you’re even reading this list, then you probably don’t need a Microsoft tech remotely connecting to your desktop. This is completely useless, and also a major security hole. Disable it. |
| Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator | Manages the RPC name service database. Disable it, and if something breaks on your network, set it to manual. |
| Remote Registry | Service Allows remote registry manipulation. Totally and completely useless, and a potential security hole to boot. Disable it. |
| Removable Storage | Manages removable media, drives, and libraries. This is meant for removeable hard drives and tape backups. Disable it, but your DVD drive may start acting weird. If so, then set this back to Automatic. |
| Service | Description |
| Routing and Remote Access | Offers routing services to businesses in LAN and WAN environments. Totally useless on home machines. |
| Secondary Logon | This allows the user to start processes (programs) under a different logon, while you’re logged on. Another security hole. Disable. |
| Server | Provides RPC support and file, print, and named pipe sharing. This allows the sharing of files and printers to other computers. If you have a home network and share stuff out, leave this enabled. Note that this won’t affect your ability to connect to another computer’s shares. |
| Smart Card | Manages and controls access to a smart card inserted into a smart card reader attached to the computer. If you don’t have a smart card reader, Disable it. |
| Smart Card Helper | Provides support for legacy smart card readers attached to the computer. Once more, totally unnecessary unless you have a smart card reader (and a legacy one, in this case). |
| SSDP Discovery Service | This service is used for UPnP devices on a home network. This basically boils down to devices that are installed on a network as a device on the computer, such as scanners and printers. If you don’t have any of these then disable it. Note, this service has NOTHING to do with regular PnP, or scanners/printers hooked up via the parallel port, serial port or USB/firewire ports. |
| System Restore Service | This is used to automatically make “restore points’ so that you can roll back your computer a day, a week, etc. I only enable this on a few PC Appliances (like Media Center) Note that this is a serious resource hog. |
| Task Scheduler | Enables a program to run at a designated time. If you really need a Scheduled Task, then you should install the program as a Service. Not very useful unless you’re running a server. |
| TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper | Enables support for NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT) service and NetBIOS name resolution. Basically, unless you have a WINS or NETBIOS server (and most people don’t nowadays) on your network, disable this service. |
| Telnet | Telnet allows another computer to remotely ‘telnet’ into your computer and do things to it. Obviously this is a security hole, and not of any real use to the vast majority of us. Disable it. |
| Themes | This service controls the pretty GUI that is XP. By disabling this service, you get the basic “Windows 2000” desktop, and it frees up some RAM. This is disabled by default on servers, so this can be enabled if you have to have the “Luna” desktop on your server. |
| Uninterruptible Power Supply | This allows XP to control any UPS you may have attached to the computer. If you have a modern UPS, then it probably came with much better management software. Disable this service. |
| Universal Plug and Play Device Host | Like the SSDP discovery service, this is for UPnP devices, which you probably have none of. Disable it unless you need it. |
| Volume Shadow Copy | Another service for MS Backup. Disable it unless you use that program. |
| Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) | This is used for some cameras and scanners. Disable this service, but if your scanner or camera fail to work, reenable this device. |
| Windows Installer | This is used by some programs to install themselves (program with msi files). I would recommend leaving this service on until you’ve installed all your main programs, then disable it. If you run into errors referencing RPC services, try putting the service to manual. If all else fails, set it back to automatic. |
| Windows Time | This allows windows to grab the time from an internet server. Useful for Media Center (so shows record on time), but can be Disabled to free up a few clock cycles and kilobytes of RAM. |
| Wireless Zero Configuration | This service allows wireless networking devices to work without you having to do any manual configuration. If you don’t use a wireless network, disable it. |
| WMI Performance Adapter | This allows users to query performance information on remote machines using Windows Management Instrumentation. Unless you’re a system admin, you can probably disable this. |
For the general home user, most of these recommendations are pretty safe. You may have some software installed that is dependent on some of these services, so disable these one at a time and see if anything breaks. Corporate environments may have a policy that re-enables some of these services, or requires them to function on their domain (how else can Big Brother track what you’re doing?).
Some of these services take very little memory at all, so you may want to audit how much memory is being used by each of these services before disabling them. Tweaking out the services can take a bit of time, but can also result in some significant performance changes.
2 comments
Great tips and reminders as show-goers adjust budgets and schedules in this economically challenged period.
Are you from San Diego?
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