[Guide] Windows 7 Services List that can be Disabled Safely

We have posted service configuration guides for Windows XP and Windows Vista in past and now its turn of Windows 7. In this tutorial we’ll learn about the Windows services which are not essential and can be safely disabled or set to MANUAL to speed up your Windows 7 computer system:

STEP 1. Right-click on Computer icon on desktop and select Manage, it’ll open a new window. Now go to Services & Applications -> Services. You can also open the same from Administrative Tools -> Computer Management. Or you can directly open “Services” list by providing services.msc command in RUN or Start Menu search box.

Windows_7_Services_List.png

Advertisement

STEP 2. Now you can set the unnecessary services to DISABLED or MANUAL. Just double-click on any service and select the desired option in Startup type list box.

NOTE 1: Always set the service to MANUAL, never disable it, so that whenever Windows needs to start a service, it can easily start and use it. If you set any service to DISABLED, Windows will not be able to start it and will give some error messages.

NOTE 2: You can set Remote Registry service to DISABLED for Security purposes.

Here is a list of services that can be safely set to MANUAL/DISABLED:

  • Computer Browser (If your computer is not connected to any network)
  • Desktop Window Manager Session Manager (If you don’t use Aero glass theme)
  • Diagnostic Policy Service
  • Distributed Link Tracking Client (If your computer is not connected to any network)
  • IP Helper (If you don’t use IPv6 connection)
  • Offline Files
  • Portable Device Enumerator Service
  • Print Spooler (If you don’t have a Printer)
  • Protected Storage
  • Remote Registry
  • Secondary Logon
  • Security Center
  • Server (If your computer is not connected to any network)
  • Tablet PC Input Service
  • TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper (If you are not in a workgroup network)
  • Themes ( If you use Windows Classic theme)
  • Windows Error Reporting Service
  • Windows Media Center Service Launcher
  • Windows Search (If you don’t use Windows Search feature frequently)

PS: You can see the details of each service to determine whether you should disable it or not.

Further read:

Master Tutorial to Make Windows 7 Super Fast

Advertisement

Also Check:

[Guide] Which Windows 8/8.1 Services are Safe to Disable?

[Guide] Which Windows 10 Services are Safe to Disable?

Published in: Windows 7

About the author: Vishal Gupta (also known as VG) has been awarded with Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) award. He holds Masters degree in Computer Applications (MCA). He has written several tech articles for popular newspapers and magazines and has also appeared in tech shows on various TV channels.

Comments

NOTE: Older comments have been removed to reduce database overhead.

  1. Are all of these processes being changed to manual 100% not going to screw anything up with my computer?I need this to do school work and if it crashes or something, I’ll be screwed. I’ll leave the processes involving the network or internet the way they are.

  2. ^^ As mentioned in the NOTE, if a service is set to manual, Windows will be able to start it whenever required.

  3. Hi.
    When I rt click on the computer icon & select “manage”, I get an error msg that says:
    “The service cannot be started, either because it is disabled or because it has no enabled devices associated with it.” So I can’t get the “services” window to open. HELP! please. Thank you.

  4. ^^ Try to directly launch it by using services.msc command in RUN or Start Menu search box.

  5. Hi. I was finally able to try what you suggested (I have a c.zy schedule, so I haven’t been able to work on my computer since I last posted). I tried the services.msc command in both places & got the same response for both attempts, which is also the same response as my previous post: “The service cannot be started, either because it is disabled or because it has no enabled devices associated with it.” Also, I’m trying to uninstall Ad Aware & it keeps crashing & saying I have to be an administrator, which I am on my computer. I’ve tried from the normal windows “uninstall” list of programs, as well as going to the program itself & clicking uninstall. That didn’t work either. Get the same message as above. I right-clicked on “run as administrator” on the uninstall app & also get the same message. Never used to do that before. Any other suggestions?

    Thank you so much. Really appreciate your help.

  6. Make sure that you have a current system restore point available prior to following these recommendations. Worked ok on my desktop.

  7. Excellent list. Chanced it and manualized the wmi stuff which got rid of WmiPrvSE.exe (there were 2) which was burning 32% cpu. Awesome. Great list.

  8. Great article!
    But I don’t see something called “Windows Media Center Service Launcher” even after using Windows Media Center in Windows 7 Ultimate.
    Thanks so much anyway.

  9. HI. Thanks for the list, I have already disabled some of those services in msconfig but adding a few more will help my aneamic celeron-powered netbook to run somewhat smoother. If it wasn’t for ULV CPU and long battery life I would get rid of that lappy ages ago 🙂

  10. hello , i followed everything . i made it all manual the things you told me but when i applied it i can no longer play my game HoN , for some reason. and i dont know the default of these services anymore :/ please help me! need help.. tnx

  11. Go to task manager open service & then click service on the bottom, This is the shortest way & easy Way

  12. ^^ No. Never set all services to manual. It might make Windows unbootable. Some services are required to be set to Automatic.

  13. Strongly disagree that several should be set to Manual. Including your example. Remote Registry. That thing should NEVER be on, never be ALLOWED to be turned on, unless you are someone that knows what they are doing. It is a huge layer of protection, especially for those that constantly use public hotspots.

    This service should be shut down and have its permissions altered. While it is true that the clever “hacker” doesn’t need it to infect or pull data from or control etc, , with the power they become a remote admin that can “go anywhere, do anything”, invisibly, using Windows’ own built in blunders to completely evade capture from security sweeps…

    It is like a super bonus pack for the bad guy if available, and provide ZERO beneficial functionality for the average end user. Regular folks will never use it, and admins should use other methods to remotely manage client machines

  14. Oh… Oops. You got me. (You may want to bolden and underline the (Always disable it for Security purposes) and place it in the “Note” section, as it is contradictory otherwise… And I may not be the only one to initially miss that disable message in the list below the Note. Always set the service to MANUAL, never disable is a blanket statement. Not out of the realm of possibility that someone would remember “VG’s good advice” in the highlighted “note” section, and miss the more important part of disabling the one service that you kinda only “mention in passing”… dunno. Whatevs. But they should without question be placed in the same paragraph, not not….

  15. @viren,
    If I remember correctly it is disabled by default in Windows 7. Don’t worry about it.
    Anyway I’ll try to instruct you:
    Open the Start menu, right-click on the Computer icon, Select Manage, Scrol down and expand Services and Applications, select services. You will find RemoteRegistry on the right side. Double-click it, and set the startup type to disabled.
    Hope this Helps.

  16. Hi VG,
    OK. So I tried to instruct a user, I have a question.:)
    Well, I have Office 2010 retail. I see when I set the Office Software Protection Platform Service to manual it seams my Word 2010 still works and don’t complain about activation or something else.
    So do you think it’s safe to set Office Software Protection Platform Service to manual, or even disable it?
    Thanks!

  17. Sorry, I saw Remote Registry can be disable for security purpose few times ago. Now, it shows to set manual. Where the right?

  18. By disabling unnecessary services, the performance can be improved significantly, especially on computers with low system resources ,
    Easy service optimizer (Eso) is a portable freeware to optimize almost all Windows services (except windows 98 and below) and It does not require any technical knowledge , It is very safe to use because it changes only the startup typ of the services and You can restore them easilysordum.org/8637/easy-service-optimizer-v1-0

  19. Hi,
    Just discovered this blog/site. I’m new to this sort of thing 🙂
    My question is when you refer to the Network , do you mean the World Wide Web, or just within ones own home/business?
    Thanks

  20. THANK you for this list. I love my windows 7 laptop and am in no hurry to update windows.

  21. Dear Friends, I am an old man, maybe that is why I am so much wondering: wouldn’t it be much easier and user-friendly if there were an intelligent sw with a check-list at start-up based on simple, non-technical questions – just to see how we wish to use are laptop. Then the dozens of needless “services” (much of them just annoyances) would be handled just as needed and as they deserve it. Thanks for any idea or opinion.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

NOTE: Your comment may not appear immediately. It'll become visible once we approve it.