Windows XP, Microsoft’s latest operating system, is very popular due to its vast service options. But many of us think that it is resource hungry, particularly if we are working on older hardware. By tweaking the options, it can be made to work faster.
Windows XP is known for its beautiful new interface, coupled with the stability of Windows 2000. The only problem is that there are some performance issues that you may want to iron out. The operating system comes with a whole bunch of built-in applications that are really useful if you want to run a server or a database application. The problem is that these applications all seem to start simultaneously, whether you need them or not, and use up precious system resources. The following is a guide to make XP work for you.
The most effective way to disable services is by running the Windows Management Interface. Access it through either Control Panel>Administrative Tools>Services or go to Start>Run, type services.msc and press [Enter]. A window pops up that displays all the services, their descriptions and status, whether currently running or not. From here you can start, stop, pause, resume, or restart a service.
In the table below, I have provided three types of configuration settings: Safe, Internet Gateway, and Gaming. Those who want the maximum out of their system, for gaming should set the services according to the gaming configuration and PCs used as servers or Internet gateways should use the list specified in the respective configuration. The safe configuration is for those concerned about security.
To disable from here, just right-click a service and choose properties. Now, go to the list box named ‘startup type’. Select one of the three options (automatic, manual, and disabled), that is applicable.
Disabling most remote services will not only increase your PC speed, but also improve your security. For example, make sure that you disable the remote registry service, which basically allows it to be edited from a remote location. You are probably never going to want to edit your registry over the Internet anyway.
If you feel that you don’t know whether you require this service, just set it to a ‘manual’ run. This way, Windows will not load it at startup, but only when it is required. Finally, be careful about selecting from the services listed above, and remember to restart your PC after making the changes. You can now enjoy a faster and less resource hungry Windows XP.
Note: There may be services which may or may not be installed on your PC, depending on whether it’s XP Home, or Professional. Also, if it came pre-installed by your vendor, he may or may not have installed any many of them.
Following is the list of services available in windows XP:
Display Name———-> Safe
Application Layer Gateway Service———-> Manual
Automatic Updates———-> Manual
Computer Browser———-> Disabled
Error Reporting Service———-> Disabled
Help and Support———-> Disabled
Indexing Service———-> Disabled
Logical Disk Manager———-> Manual
Network Location Awareness (NLA)———-> Manual
Performance Logs and Alerts———-> Disabled
Portable Media Serial Number———-> Disabled
Remote Access Auto Connection Manager———-> Manual
Remote Access Connection Manager———-> Manual
Remote Desktop Help Session Manager———-> Disabled
Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator———-> Manual
Remote Registry Service———-> Disabled
Routing and Remote Access———-> Disabled
Server———-> Disabled
Smart Card———-> Disabled
System Restore Service———-> Disabled
Task Scheduler———-> Disabled
WMI Performance Adapter———-> Disabled
Display Name———-> Internet Gateway
Application Layer Gateway Service———-> Automatic
Automatic Updates———-> Automatic
Computer Browser———-> Automatic
Error Reporting Service———-> Disabled
Help and Support———-> Disabled
Indexing Service———-> Disabled
Logical Disk Manager———-> Manual
Network Location Awareness (NLA)———-> Automatic
Performance Logs and Alerts———-> Disabled
Portable Media Serial Number———-> Disabled
Remote Access Auto Connection Manager———-> Automatic
Remote Access Connection Manager———-> Automatic
Remote Desktop Help Session Manager———-> Disabled
Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator———-> Manual
Remote Registry Service———-> Disabled
Routing and Remote Access———-> Disabled
Server———-> Automatic
Smart Card ———-> Disabled
System Restore Service———-> Disabled
Task Scheduler———-> Disabled
WMI Performance Adapter———-> Disabled
Display Name Gaming
Application Layer Gateway Service———-> Disabled
Automatic Updates———-> Disabled
Computer Browser———-> Disabled
Error Reporting Service ———-> Disabled
Help and Support———-> Disabled
Indexing Service———-> Disabled
Logical Disk Manager———-> Disabled
Network Location Awareness (NLA)———-> Disabled
Performance Logs and Alerts———-> Disabled
Portable Media Serial Number———-> Disabled
Remote Access Auto Connection Manager———-> Disabled
Remote Access Connection Manager———-> Disabled
Remote Desktop Help Session Manager———-> Disabled
Remote Procedure Call (RPC)———-> Manual
Remote Registry Service———-> Disabled
Routing and Remote Access———-> Disabled
Server———-> Disabled
Smart Card———-> Disabled
System Restore Service———-> Disabled
Task Scheduler———-> Disabled
WMI Performance Adapter———-> Disabled