Windows processes made EASY !

[Darkon11]

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 !!

[matty13]

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

[zeroday]

Look here: http://www.theeldergeek.com/services_guide.htm

The best services guide (imo)

[primexx]

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

[matty13]

Look here: http://www.theeldergeek.com/services_guide.htm

The best services guide (imo)

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!

[Darkon11]

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).

[stockwiz]

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

[Zxian]

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.

[Darkon11]

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.

[soldier1st]

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.

[solardog]

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.

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.

[L3thal Veteran]

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

[abcdefg]

Why do people insist on NOT disabling their services?

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.

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

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.

[Malisk]

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.

[+virtorio MVC]

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.

[MediaSoldier]

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.

[Prosidius]

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. :p

[Darkon11]

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).

[Zxian]

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.

Edited March 1, 2007 by Zxian

[Guest Jeremy of Many]

Let me clear this up and hopefully prevent future ###### 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.

[Zxian]

@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.

[GEIST]

^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.

[Ruciz]

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...

[APK]

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.

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

[thunderstruck88]

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).

Edited December 3, 2007 by thunderstruck88