Which Windows services are safe to disable and when?

We would like to help you decide which Windows 10, Windows 7 and

Windows 8.1 services are safe to disable and when. While disabling unneeded

services can have a positive effect on system performance, disabling the wrong

services can have a significant adverse effect on the overall performance and

stability of your system. That is why it is often better to change the startup of

unneeded or rarely used services to manual. Here is our guide for what services

you can safely disable in Windows, without causing your system to crash:

The Windows services that are safe to disable

Let's see what Windows services might not be necessary, and which of them

you can disable without ruining your computing experience or causing your

system to crash. We recommend that you read everything we share before

making any decisions:

• AllJoyn Router Service: enables Windows to communicate with nearby internet of Things devices. Unless you have such devices, you do not need this service to run. Safe setting: Manual.

• Application Layer Gateway Service: offers support for 3rd party
  protocol plug-ins for Internet Connection Sharing. Modern computers do
  not need or use such features so this service can be safely disabled. Safe
  setting: Disabled.

• BitLocker Drive Encryption Service: unless you use Microsoft's
  Encryption Software, you can disable this service. BitLocker Drive
  Encryption is a feature that allows users to protect data by providing
  encryption for entire volumes. Safe setting: Manual.

• Bluetooth Audio Gateway Service: allows you to configure Cortana
  while using Bluetooth . If you do not have Bluetooth on your device or if you do not intend to talk to Cortana using a Bluetooth headset, you can disable it. Safe setting:
  Manual.

• Bluetooth Support Service: unless you use Bluetooth devices such as
  keyboards, mice, printers or phones, you can disable this service. Keep in
  mind that, if you choose to disable this service, then Bluetooth devices
  are no longer detected and recognized. Also, the already connected
  Bluetooth devices may fail to work correctly. Safe setting: Manual.

• Certificate Propagation: if you do not use SmartCards, which are
  sometimes used in large organizations, it is safe to disable this service.
  Safe setting: Disabled.

• Downloaded Maps Manager: lets Windows applications such as Maps
  to access downloaded maps. If you disable the service, apps like Maps
  might fail to start. Otherwise, if you do not use Microsoft's maps offline,
  you can safely disable this service. Safe setting: Manual.

• Encrypting File System: EFS provides file encryption technology for
  storing encrypted data on NTFS file systems. If you do not need to encrypt the files found on your hard drives, it is OK to disable it. However, if you have encrypted files on your drives and you disable the service, you will not be able to decrypt them until you restart the service. Safe setting: Manual.

• Fax: unless you use your computer to send or receive faxes using fax resources available on your system (for ex. by using a fax-modem), you can disable it. Safe setting: Disable.

• Microsoft iSCSI Initiator Service: iSCSI is an abbreviation for Internet
  Small Computer System Interface - an IP-based storage networking
  standard for linking data storage facilities. It allows client computers to
  access data over long distances on remote data centers, by using existing
  infrastructure (ex. over LAN, Internet). iSCSI devices are disks, tapes,
  CDs, and other storage devices on another networked computer that you
  can connect to. Sometimes these storage devices are part of a network
  called a storage area network (SAN). Unless you need to connect to
  iSCSI devices, it is safe to disable this service. Safe setting: Disabled

• Natural Authentication: uses information such as the time, network,
  geolocation or Bluetooth connections to offer support for Dynamic Lock
  and Device Unlock. If you do not intend to use such features, you can
  disable this service. Safe setting: Manual.

• Netlogon: this service is not needed on a home computer. It maintains a
  secure channel between the local computer and the domain controller for
  authenticating users. Unless you are connecting to a network domain, this
  service will likely never be used. Safe setting: Manual.

• Network Connected Devices Auto-Setup: monitors and installs devices
  from your network If you do not need this feature, you can safely disable the service, as you can still install devices from your network manually. Safe setting: Manual.

• Offline Files: unless you use the Offline Files feature from Windows, you can disable it. Which Windows services are safe to disable and when?
  Note that this service is not available in the Home versions of Windows.
  Safe setting: Disabled.

• Parental Controls (in Windows 10 & 7) / Family Safety (in Windows
  8.1): unless you have children using your computer and you want to
  monitor and control their activities, this service is not required. Safe
  setting: Manual.

• Payments and NFC/SE Manager: does what its name implies, which is
  to manage payments and use Near Field Communication  to make transactions. It might be useful on new Windows devices that have an NFC chip, but on a usual desktop PC or laptop, you can safely disable this service. Safe setting: Manual.

• Phone Service: manages the telephony state on your Windows device
  and might be used by some VoIP apps. If you do not use such apps, it is
  safe to disable it. Safe setting: Manual.

• Print Spooler: if you do not have a printer attached to your computer
  and you do not use software with virtual printers such as Microsoft XPS
  Document Writer or Snagit for instance, you can disable it. If you chose
  to do so, you should know that the Fax service will not be able to start
  either. Safe setting: Manual.

• Remote Desktop Configuration: Remote Desktop Protocol is a protocol
  developed by Microsoft which provides Windows users with a graphical
  interface to another computer. The client used by Microsoft is called
  Remote Desktop Connection. If you do not need to connect remotely
  to another computer or allow incoming remote connections to yours, then
  it is safe to disable this service. Safe setting: Manual.

• Remote Desktop Services UserMode Port Redirector: same as above.
  Safe setting: Manual.

• Remote Desktop Services: same as above. Safe setting: Manual.

• Remote Registry: this service enables remote users to modify the Windows Registry. Some say that having this service turned on can pose security issues, and therefore, choose to disable it. In Windows Vista and Windows 7, this service is set to a manual start by default, while in Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 it is disabled. Safe setting: Disabled.

• Retail Demo Service: enables you to enter your Windows 10 device in a
  so-called Retail Demo experience mode. This is used by retailers who
  want to give customers a demo for how Windows 10 works. It is doubtful
  any home user would want that. Safe setting: Disabled

• Wi-Fi Direct Services Connection Manager Service: is used for
  connecting your Windows PC to wireless displays and docks, using
  Miracast and other similar technologies. Unless you need that, it is safe
  to disable. Safe setting: Manual.

• Windows Insider Service: lets you use your Windows 10 PC while
  enrolled in the Windows Insider Program. Unless you want to beta test
  Windows 10, you can safely disable this service. Safe setting: Disabled.

• Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service: is used by
  Windows to share libraries from your computer to other players or media devices in
  your network. If you do not need such this ability, you can completely
  disable this service. Safe setting: Disabled.

• Windows Mobile Hotspot Service: offers you the option to share your
  mobile data connection with other devices. If your Windows device does
  not have a cellular data connection to share, you can disable this device
  without any issues. Safe setting: Manual.

• Routing and Remote Access Service: This service offers routing
  services to businesses in local area and wide area networks. It allows
  computers to dial into the local computer for it to get access to the local
  network. On a home computer, you probably do not need such features.
  Safe setting: Disabled.

• Secondary logon: this service lets users run administrative tasks while
  connected to standard user accounts, using the "Run as" feature. If you
  are the only user and you do not need this feature, you can disable this
  service. Safe setting: Manual.

• Smart Card: Smart Cards are used for safety reasons in large
  organizations or corporations. The typical home user does not need this
  service to be running. Safe setting: Disabled.

• Smart Card Removal Policy: same as above. Safe setting: Disabled.

• Tablet PC Input Service (in Windows 7) / Touch Keyboard and
  Handwriting Panel Service (Windows 10 and Windows 8.1): you can
  safely disable this service unless you use a Tablet PC. Some "Tablet PC
  Components" like the Snipping tool or Windows Journal should continue to function, but the Tablet PC Input Panel will not. Safe setting: Disabled (if you are using
  a desktop PC) and Manual (if you are using a Windows tablet or a
  laptop with a touchscreen).

• Windows Connect Now: this service is used by laptops and other mobile computers to connect to Wireless Networks. If you are on a desktop computer that does not have a wireless card, you can disable this service. Safe setting: Manual.

• Windows Error Reporting Service: this service is used to report system
  errors to Microsoft. Although disabling this service does not affect your
  Windows computer, letting it run when needed may help you solve
  problems and issues that occur on your system, by searching solutions
  available from Microsoft. Safe setting: Manual.

• Windows Time: keeps your system time accurate by syncing your
  computer time with that of other computers and servers in your network.
  If you are not connected to the internet or a local network, you can
  disable this service, but it is safer to set it to a manual start. Safe setting:
  Manual.

Do you intend to disable some services on your Windows computer or device?

If you read the list above, you probably noticed that we have often said that the

safest setting for services startup is the Manual one. Manual startups provide

the perfect balance between safety and performance, and the services set this

way start only if your system requires them. Disabling services should be done

with care, after you gather information about what they do, to make sure your

system is not negatively affected. Some services are safe to disable completely,

but that depends on how you use your computer. If you do not use specific

features and you are sure you will not use them in the future either, go ahead

and disable those services that you do not need.