Speed Up Your Windows PC by Safely Disabling Services You Probably Don't Need
June 08, 2010 at 03:05:20 AM, by Gilberto J. Perera
Does your desktop computer next to your router really use the built-in wireless card? Is your computer used by your kids? If the answer is no, then we can already disable two different services that are hogging up memory and processor speed, right now.
Because computer manufacturer’s and Microsoft don’t know what you are ultimately going to do with your computer, they will make sure that every bell and whistle is running and available for you to use. The problem is that the majority of users don’t need all the bells and whistles included in an operating system which ultimately results in unnecessary memory and processor use.
In this guide I will list the services that you can safely disable to gain more RAM and take back some of those processor cycles they may consume. Best of all, when you disable these services, they no longer load when your computer starts so you should see an improvement in startup and shut down times.
Services You Can Safely Disable in Windows
This list does not include all of the services you can disable; only those you can safely disable most of the time. If you know of other services that can be safely disabled, please use the comments section below.
1. Parental Control
This service is a stub for Windows Parental Control functionality that existed in Vista. It is provided for backward compatibility. So if you have only have Windows 7 PC’s on your network and never upgraded from Vista, you can safely disable this service.
2. Fax Service
Enables you to send and receive faxes, utilizing fax resources available on this computer or on the network. If you’re not using the fax functionality on your PC because you have a standalone fax, then there is no reason why you should be running this service.
3. WLAN AutoConfig
The WLANSVC service provides the logic required to configure, discover, connect to, and disconnect from a wireless local area network (WLAN) as defined by IEEE 802.11 standards. It also contains the logic to turn your computer into a software access point so that other devices or computers can connect to your computer wirelessly using a WLAN adapter that can support this.
This is a service I would only disable if you use a desktop at home that is connected to a router with an Ethernet cable and is not using the wireless card it shipped with. I bought an HP Media Center PC which has a wired and wireless adapter and of course I’m using the wired connection as I am next to the router. So why run the wireless service? Things to consider: • Do not disable this service if you use the wireless adapter to connect to a wireless printer. • Do not disable this service if you plan on using the wireless adapter for virtualization.
4. Remote Registry
Enables remote users to modify registry settings on this computer. If this service is stopped, the registry can be modified only by users on this computer. Unless you are in a corporate environment with an IT department that manages your PC’s, you can safely disable this service.
5. Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service
Shares Windows Media Player libraries to other networked players and media devices using Universal Plug and Play. Unless you share your media files across your network you can safely disable this service.
6. Offline Files
The Offline Files service performs maintenance activities on the Offline Files cache, responds to user logon and logoff events, implements the internals of the public API, and dispatches interesting events to those interested in Offline Files activities and changes in cache state. I myself would not disable this service because I use it every day on my laptop, but on my desktop that is connected to the server 24/7 I disabled it in a heartbeat. If you don’t rely on offline files or don’t know what it is, chances are you can probably disable without a worry.
7. Windows Media Center Receiver
Windows Media Center Service for TV and FM broadcast reception. This service can be safely disabled if your computer does not use a TV Tuner or FM radio.
8. Bluetooth Support Service
The Bluetooth service supports discovery and association of remote Bluetooth devices. Stopping or disabling this service may cause already installed Bluetooth devices to fail to operate properly and prevent new devices from being discovered and associated. If you have a Bluetooth radio installed in your compute, but are not using Bluetooth peripherals then you can safely disable this service.
9. Apple Mobile Device
Provides the interface to Apple mobile devices. This service is usually present if you use iTunes to manage your media, however if you don’t own an iPod, iPad, or iPhone, but like to use iTunes, you can safely disable this service.
10. iPod Service
iPod Hardware Management Services. Same as the Apple Mobile Device service listed above, it is usually present if you use iTunes to manage your media, however if you don’t own an iPod, iPad, or iPhone, but like to use iTunes, you can safely disable this service.
How to Disable Services in Windows 7
The short how-to below will show you where you can enable and disable services in Windows 7. Instructions are very similar for Windows Vista and XP, except for the location of Services within the Start Menu.
WARNING: Before proceeding with any changes to your computer, please make sure that create a system restore point should you encounter an issue with a service you disable. You can also create a backup if you’re not familiar with restore points in Windows.
1. Click on the Windows Orb to open the Start Menu and enter services in the search box. When the search results appear, click on the Services program that will appear under Programs in the search results.
2. When the Services window opens, click on the Status column to sort the services by their status. This will help you determine which services are currently running on your computer.
3. Right-click on the Service you wish to disable and click on Properties from the menu.
4. Select a Disabled from the Startup type drop-down list. Click OK to save the changes. 5. Repeat for all the services you wish to disable. 6. Restart your computer. Service descriptions via the Service Console in Windows 7.
Page:1/1
Stay up-to-date with the latest mobile technology news and laptop reviews with our free newsletter! Get free tips, news and information from Laptop Logic and find the best laptop deals online.
Comments
farhan at 15:19, June 30, 2010
Its really easy to have clear idea about speeding up PC.. Thnks.... [url=www.nodepositgames.com]free bonus[/url] [url=www.nodepositgames.com]no deposit required[/url]