Windows 7 Services Guide

Notes
  • Click service name for full detail page on that service, including description, consequences of disabling it, services required for it to run, and services that rely on that service!
  • My configurations are not guaranteed to work with every computer, nor to do everything you want. Read the descriptions and make decisions based on your needs. What I find useless, you may not.
  • Use services.msc to manage services
  • '*' denotes that the process cannot be stopped, or changed from 'Automatic' setting
  • Automatic (DS) = Automatic (Delayed Start)
  • .reg scripts for all these configurations are available here
  • This page is updated daily.
  • Any suggestions, corrections, comments? Go to the detail page, and drop a comment.
  • NA indicates that the service is not installed on that version of Win7

Disclaimer: Use this site at your own risk. I am not responsible for damage to your computer, or anything else. This list may change at any time.


Safe: Services that do not affect the user experience in any way. You should not even notice a difference when using these settings, but it is possible. Disables unnecessary services.
Tweaked: Many heavy and most likely unused services have been disabled. This is much lighter than 'Safe'. Aero disabled, but Themes left alone, as many people will blindly run this without reading what services are gone, and will be surprised/angry to see themes disappear.
Minimal: All services that are not necessary to every day use and windows update have been disabled. Themes is disabled, Aero is disabled, firewall disabled. This assumes you have your OWN firewall/AV software installed!
Service Home Basic Home Premium Business Ultimate 'Safe' Tweaked Minimal
ActiveX Installer (AxInstSV)
? Manual ? Manual . . .
Adaptive Brightness
? Manual ? Manual . . .
Application Experience
? Manual ? Automatic Automatic Manual Disabled
Application Identity
? Manual ? Manual . . .
Application Information
? Manual ? Manual Manual Manual Manual
Application Layer Gateway Service
? Manual ? Manual Manual Manual Disabled
Application Management
? NA ? Manual Manual Manual Disabled
Background Intelligent Transfer Service
? Automatic (DS) ? Automatic (DS) Automatic (DS) Manual Manual
Base Filtering System
? Automatic ? Automatic Automatic Automatic Disabled
BitLocker Drive Encryption Service
? Manual ? Manual . . .
Block Level Backup Engine Service
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Bluetooth Support Service
? Manual ? Manual . . .
BranchCache
? NA ? Manual . . .
Certificate Propagation
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
CNG Key Isolation
? Manual ? Manual Manual Manual Disabled
COM+ Event System
? Automatic ? Automatic Manual Manual Manual
COM+ System Application
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Computer Browser
? Automatic ? Automatic Manual Disabled Disabled
Credential Manager
? Manual ? Manual . . .
Cryptographic Services
? Automatic ? Automatic Manual Manual Manual
DCOM Server Process Launcher
? Automatic* ? Automatic* Automatic* Automatic* Automatic*
Desktop Window Manager Session Manager
? Automatic ? Automatic Automatic Disabled Disabled
DHCP Client
? Automatic ? Automatic Automatic Automatic Automatic
Diagnostic Policy Service
? Automatic ? Automatic Manual Disabled Disabled
Service Home Basic Home Premium Business Ultimate 'Safe' Tweaked Minimal
Diagnostic Service Host
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Diagnostic System Host
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Disk Defragmenter
? Manual ? Manual . . .
Distributed Link Tracking Client
? Automatic ? Automatic Manual Disabled Disabled
Distributed Transaction Coordinator
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
DNS Client
? Automatic ? Automatic Automatic Disabled Disabled
Encrypted File System (EFS)
? Manual ? Manual . . .
Extensible Authentication Protocol
? Manual ? Manual Manual Manual Disabled
Fax
? Manual ? Manual Disabled Disabled Disabled
Function Discovery Provider Host
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Function Discovery Resource Publication
? Automatic ? Automatic Manual Disabled Disabled
Group Policy Client
? Automatic* ? Automatic* Automatic* Automatic* Automatic*
Health Key and Certificate Management
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
HomeGroup Listener
? Manual ? Manual . . .
HomeGroup Provider
? Manual ? Manual . . .
Human Interface Device Access
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
IKE and AuthIP IPsec Keying Modules
? Manual ? Automatic Manual Disabled Disabled
Interactive Services Detection
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)
? Disabled ? Disabled Manual Disabled Disabled
IP Helper
? Automatic ? Automatic Manual Disabled Disabled
IPsec Policy Agent
? Manual ? Automatic Manual Disabled Disabled
KtmRm for Distributed Transaction Coordinator
? Manual ? Automatic (DS) Automatic (DS) Disabled Disabled
Link-Layer Topology Discovery Mapper
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Media Center Extender Service
? Disabled ? Disabled . . .
Microsoft .NET Framework NGEN
? Manual ? Manual Manual Manual Manual
Service Home Basic Home Premium Business Ultimate 'Safe' Tweaked Minimal
Microsoft iSCSI Initiator Service
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Multimedia Class Scheduler
? Automatic ? Automatic Automatic Automatic Automatic
Net.Tcp Port Sharing Service
? Disabled ? Disabled Disabled Disabled Disabled
Netlogon
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Network Access Protection Agent
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Network Connections
? Manual ? Manual Manual Manual Disabled
Network List Service
? Automatic ? Manual Manual Manual Disabled
Network Location Awareness
? Automatic ? Automatic Manual Disabled Disabled
Network Store Interface Service
? Automatic ? Automatic Automatic Automatic Automatic
Offline Files
? NA ? Automatic Disabled Disabled Disabled
Parental Controls
? Manual ? Manual Disabled Disabled Disabled
Peer Name Resolution Protocol
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Peer Networking Grouping
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Peer Networking Identity Manager
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Performance Counter DLL Host
? NA ? Manual . . .
Performance Logs & Alerts
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Plug and Play
? Automatic* ? Automatic* Automatic* Automatic* Automatic*
PnP-X IP Bus Enumerator
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
PNRP Machine Name Publication Service
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Portable Device Enumerator Service
? Manual ? Automatic Manual Disabled Disabled
Power
? Automatic ? Automatic . . .
Print Spooler
? Automatic ? Automatic Automatic Automatic Disabled
Problem Reports and Solutions Control Panel Support
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Program Compatibility Assistant Service
? Manual ? Automatic Automatic Manual Disabled
Service Home Basic Home Premium Business Ultimate 'Safe' Tweaked Minimal
Protected Storage
? Manual ? Manual Manual Manual Disabled
Quality Windows Audio Video Experience
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Remote Access Auto Connection Manager
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Remote Access Connection Manager
? Manual ? Manual Manual Manual Disabled
Remote Desktop Configuration
? Manual ? Manual . . .
Remote Desktop Services
? Manual ? Manual . . .
Remote Desktop Services UserMode Port Redirector
? NA ? Manual . . .
Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
? Automatic* ? Automatic* Automatic* Automatic* Automatic*
Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator
? Manual ? Manual Manual Manual Disabled
Remote Registry
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Routing and Remote Access
? Disabled ? Disabled Disabled Disabled Disabled
RPC Endpoint Mapper
? Automatic ? Automatic . . .
Secondary Logon
? Manual ? Automatic Manual Disabled Disabled
Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol Service
? Manual ? Manual . . .
Security Accounts Manager
? Automatic ? Automatic Automatic Automatic Automatic
Security Center
? Automatic (DS) ? Automatic (DS) Automatic (DS) Manual Disabled
Server
? Automatic ? Automatic Manual Disabled Disabled
Shell Hardware Detection
? Automatic ? Automatic Automatic Disabled Disabled
Smart Card
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Smart Card Removal Policy
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
SNMP Trap
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Software Protection
? Automatic (DS) ? Automatic Automatic Automatic Automatic
SPP Notification Service
? Manual ? Manual . . .
SSDP Discovery
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Superfetch
? Automatic ? Automatic Automatic Disabled Disabled
Service Home Basic Home Premium Business Ultimate 'Safe' Tweaked Minimal
System Event Notification Service
? Automatic ? Automatic Automatic Disabled Disabled
Tablet PC Input Service
? Manual ? Automatic Manual Disabled Disabled
Task Scheduler
? Automatic* ? Automatic* Automatic* Automatic* Automatic*
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper
? Automatic ? Automatic Manual Disabled Disabled
Telephony
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Terminal Services UserMode Port Redirector
? NA ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Themes
? Automatic ? Automatic Automatic Disabled Disabled
Thread Ordering Server
? Manual ? Manual Manual Manual Disabled
TPM Base Services
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
UPnP Device Host
? Manual ? Automatic Manual Disabled Disabled
User Profile Service
? Automatic ? Automatic Automatic Automatic Automatic
Virtual Disk
? Manual ? Manual Manual Manual Manual
Volume Shadow Copy
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
WebClient
? Manual ? Automatic Manual Disabled Disabled
Windows Audio
? Automatic ? Automatic Automatic Automatic Automatic
Windows Audio Endpoint Builder
? Automatic ? Automatic Automatic Automatic Automatic
Windows Backup
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Windows Biometric Service
? Manual ? Manual . . .
Windows CardSpace
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Windows Color System
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Windows Connect Now - Config Registrar
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Windows Defender
? Automatic (DS) ? Automatic Automatic Disabled Disabled
Windows Driver Foundation - User-mode Driver Framework
? Automatic ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Windows Error Reporting Service
? Manual ? Automatic Manual Disabled Disabled
Windows Event Collector
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Service Home Basic Home Premium Business Ultimate 'Safe' Tweaked Minimal
Windows Event Log
? Automatic ? Automatic Automatic Automatic Automatic
Windows Firewall
? Automatic ? Automatic Automatic Disabled Disabled
Windows Font Cache Service
? Manual ? Manual . . .
Windows Image Acquisition (WIA)
? Automatic ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Windows Installer
? Manual ? Manual Manual Manual Manual
Windows Management Instrumentation
? Automatic ? Automatic Automatic Manual Manual
Windows Media Center Receiver Service
? Manual ? Manual Disabled Disabled Disabled
Windows Media Center Scheduler Service
? Manual ? Manual Disabled Disabled Disabled
Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service
? Automatic (DS) ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Windows Modules Installer
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Windows Presentation Foundation Font Cache 3.0.0.0
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Windows Remote Management (WS-Management)
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Windows Search
? Automatic (DS) ? Automatic Automatic Manual Disabled
Windows Time
? Manual ? Automatic Automatic Disabled Disabled
Windows Update
? Automatic (DS) ? Automatic (DS) Automatic (DS) Disabled Manual
WinHTTP Web Proxy Auto-Discovery Service
? Manual ? Manual Manual Manual Manual
Wired AutoConfig
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
WLAN AutoConfig
? Automatic ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
WMI Performance Adapter
? Manual ? Manual Manual Disabled Disabled
Workstation
? Automatic ? Automatic Automatic Automatic Disabled
WWAN AutoConfig
? Manual ? Manual . . .

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