Most Windows users know (and if they don’t, they’re likely to find out soon enough) about the myriad problems posed by spyware—various forms of stealth software that can worm their way onto systems and cause unexpected behavior, loss of performance, or even data theft. Although not nearly as insidious as spyware, many Windows computers suffer from another hidden potential menace in the form of unnecessary services that can negatively impact system performance.

Services are a special category of software that run on Windows 2000 and Windows XP systems (but not on Windows 9x/Me). They’re usually installed as part of Windows and are designed to handle a variety of common operating system features and functions, though they can also be part of third-party software, as well. Services differ from regular applications in that they’re designed to run automatically, in the background, and without the need for any user input. Unlike spyware, services don’t usually pose a threat to security or privacy (although in some instances, they can), and in most cases, a single service won’t have a significant impact on system performance.

But a typical system might have dozens or even scores of services running, and in the aggregate, they can consume enough system resources to bog down your system’s performance or even affect its stability (especially on computers with a relatively slow CPU or a limited amount of RAM). Because a lot of the services that run automatically in Windows ultimately prove to be unnecessary for many users, turning off the dispensable ones can be a good way to give your system’s performance a boost and even plug a few security holes.

Service Without A Smile

As it turns out, locating and identifying services isn’t quite as straightforward as finding, for example, startup applications (most of which are easily visible in the System Tray or in Msconfig’s Startup tab). Launching the Windows Task Manager (by pressing CTRL-ALTDELETE) and consulting the Processes tab isn’t the answer either—although most running services do appear there, they’re seldom explicitly identified by name. Rather, you’ll typically see them listed as multiple entries of Svchost.exe. (Services are often DLL [dynamiclink library] files, which can only be launched in the guise of an executable program.)

The best way to find the services on your system is to launch Services.msc from the Start menu’s Run command, which will bring up a dialog box displaying the name, a brief (and often overly technical) description, and status of each installed service. As you’ll see from the display, the presence of a service on a system doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s actually running; in fact, each one can be configured with one of three Startup Types. For example, Automatic means the service will be started each time the system starts up. A Manual service, on the other hand, doesn’t start automatically when the system does, but it can be launched when called upon by the OS or an application that needs it.

Finally, a Disabled service is inactive under all circumstances and can’t be started unless its Startup Type is changed first. So now that you’ve found the services on your system, you need to figure out whether a particular service is unneeded. The truth is that there is no absolute list of good or bad services, and the difference between a critical service and an extraneous one ultimately depends on how your system is configured and how you use it. It’s also important to note that not all systems will have an identical list of installed services, because although most services are common across multiple versions of Windows, the specific list of services installed on your system and the default settings for each will depend on your specific Windows version and which service packs, if any, you’ve installed (as well as what third-party software you have installed).

Generally speaking, it’s not a good idea to fiddle around with Windows services, as many of them are critical
to proper system or application function. What follows, however, is a list of a dozen standard services that
Win2000/XP users are likely to find configured to automatically start on their systems and should be able to
disable (subject to the caveats provided with each). To disable a service, double-click it, stop the service if it’s already running, and change its Startup Type to Disabled.

The Dirty Dozen

Computer Browser. The Computer Browser service lets you use My Network Places (Network Neighborhood in Win2000) to browse the network for other systems that have shared resources available. If you only have one system or you don’t share folders or printers among multiple systems on a home network, you don’t need this service. (Disabling this service won’t affect your ability to access the Internet.)

Error Reporting Service. When you suffer an application error, this service is responsible for the dialog box that pops up asking if you want to send an error report to Microsoft. If you never say yes and don’t intend to in the future, you can do without this service.

Fast User Switching Compatibility. Windows uses this service to improve the operation of applications in Fast User Switching mode (which lets multiple users on the same PC be logged in at the same time). If you don’t have multiple user accounts set up, you don’t need this.

Indexing Service. This service is the underpinning of Windows’ (much maligned) search feature. It can be quite a resource hog, so if you don’t use the built-in search feature, you should turn off this service. This is especially true given that free Desktop search utilities from companies such as Google and Yahoo! do a better job with less system overhead. Before you disable the service, clear the check box next to Allow Indexing Service To Index This Disk For Fast File Searching on each of your hard drives. (You can find it by going to My Computer, right-clicking each drive icon, and selecting Properties.)

Infrared Monitor. If you have a notebook equipped with an infrared data port, this service ensures that the port is always on the lookout for other infrared-capable devices to connect to. If you don’t use your infrared port to transmit data or synchronize with a handheld device, you can switch this service off.

Messenger. This service is not related to the MSN Messenger IM application, but rather is used to send administrative alerts between networked PCs. It’s not important for stand-alone PCs or even those on home networks, so it should be disabled.  (Messenger can be exploited to generate pop-up ads, so starting with WinXP SP2 this service is disabled by default.)

Remote Registry. This service is found on Win2000 and WinXP Professional and is useful on corporate networks for tasks such as software distribution and system auditing. On a home system or home network, however, it’s unnecessary and may even pose a security risk.

Secondary Logon. This service (known as the RunAs Service in Windows 2000) allows you to run a program
or start a software installation process using an account other than the one currently logged in. This can be
useful when you want to install a program for someone with a limited account without logging them off the
system first. Most people don’t use or need this feature though, so you can probably do without it.

Server. This service lets you share files and printers on your PC with other systems on the network. If you
don’t share your system resources, this is a service you can easily do without.

System Restore Service. This service is what lets the System Restore feature undo changes and roll your
system configuration back to a particular point in time. This feature can certainly come in handy, but it also
carries a lot of overhead. If you don’t use it, turn it off.

Task Scheduler. This service schedules tasks to be performed on specific days and at specific times. It’s
used by built-in Windows applications but may also be used by third-party software, as well (for example,
backup or antivirus utilities). If you don’t use this kind of software, or you perform these tasks manually, you
can turn this service off.

Wireless Zero Configuration. This service, which starts automatically on both WinXP Home and Professional, looks for Wi-Fi networks and configures wireless hardware. If you don’t use your system to access a wireless network, deactivate this service.