Service

Description

Real World Experience

Original setting

Changed to

COM+ Event System

Supports System Event Notification Service (SENS), which provides automatic distribution of events to subscribing Component Object Model (COM) components.

One of the support files that you'll probably never have any use for, but if you disable it, the warning notices you receive are worse than leaving it enabled.

Automatic

Manual

Cryptographic Services

Provides three management services: Catalog Database Service, which confirms the signatures of Windows files; Protected Root Service, which adds and removes Trusted Root Certification Authority certificates from this computer; and Key Service, which helps enroll this computer for certificates.

Provides the annoying boxes that pop up telling you a driver you are about to install isn't digitally signed. If you disable this service you'll be flooded with uncertified driver notifications.

Automatic

Manual

DHCP Client

Manages network configuration by registering and updating IP addresses and DNS names.

How your computer gets a Dynamic IP address so you can connect to the internet.

Automatic

Disable

Error Reporting Service

Allows error reporting for services and applications running in non-standard environments.

Responsible for the box that pops up wanting you to report an application error or system crash to Microsoft.

Automatic

Disable

Help and Support

Enables Help and Support Center to run on computer.

Connects to online help via Microsoft.

Automatic

Disable

IPSec Services

Manages IP security policy and starts the ISAKMP/Oakley (IKE) and the IP security driver.

Primarily a host authentication device used with data transfer and encryption operations on a domain.

Automatic

Manual

Plug and Play

Enables a computer to recognize and adapt to hardware changes with little or no user input.

Automatic discovery of devices attached to your computer

Automatic

Manual

Print Spooler

Loads files to memory for later printing.

Automatic

Disable

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

Just as it sounds - allows the editing and changing of the registry remotely.

Automatic

Disable

Shell Hardware Detection

Provides AutoPlay notifications.

Disabling this service will keep CD-ROMS/DVD-ROMS and other such devices from automatically working.

Automatic

Disable

TCP/IP NetBios Helper

Enables support for NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT) service and NetBIOS name resolution.

Rather a relic from the days when NetBIOS and WINS were an integral part of the network, but this service is seldom needed today.

Automatic

Manual

Telephony

Provides Telephony API (TAPI) support for programs that control telephony devices and IP based voice connections on the local computer and, through the LAN, on servers that are also running the service.

Basically controls all dialup activity and in some cases DSL/Cable activity.

Automatic

Manual

Windows Audio

Manages audio devices for Windows-based programs.

Controls all audio functions. If you don't have sound capability, disable.

Automatic

Disable

Windows Time

Maintains date and time synchronization on all clients and servers in the network.

Synchronizes your clock to a time server.

Automatic

Disable

Wireless Zero Configuration

Provides automatic configuration for the 802.11 adapters.

Automatic

Disable