I work with windows every day and I didn't like the quantity of services running (a lot of time to boot, to turn off, a lot of ram and cpu time wasted).
So after trying a lot I've understood which services I MUST have running.
The first image shows which services (just 10 in XP64!) have to set in automatic (loaded at the boot).
The second shows which ones have to be set in manual and started when you wat internet connection (having them down at the boot is also good if you have some viruses).
With this simple (just a bit long) tweaking your performance will boost !!Click to view attachmentClick to view attachment

You only need those running at boot, so i can disable anything else?

Look here: http://www.theeldergeek.com/services_guide.htm
The best services guide (imo)

prcess != services. You could usually disable/manual a whole wack of services without impacting performance,.

The most complicated guide more like, goign through all them, my god..
Anyways,

Anyone got Windows XP Home SP2 List of Non-Required services for a pc with a router with DHCP!

matty13: You PROBABLY could disable some more services (audio and help for instance) if you really don't need them but I would not recommand it. After all this is not a "barebone" configuration but some settings that allow to use almost everithing is windows and still have it "nice" (the themes).

Al: I know this site and It's really good (even if not for vista or xp64) maybe too much geeky ) .

Important: The configuration I've proposed is fo Windows XP64 (the OS I actualy use). For XP32 the settings are about the same.
If someone want a more precise explanation, please let me know which services he has on (make a print screen and attach it to a post).

everybody is different. Me personally, my internet doesn't work if wireless zero configuration is turned off, for example.

Why do people insist on disabling their services? It does absolutely nothing for performance gains, and only leads to headaches later on. DJ-Lizard said it best in this post.

Why do people insist on NOT disabling their services? What is your fear ? Maybe NOT to buy that new OS or NOT to add some RAM or NOT to add a new HD ?

It does absolutely A LOT for performance gains ! Now my windows turn on in 15 (fifteen) seconds, and turn off in 7 (seven) seconds. Plus I have 40 % more RAM available.

Headaches are a part of life (as everyboby in IT knows). Luckily, sometimes you can count on OTHERS headaches to gain a good result for you.

Please, those not interested can simply go somewhere else. So I can answer to REAL questions.

Regards.

i always use a minimal approach as i use only what i need as many of those services when windows is first installed are security risks and bad stuff can use them to get in and do bad things so disabling them not only frees up resources for other stuff to use and it streamlines the system so it will start faster and not have to load all that stuff at startup but also limits the entry points that bad stuff can use to get in and cause havok assuming you keep up with security updates.

DJ-Lizard is just a ****ed off IT dude. Disabling certain services offers some of the MOST performance gains. Its absolutely recockulous to say it doesnt.

Performance is gained when disabling services as far as I have experienced in over 2 dozen PC's, though some systems have better gains than others.

The best guide to services is the one provided by Black Viper: http://web.archive.org/web/20050410041304/.../servicecfg.htm

40% more memory available? How much physical RAM you have, 32MB?

I would love to see some proof of "performance gains by disabling services" Sure you can have few MBs of memory but a lot of performance gains?
I don't know what it is, maybe an itch on my back, which tells me that proof will not be seen.

There are obviously no performance gains from disabling services not running.

Many services set to "manual" aren't.

Anyway, the reason people insist on NOT disabling services is probably because it could impair system performance.

Personally, I'd rather recommend people setting "automatic" services to "manual" instead of disabling them. That way, they'll only suck your precious performance if Windows actually needs them. Setting them to "disable" will make Windows unable to run them even if it would need them for something. Well, that's my 2c on this subject anyway.

Thanks for the info, if only I had a PII 300 with 64MB of RAM to see if it enhances system performance at all, because it certainly makes virtually no difference on modern systems.

Well i did have mine down to 16 but its now down to 14 proccess if i disable more my wireless wont work + i use system restore I didnt know you can disable that much with functionality nice post.

I got around 14 proccesses as well but could knock it down more if I disabled Windows Firewall and such. Of course this pc I use away from home is so old, it needs like every service disabled.

Of course the best performance gains are for the more dated systems (there are still a lot around). But having a system with just the services one need is the best way to quickly control what windows really do (and turn down many chances of having problems).

Disabling some "manual" services is useful because it makes impossible (more or less) to run them by other then the user. Some are useless (cryptographic) some could be dangerous (many in internet area).

As I said you can even disable more. If you use wifi -wireless configuration- is the only service you have to add.

System restore is a mess. It does't do the half that it should and sometimes simply delete your system. Make a backup of your disk/partition is by far the best advice. I use a disk imager (TrueImage).

Let me ask you this - do you ever run into the situation where you run out of RAM? If so - then you need more RAM. Don't strip out services - they're set to automatic for a reason. Let me ask you this question: you have a car with power windows. You figure - I'm always in the drivers seat, so why do I need the rear window motors? I'll just rip them out. Then one day, you're driving some buddies around, and they want to roll down the windows... oops. You've gotta go back and put the motors in again.

I have yet to see any benchmarks provide conclusive evidence that system performance is improved with disabled services. Even most people at ExtremeOverclockers and whatnot use plain, jane, vanilla XP when running their benchmarks.


@Darkon11 - Your statement about the wireless configuration service is wrong. People will think - I don't need the Network Location Awareness service because BlackViper says so. But then, you go and connect to your wireless network... wait for DHCP to give you your IP address... for 2 minutes! But wait... you already got one within a few seconds. What's going on? The NLA service is meant to tell the rest of the system "Yup - I'm connected to the network", but you disabled it. In the meantime, you've got that little icon, blinking it's yellow dot back and forth for two minutes. It's an example of how the "mighty" BV service guide can screw you over.

Let me clear this up and hopefully prevent future cock battles and who thinks who is right and/or wrong. Some people think it affects performance and others don't. If you think someone else is wasting their time with Service configs, let them waste it. It's their system not yours, so why do you even care? The same goes for those who think others are stupid for not disabling Services. Do what you want on your system and leave the others alone.
How many threads have been made with this question? Which to disable, which to leave alone? There are guides that have recommendations from others' personal experience on their systems, so its not necessarily a good thing to go by another's exact config. Do your own trial and error until you figure it out and then make a REG file. You're not going to kill your system by doing this, so instead of debating and arguing and suggesting, just play with the damn thing until you figure it out.
If you don't have enough RAM, disabling Services is not the answer. A bit of savings and a RAM upgrade is.

@jeremy - I care because people misjudge "public opinion" with fact. If there are enough people who say that disabling services is a good thing, then others will follow (which is a bad thing).

The people who disable services for themselves will probably try to convince others to do the same, and end up causing other people headaches.

^Shows why personal opinions on things like user experience don't matter ****.

Every user who wants to really get into and learn about their system should experiment with their system and discover everything on their own. That's the best way to learn what's good and what not.

Disabling services makes your computer start up faster... theres less for it to boot when loading.

This is benefitial for people with the P3 and lower class processors using XP.. They have no need for wireless internet setup, no need for this that and another thing.

The more you load, the longer it takes.. I am not saying you will see a drastic improvement.. but I did it on an old P266 with 64MB ram.. and let me tell you, it made at least a 1 min startup difference..

On my X2 4200+ I may gain 5 seconds...

Then, you haven't seen enough... but, "ask, & ye SHALL RECEIVE":

Go to techpowerup.com forums, & there, I had the testers who applied trimming off services &/or trayicon'd backgrounded tasks/programs as well, gain another 10 - 20% better results on their benchmarks (games & such are what these people are about, & thus, PC performance, matters hugely for):

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=38293

Quantified improvements in ScienceMark 2.0, which I had to show a whole forum (widely travelled one mind you, tons of users, constantly online @ them) of overclockers & mostly gamers, how much faster you can go, by disabling services &/or other backgrounded/trayicon'd apps... & they agreed, applying it to whatever degree it helped them best for, for their benchmark tests (which DO quantify it for you mind you, what you asked for right?) & tuning for daily usage too.

It works, & for BOTH speed/efficiency, but also security (if done right, you get both & together, more than the sum of both done singly)...

APK

P.S.=> I wrote guides like that, LONG AGO, from 1996 onwards online, & in fact, the very first one (which was NTCompatible.com's "Article #1" for years, circa 1997-2003 (when I had a "falling out" with one of his now partners))... stuff like trimming services, just works... & for BOTH speed, AND security... apk

You don't need the application experience, help and support, logical disk manager (do you put in a new hdd or 2 every time you boot? no? didn't think so ), IPSEC, and you dont need TCP IP netbios helper (unless you're on an archaic lan).

and i'd like to see you install most applications without having windows instrumentation/+com system in the background.

in short this guide kinda sucks.

and as far as performance gains go, it only applies to a few select services: system restore, indexing, fast userswitching (it keeps stuff in your ram pertaining to other users).

You're pretty much right on the NetBIOS helper, you're on the mark as well (disabled to this one, unless you hit the exception you noted) - the rest? I'd just go "MANUAL" @ first, & see if ANYTHING you use, cranks them on. If not, disable then, & ONLY then.



If you think this one's "bad", take a peek @ the one by membername "Bold Fortune"... I mean that too!

E.G./I.E.-> It's way, WAY too "radical" & imo, "off" on more than a FEW points... @ some point, I think he was trying to 'shave off' as much as he could from Windows itself...

I started doing an "exceptions" post reply to the services alone that he turns off, with what each COULD affect adversely, as you have noted in your points...

LOL, know what happened?

The forums board threw me an abend/errmsg of "too many blocks of quote per single post, limit exceeded"... heck, it was so much to reply to, it was unreal.

I think the guy was not out to "optimize" windows, but to ABSOLUTELY minimalize it, though... sure seemed like it.

Then again, I truly just "skimmed" thru it, as it was very long, so I just touched the "major points" the tweaks themselves... could be he WAS out to absolutely shave windows to the bone... & it gave me the wrong impression I guess, if I figured it was a guide like this, because he was trimming things that I have seen stop Windows cold.

& to be honest? I think he was lying about DCOM Server Process & his being able to keep it DISABLED or, something was majorly up. I have had Windows down to 5 services, & with NO services before, messing around with security ACL's on them.

Was cool running with NO services @ all though. Not much to do, but, cool.



Well, like I stated? If you think those points you hit are "too much"??

Man... Then, you have to see the guide done by "Bold Fortune" here.

I hate knocking folks' 'hard work' & all that, but sometimes, I see services guides that are way, WAY too radical, & DISABLE too much (when @ most, MANUAL should be used, @ least, @ first... test, & see if ANYTHING forces your manual services to go "on/active" & if not, THEN, & ONLY THEN, set them DISABLED - this varies by user & application mix too!).

E.G.-> Bold Fortune's, as the example I point out on a post here about optimizing windows via services cutoffs? well... I single it out, because of what you said, & it had more... it mentions stopping DCOM Server Process & COM+ Event System!

I was like "no way, too many things won't run, & will throw errs @ best if DCOM Server Process's off & COM+ Event System are cranked off too" (@ most? I'd set COM+ to manual, but leave DCOM server alone bigtime as AUTOMATIC).

HIS HAD TO BE ABOUT BLASTING WINDOWS CLEAN TO THE BONE. Heck, mess with services ACL's & other security in Windows "wrong"? You can actually end up IN WINDOWS alright, but lol, no services.

APK

^ i hear you apk

i made an nlited build without +com and i couldn't install .net framework and half of the available windows updates. i dont know how bold fortune and the like manage with a system like that.

i read his article and it was definately helpful on some things, but i would never even consider doing every single thing he states. i like his guides cause he takes the time to provide the reasoning and explanation of every dll/exe/etc that he deletes, and you can tell he has spent years on it, but i would never cripple my system by applying everything he does.

my current service configuration, curtesy of nlite (i reduced the iso from 650 mb to 128 or so, 100% compatible with everything i use... it took a million reinstalls and virtual machine mounts but i eventually got there )

..and windows installer, which i was too lazy to crop-in.
i got more useless services that never get started set to manual that im too lazy to delete via regedit

Well, like I said: I do NOT like "cutting down" others' work... but, sometimes, you have to (to save others' a hassle).

With services, it largely matters what the person's out to do & what tools/softwares they work with daily really...

E.G.-> Just going right away to DISABLED status on a services' startup value is NOT a good idea (this is the 1 'failing' I feel the msconfig.exe tool has on its services tab in fact - it often forces me to re-examine it using services.msc because of that...) - as there MAY come a time when you need that service, or some application you use will need it, & it's NOT there.

You have to TEST first, on your individual setup, in other words, with YOUR individual application mix & tasks you do.

(You may find your setup will have to have variations from various services tuning guides, & that's OK, as long as you know the "upsides" & "downsides" of what it is that happens when you turn off a service (or, conversely, IF you leave it running? KNOW if it has exploits, or what ports it holds open for soliciting connections (if any), & the services' logon entity SID)).

One of the BEST ways to secure them, is to NOT run them, period. However, knowing what you may be affecting is another important thing to realize IF you elect to set them to DISABLED especially.

APK

P.S.=> Yours looks almost EXACTLY like mine (good choice on NOD32 by the way, great program, great design), except I set:

Logical Disk Manager & Shell Hardware Detection to MANUAL here...

Plus, I run a 3rd party service you don't (Port Reporter from MS)

The #id.string one... is that a remnant of a spyware/trojan/virus/malware? Looks it... trim it out, by finding it here:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services

I also don't use THEMES (I like the "CLASSIC" Windows 2000 shell - lighter & faster, no GDI/User32 graphics subsystems repaints/overlays added work required... efficiency happens to fit the look I like better, so, I go with it!)

I also don't use DNS or DHCP clients, but, my LinkSys router lets me "get away with that" & I am online, just fine.

Unlike yourself though, I keep EventLogs active (but, I do so, for security & analysis purposes)...

However, I gain efficiency on this, by:

Moving my EVENTLOGS to a Solid-State UPS backed Ramdisk board via the subkeys here & altering their FILE values in each:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Eventlog

Under there, you will see the std. SYSTEM, Application, & SECURITY logs... each has a FILE value you can change to gain here by using other disks to house the logs.

On the SSD I use? I set it up like this (which you can do for a 2nd HDD if you wish & gain too, albeit not as much on seeks/reads/access speeds):

1.) 2gb on it, 1st 1gb parition = pagefile.sys

&

2.) 2nd 1gb partition =

a. webbrower caches

b. SANDBOXIE sandbox

c. Logging from EventLogs, apps, & services

d. %temp/tmp% environmental variables temp ops work

e. Lastly my %COMSPEC% cmd.exe is housed on it along with my HOSTS file for speed (this last one's easily moved in the registry too, DataBasePath value in Tcp/IP Parameters section in services, registry services path noted above, albeit in the Tcp services Parameters area))

This stops fragmenations happening due to small files being written & enlarged on my main C: drive which houses my OS & programs, only... & doesn't burden my main disk with I/O for them.

(This can alternately be done on a 2nd std. mechanical HDD, & it's how I used to do it, prior to getting this SSD in fact... it works!)

You probably have a very nice setup on yours I have to admit - security, & efficiency/speed, definitely... apk

^thanks dude

the id string turned out to be bonjour mdnsresponder.exe, installed by msn messenger for sharing folders capability. i had unregistered the dll as per a tutorial i found around here a while ago but i forgot to axe the service

and about the router: mine has an option for static dhcp leases. its already in use in my home network (configured the router with no WPA protection whatsoever, but MAC address restrictions instead) but when i turn off the actual dhcp server it doesnt work. how did you configure static ips on yours? thanks

o and about disabling the DNS client: is there a tweak for not having an error popping up every time you select "Repair Connection" via control panel? Thats the problem with using windows, huh? its not smart enough to figure out that theres no DNS client running so refreshing it is completely useless!

Windows processes made easy, here http://www.sysinfo.org/startuplist.php

Disabling an unwanted service is kind of like locking an unwanted thread...you should delete them all-together and get it over with already.

I'm not worried so much about RAM and resources as I am about inherently insecure/flawed services installed on my machine to begin with. Get something like nLite and get rid of the damn things instead of worrying about disabled vs. manual.

You are always conserving a resource when you remove them from the installation disc = HDD space. (you just have to know what you are doing)

What happens if one day you need to use said service (for whatever reasons), say, you wanted to network your machine with a newly purchased one, & you outright burnt out workstation & server services? That's just 1 example... (there are many more.)

Ordinarily, I'd agree with you, but given time & different things you'd learn about & want to do, you might need them in the future.

To each his own though, & I am serious about that.

APK

You're welcome. I just saw that & was like "Whoa Nelly", lol...



Then, it's just a "cosmetic fix" I was giving you - if you burnt the lib that did the actual function, you really DID do what you needed to do anyhow.



I use a LinkSys BEFSX41, probably NOT the same as yours is, but, I did it one day just by testing to see if I could turn off BOTH the DNS CLIENT &/or DHCP CLIENT services, & it turned out that I could (where I never could using Windows XP Pro, it seems I can on Windows Server 2003, AND "get away with it").

Nothing special either really - I just list the IP Address of my router as my DEFAULT GATEWAY really. It works.



I never, EVER have to do that, FORTUNATELY, so I never see it. Mine's not a wireless, it's "good ole' reliable copper wire RJ45" based.



LOL! Well, I think it depends on the version of Windows possibly, after all, I am not using XP like most folks are, & I can't truly tell you what may be allowing me to dispense with using DHCP client &/or DNS client, because I am NOT acting here using "Back Office" DNS/DHCP server services here either.

I would take a peek @ the last page though, & see what I was showing about how to move EventLogs + other apps' logs, %temp/tmp% ops, webbrowser caches, %comspec% location, possibly your HOSTS file & more to another disk though...

(AND< not necessarily an SSD like I use, but just another HDD...)

Just so you don't fragment your other MAIN C: disk (with your OS & Programs on it) with those temp/logs/webcache files (i.e.-.> having those files cause other ones on your main disk to frag & so you get more space on it back too, & MAINLY so you do not burden your OS + Programs disk with I/O for pagefile.sys, logs, webbrowser caches, OR %temp/tmp% ops).

APK

I don't know if this was mentioned in this thread yet but if you are going to disable or set to manual these services you need to know one thing.

If you use adobe products, i found out because I use them and use Illustrator a lot, you need "Printer Spool" to be set to Automatic, otherwise if you try to save it will crash Illustrator.

in case anyone disables something and cannot remember what the default was...

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documen...s.mspx?mfr=true

First: I'm amazed that a topic can last an entire year !

Second: In the meantime I've reduced the needed services as you can see.

I take it you are trying to "shave windows down" as much as possible, AND, still have it be able to get into the OS shell... correct?

You can do w/out DHCP, IF You have a router (I do it here, incidentally - I just set my router as my default gateway & OFF WE GO, no DHCP required)...

You can also run without Logical Disk Manager set AUTOMATIC too (set manual).

You can also run w/ out SHELL HARDWARE DETECTION set AUTOMATIC too, & turn it off later (if you went manual and it comes on anyhow).

See this post (got me "modded up" @ SLASHDOT):

http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=157321&cid=13190570

It outlines how "low you can go" actually... & even lower IF you have a router (see my note on DHCP above). In actuality, I am fairly SURE you can leave ONLY Plug & Play & RPC running... & STILL get into Windows (but, question is, HOW MUCH CAN YOU DO AT THAT POINT, lol!)



Also, if you REALLY want to get "crazy" & run windows, WITHOUT SERVICES @ ALL (& I have done it, quite by accident)? Alter the logon entities of the services (their ACL's) & you can LITERALLY get into Windows OS Explorer.exe shell, BUT, you cannot DO a heck of a lot either! Sounds nuts, but, I ran into that when I was experimenting with securing services...

I.E.-> I ran with NO SERVICES @ ALL, because I set them to a user that was either inactive (as the user the service logs on under in services.msc) OR, I made it so it logged on as my GUEST account (which is disabled)... it's been SO long, but I KNOW it is 'doable' & you can STILL get into Windows.

(IF ANY OF YOU ARE CRAZY ENOUGH TO TRY THIS LATTER ONE - be sure you have a backup of your system! F8 "Last Known Good Configuration" OR "Safe Mode" may help you out of it also, if it goes "nuts" on you!)

APK

P.S.=> I think a former co-worker of mine, Dr. Mark Russinovich, has ANOTHER way to do this, but... the specifics of HIS method eludes me now, but he also has discovered a way to run Windows, WITHOUT any services also... but, iirc, he too ran into what I did (limited functionality)... apk

Good point, & MAINLY because doing ADOBE .pdf formatted documents is just (iirc) really printing, albeit, TO A DOCUMENT (instead of to a printer port).

APK

No, I don't have a router but you can still do without DHCP setting static the IP (which I don't like).
As I said in one of my first post this is not a barebone configuration and you can actually cut out something more. But I wanted a pretty functional windows W/O all the unnecessary (for me) stuff .
I don't advice to go further since you could have an instable system.
Regards.

Just use CCleaner. Much much easier.

The ONLY "problem" with that, is that IF you set you address STATIC in nature, & are in fact assigned addresses dynamically/periodically (which ISP/BSP's will do, so you cannot setup a website etc. et al w/ out paying "business account" prices), is that your IP address WILL CHANGE, eventually... meaning IF for instance, you setup a website on your homebox, eventually, it would not be reachable anymore...



Agreed, & I do much the same (have for years, since around 1994 or so in fact)... from this forums? I suppose THIS:

====================================
APK "A to Z" Internet Speedup & Security Text!
====================================

http://www.neowin.net/news/main/01/11/29/a...--security-text

(Posted by me101 on 29 November 2001 - 04:40 · no comments & 795 views)

====================================

Would be evidence of that, in & of itself (dated 2001 from here when me101 posted it, but it's actual origination date was around 1997-1998 thru 2002 when it was hosted @ NTCompatible.com)... been into this "madness-N-lunacy" for a 'little while'... lol!



True, IF you push "too far", & like I said above, lol, while I was "experimenting" w/ securing services (because MacOS X had that on Windows for QUITE A WHILE in fact), I found you can get into Windows with no services alright, but, man... you can't DO much either, but, I suppose that depends on WHAT it is you intend to do with a PC that is...

APK