Post date: 22-Mar-2010 07:49:48

Services are the programs that run in the background, providing you the functions you need to use your Windows enviroment. Thare are some services that start automatically and load up your system resources and are useless from your point of view (you just don't use them).

These are the services that you can set to manual. To access the Services section in your Windows 2000/XP, go to Control Panel - Administrative Tools

Now as seen bellow, right-click on the service desired and click Properties.

From here, you can select the startup method. Set it to Manual and it won't start when Windows is loading. Read the descriptions bellow and figure out what you need and what you don't. *Take care* - if you don't understand these terms, DO NOT try to start/stop services for any reason; your Windows could not start anymore.

Look at these services and decide what you can set to Manual:

(note that these usually can be safely disabled or set to manual)

• Automatic Updates -- loads automatically any update from Microsoft

• DHCP Client -- get the DHCP informations from a server

• Distributed Link Tracking Client -- works only with Windows domains

• DNS Client -- works with a specific DNS server on the network

• FTP Publishing Service --FTP server (download/upload files) on this protocol

• IIS Admin Service -- WWW server

• IPSEC Policy Agent -- works only with Windows domains

• Messenger -- works only with Windows domains

• Remote Registry Service -- system registry can be administrated remotely from your network

• RIP Service -- routes packets (if your computer acts like a router in the network)

• Run As Service --you can run applications as another user

• World Wide Web Publishing Service -- WWW server (web publishing)

• Alerter -- can alert if set when something occurs (eg excesive HDD space usage)

• Fax Service -- as the name implies, it enables you to send/rcv faxes

• IPsec Policy Agent -- applies IPsec policy

• Uninterruptible Power Supply - UPS support

For example, take a look at the screenshot bellow. Those are the services set to manual on my computer and it works very good. (NOTE that they are used on a home computer. If you use your station as a Server, don't try this).

Compiled from # http://www.tutorial5.com/content/view/39/45/

MAKE WINDOWS BETTER

1. Secure your computer when idle

To do this, first make a shortcut (on c:\ for example) to %windir%\System32\rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation. This will lock the station when accessed. Now go to Control Panel - Scheduled Tasks. Open Add Scheduled Task, click next, click browse and select your shortcut. Pick daily and click next. Click finish and then double click the new task you just created and go to schedule tab. From there, select the When Idle and the idle period.

1.1 Secure your computer when idle

This is a very round-about way to do this and will take up some memory to keep the task scheduler running. If it's Wind2K, CTRL+ALT+DEL and click "Lock Computer" when you get up from your desk. If it's WinXP or Vista, just press the Windows key + L. Simple, easy, no memory usage. (credit to orlandogeek )

2. Remove those annoying balloon tips telling you to update, secure and use Microsoft.

Click the Start button and select 'Run' and type gpedit.msc. In the windows that just opened got to User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Start Menu and Taskbar -> Remove Balloon Tips on Start Menu items -> check enable and click ok.

3. Speed up the login process

Go to Start button and select 'Run' and type gpedit.msc. Go to the Local Computer Policy entry, right click on it and select Properties. Check the last two options in the "Disable" section and reboot.

4. Configure the Send To item in your right click menu

Go to c:\Documents and Settings\your_username\SendTO (note that this folder is hidden by default). Make and delete shortcuts here as you like. No need to restart after making changes.

5. Make a RAM disk on your system

*Note* - a RAM disk is many times faster then the hard drives, but will be deleted when you turn your computer off so store here JUST temporary files.

Use this only if you have plenty of RAM memory (eg over 1GB).

Get http://www.jurixt.com/ftp/ramdisk.zip. Unpack, install and configure it. Put on the RAMDISK any temporary folder or Virtual Memory files.

6. Clear the PageFile on shutdown

The Pagefile.sys is used for the Virtual Memory of Windows (compensates RAM). Clearing it make your system more secure (temporary data may be written in the pagefile.sys and accessed without having administrator privileges).

To enable this, go to Start - 'Run' and type regedit.exe. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management and double click the ClearPageFileAtShutdown key. Change it value to 1 in decimal. Restart your computer.

7. Turn on auto complete for DOS shell

This is useful if you are used to the unix-like shell where auto completion is enabled by default. To enable it in Windows, start Regedit.exe and navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor. Change the value of CompletionChar to 0x00000009.

8. The Boot time

To improve boot times edit the following value:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SessionManager\MemoryManagement\PrefetchParameters with regedit like in 6).

Change this value from 3 to 5 in decimal. This will improve boot time with 5 to 20 seconds depending on your system's speed.

9. Disable the boot logo

Edit the file boot.ini located on C:\ usually.

Add the /noguiboot switch after "/fastdetect". Restart your computer and the logo won't be there anymore. If you want it back, remove the switch /noguiboot.

http://www.tutorial5.com/content/view/74/45/