Services you can disable to make windows 7 run more streamlined and less bulky

[oobymach]

To start with run task scheduler and open the microsoft folder under the task scheduler library and open the windows folder there, find these entries and disable them

Application Experience - disable both
Customer Experience - disable all 3

Now that you've done that open control panel and if not already set change 'view by' to small icons, open administrative tools and load services, below are lists and descriptions but it's safe to disable all of these and windows will still run fine, I've learned through trial and error what is and isn't safe to stop.

I use wireless internet and everything still works including games programs etc. but windows will have a lot less bulk when you're done. I have just 34 services using 1.3gb in win 7 with all my peripherals connected and at the ready.

Below is the name of the service and its default setting, go ahead and disable each of these

application experience - manual
ip helper - auto
windows media player netwk shrng - auto delayed
print spooler - auto - if you don't print from your machine and don't plan to then disable this
windows update - auto delayed - once you've installed all updates disable this
windows search - auto delayed
windows firewall - auto - if you rely on your firewall leave this
windows defender - auto delay - if you rely on win defender leave this
Diagnostic Policy service - auto
windows error reporting - manual

These are network services you don't need if you're not file sharing with other computers or sharing internet connections, if your machine is stand alone then definitely disable these. Your internet connection shouldn't be affected, only connectivity to other machines on the network.

computer browser - auto
homegroup listener - manual
distributed link tracking client - auto
server - auto
function discovery resource publication - auto
tcp/ip netbios helper - auto

(disabling these 4 just helps protect your machine from hacker loopholes)
remote desktop config
remote desktop services
remote desktop services usermode port redirector
remote registry

(these 3 need to be turned off with the base filtering engine stopped last)
base filtering engine - auto
ipsec policy agent - manual
ike and authip ipsec keying modules - auto


After stopping and disabling these restart your computer and enjoy slimmed down windows.

Also disable the gadget platform in control panel, programs and features, turn windows features on or off, find windows gadget platform and un-check it and click ok.

Lastly run msconfig and on the startup tab see if there's anything not immediately necessary there like for example program updaters, unneeded startup apps, or fluff and uncheck the unnecessary ones and click ok, it will ask to restart.

[CursedPanther]

Pretty sure there are those so called 'game booster' software out there that do this stuff automatically for you at the press of a button. Still if you marginally have the horsepower to run a game you want, perhaps it's time to upgrade the hardware anyway.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

There is no reason to mess with those; most are there, ready to run, but don't do anything cause you're not running any apps that would be using such services.

Yes a Game Booster app you can run and then temp Disable all those services.

But overall, all you are really doing is a waste of time. In fact messing with alot of those will just cause many aspects of your OS to not work properly.

You are not freeing up any RAM really; overall I have to put it like this; if doing anything of this actually helps; then your machine is so old its time to think about a new build.

For most folks; the bulk lays within all the crap they have in OS Startup, which generally should be nothing if done right. Don't put a bunch of crap in your startup unless it's really needed by hardware. Something like Steam, Skype for example; just launch those when going to use them.

[oobymach]

I don't think it's a waste considering all those services are running all the time on your computer, ever run task manager? By default there are around 50 services running at once, all being monitored and updated by the cpu, most doing nothing apart from repeatedly queuing some port to see if it's in use yet.

Would you tow a 50,000 lb trailer behind your ferrari? Then why let windows tow multiple loads? Especially ones you don't need (like tcp/ip helpers). Theoretically yes it can tow the load (windows) but if you throw a bunch of crap off the back it'll go faster.

I don't run game boosters for the same reason I don't run registry cleaners. It's like giving the keys to your car to a known recidivist felon. Better to do it yourself. Also I did a good job of sorting and describing the services you'd be killing, but if you want to drive around with a house in tow be my guest.

[[wan-clan.org] Gordy Freeman]

Could be useful now that machines with over 4GB of RAM no longer bundle the services to a single process in memory.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Then you don't understand your OS; a service just being listed means nothing; it's just idle.

Overall, it's a pointless thread, cause all it does it cause arguments.
There are plenty of easy to use, takes 5 mins to do all that, tech tool types.
There is a big different between tech tools and adware filled crapware.

My point is, you think you are lightening the load of the OS; when in fact you are not. As most of what a OS has, only gets used when you actually run apps that use those services.

If you want to actually kill something worth killing; set Windows Updates to Check For Updates Only. And immunize with Spybot Anti-Beacon

[[wan-clan.org] Gordy Freeman]

I've tried a game that requires 8GB of RAM before and after the above.

It runs HEAPS better with the above services disabled and an extra 500-800 MB of available RAM.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Well if the game can use 8GB RAM, then you should have 12-16GB RAM; those services won't help enough in terms of what could get freed up.

Yea if you're still on 4GB RAM, then it could help a little.

[oobymach]

You may run your machine as you please, but I've been customizing windows to my liking since back before there was dial up. There are a few improvements but most noticeably is the less jobs your cpu has to do the better it can perform. I'm running an amd cpu so every little bit helps.

I know the best solution would be to run linux but windows is so much more user friendly and the more you can do to streamline it the better in my experience.

[BoNfiRe]

I used to do all that many years ago, and the disable Windows services stability vs performance gains are really neglegable. A lot of them don't really run, and if they are, they barely use any resources and over the years, having to restart my PC just to get certain aspects of Windows back vs the performace gain I got didn't warrant disabling them at all.

Just my opinion, and this is a user-to-user preference more than a performance gain!