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Constantly running in the background of XP are services--processes that help the operating system run or that provide support to applications. Many of these services launch automatically at start-up. While you need many of them, some are not required, and they can slow down your system when they run in the background.

You can disable services at start-up by using the system configuration utility, similar to the way that you halt programs from running at start-up, except that you use the Services tab instead of the Startup tab. But the system configuration utility doesn't necessarily list every service that launches on start-up. A bigger problem is that disabling services is more of shot in the dark than disabling programs. When you disable a program, you can get a sense of what the program does. But when you disable a service through the system configuration utility, there's often no way to know what it does.

A better way of disabling services at start-up is via the Services computer-management console. Run it by typing services.msc at the command prompt. The Services computer-management console includes a description of all services so that you can know ahead of time whether a particular service is one you want to turn off. It also lets you pause the service so that you can test your machine and see whether that service is needed.

After you run the console, click the Extended tab. This view will show you a description of each service in the left pane when you highlight the service. The Startup Type column shows you which services launch on start-up--any with Automatic in that field. Click that column to sort together all the services that automatically launch on start-up. Then highlight each of those services and read the descriptions.

When you find a service you want to disable, right-click it and choose Properties. In the Properties dialog box that appears, choose Manual from the Startup Type drop-down list. The service won't start automatically from now on, but you can start it manually via the console. If you want the service disabled so that it can't be run, choose Disabled. To test the results, turn off any services that you don't want to run by clicking Stop The Service in the left pane, or by right-clicking the service and choosing Stop.




List of Services Services to Disable:

• Smart Card / Smart Card Helper

If you don't have a smart card system, you don't need this service. As smart cards have really never taken off... i doubt you need this. Kill it.

• TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper service

Unless you run NetBIOS on your system, you don't need this service. Kill it.

• Uninterruptible Power Supply

Although I should have a UPS, I don't. If you don't, then disable this service.

• Remote Registry service

This service allows one to remotely edit the registry through a network connection. If you are editing your registry remotely, then you are too jedi-ninja to be reading this guide. The rest of us should have this off for security alone.

• Error Reporting Service

A program crashes and microsoft wants to know about it. Give up your extra CPU cycles to help Gates polish his OS, or you can just disable it.

• Wireless Zero Configuration

Automatically configures a Wi-Fi (802.11) network card. Disable this only if you're not using a Wi-Fi network card.

• Alerter

This is so useless SP2 turns this off for you. For the rest of you folks, you should turn it off too.

• Portable Media Serial Number

Retrieves the serial number of a portable music player attached to your PC.

• Clipbook

This service allows you to cut and paste across your private network. Most programs that actually allow you to do this use their own ways for doing this.Useless.Stop it.

• Computer Browser

If you are on a LAN, keep it enabled. If not, stop it. It allows you to see the other computers on your network.

• FastUser Switching Compatibility

If you keep multiple users/logins on your current computer, you should leave this enabled. If you always log-in the same way as the same person, you should disable this.

• Messenger Service

Kill it, kill it. We've been saying to kill this forever.

• NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing Service

If you don't use NetMeeting, you should stop this service.

• Network DDE/Network DDE DSDM

DDE DSDM was an excellent idea by Microsoft that flopped. Disable both of these.

• Remote Desktop Help Session Manager Service

I use remote desktop all the time. However, you should not have it enabled unless you use it.

• Telnet Service

Allows a remote user to log in to your computer and run programs. (This will not be found on all versions of XP Pro.). It's a security risk so don't keep it enabled unless you use it.SP2 disables it by default now.

• Task Scheduler

Schedules unattended tasks to be run. If you don't schedule any unattended tasks, turn it off.

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