Like any operating system, Windows comes with a large set of services that run in the background to ensure the smooth operation of essential functions as long as the computer is running. Users can view and manage all services through the built-in Services tool in the system, and among the things you can do: stop activities of any of these services, but you do not have to bother yourself with such matters. Disabling default services in Windows will not increase the computer’s speed or make it more secure as myths suggest. In fact, Windows knows how to manage these services in the required manner (without human intervention) to maintain the best possible performance.
Perhaps the reason why the myth of [necessity to disable Windows services to make the computer faster] spreads is that default Windows services consume a significant amount of computer resources while running in the background, making the boot process take a long time. By reducing the number of running services, you save computer resources and consequently the device operates at a faster pace.
We could believe this trick if we were still living in the era of Windows XP! When devices had Random-Access Memory (RAM) size of 128 or 256 megabytes. At that time, there were many solutions available to free up as much memory as possible to perform tasks faster, and of course, disabling Windows services was among these effective solutions.
As of the present time, the minimum Windows operating computer contains a large memory, perhaps 2 or 4 gigabytes, and there are more effective solutions to make it work faster such as upgrading the hard drive from HDD to SSD. If the slowdown is significantly noticeable during the boot process, the problem may not be with Windows services but with the installed programs that start automatically with the boot process. Windows 10 now makes it easier to manage these programs, where all you have to do is go to Settings, then Apps, then Startup. From this page, you can disable programs to speed up booting — leave Windows services as they are!
The main reason to avoid focusing on disabling Windows services is that the system is smart enough to handle them properly to prioritize performance. To affirm this, try opening the Services tool (by typing services.msc in the Run window) and you will find many services running in “(Manual (Trigger Start” mode, which means these services will not start automatically when the computer is turned on, so they do not delay the boot process. Instead, they only run when needed.
Read Also: 5 Common Steps for Speeding Up Windows that You Should Not Do
By the way, let me explain to you the mechanism by which different service startup modes work so that you have a good idea. If you find the startup mode as Automatic, that means the service runs automatically at startup. (Automatic (Delayed means that Windows automatically starts the service but late after booting. There is also Manual mode, which means Windows will not start the service with booting but it will start automatically when a program or application needs it.
Now scroll through the services list and you will see under the Startup Type column the startup mode for each service when starting up, which differs from what is in the Status column that indicates the service’s status at the current time.
You will find that some essential services run in Automatic mode such as Windows Audio which allows the computer to play sound. And other important services run in (Automatic (Delayed mode such as Windows Security Center that monitors security issues in the background and alerts you to security problems, but it does not work directly with the boot process but can wait a few minutes after booting.
You will notice that there are many services running in (Manual (Trigger Start mode and among them is Sensor Sensor as it does not need to run unless the computer has sensors that need to be tracked. Also, the Fax service is set to Manual mode as you may not need it at all times, so it does not run in the background. While sensitive services that the average user does not need, such as Remote Registry, are set to Disabled mode by default, network administrators can enable these services manually if they need them.
Many of these services are not just additional functions directed to Windows. Rather, they are features that the system relies on in its basic operation framework. Disabling most of these services may not necessarily cause a problem, but in the worst case scenario, Windows may stop working properly as you are used to.
For example, if you disable the Windows Audio service, the device will not be able to play sound even if the sound driver itself is installed. Similarly, disabling the Windows Search service will stop search indexing and therefore provide fewer results. The same goes for other system services like Windows Firewall, Windows Update, and Windows Defender as they are useful for security and without them, your computer becomes more vulnerable, so they run automatically in the background.
If you set any service to Disabled mode, Windows will prevent it from running. Even if everything seems fine, the computer may lose some functions. For example, someone may convince you of the need to disable the Windows Time service. If you do so and disable it, you will not immediately notice a problem on your device, but later you will notice that the computer can no longer adjust the time and date automatically, which was the function that service performed.
So, Windows handles these services in a way that does not harm the user, so there is no reason for you, as a regular user, to be preoccupied with disabling services. Let me tell you that even if you manage to disable some services that you do not need, it is a waste of time and you will not notice a difference in performance. Focus on what truly matters, as we have reviewed in a previous topic.
