XP Services Tweak Guide

[Keru]

3DSpotlight - Windows XP Services Tweak Guide -

Windows XP Services Tweak Guide - by Thomas McGuire

Windows XP, just like 2000 & NT before it runs many background Services
for a wide variety of tasks, e.g. Plug & Play support, Print Spooler &
even Task Manager. Using these Services it is possible to configure your
machine for improved performance & even security by modifying their
respective Startup types, & in some cases disabling them altogether. This
guide will taking you through a multitude of difference Services, although
with backup & recovery procedures.
Special thanks to Azzo Computers and Microsoft themselves for supplying us
with copies of Windows XP so we can continue with the development of our
OS related guides.
Login, Backup & Restoring
Before doing anything else ensure you are logged in as a User with
Administrative privileges. If you aren?t the re-logon as such a User
otherwise you most likely won?t be able to change anything.
Before making any changes to your Services it would be a good idea to
backup the current environment. You can do this by using the Backup
utility in Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Backup.

Another alternative would be to simply backup you current Services & their
settings. Click on Start, Run type in regedit & hit Enter. Expand to the
following [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servic es]. Now
select File then Export & save that registry branch with a specified name.
Simply Double clicking on this file will prompt you as to whether or not
you wish this information to be added to the registry in wish case select
Yes & your previously saved settings will be restored.
Services Utility
Now that you?ve backed up your Service settings/Operating System we can
move onto adjusting the Services themselves. Click on Start, Control
Panel, Administrative Tools then Services.

Before adjusting any of these you?ll need to consider 2 things ?EStartup
type & Dependencies. To cover these 2 just double click on any of the
listed Services & select the General tab.




Startup type
3 options are available for the Startup type of any particular Service,
selectable using the drop-down menu, each having it?s own particular
advantages or disadvantages.
Automatic. When this is selected the Service in question will
automatically be started when loading Windows XP. This can increase
booting time slightly, although some Services must be set to this to
ensure correct running of XP, e.g. Remote Procedure Call (RPC). Some
Services will also get started due to dependencies (Or because they are
required) & it?s best to set these to Automatic as well ?Ethis can
improve overall performance as well slightly given that once loaded
during startup they will not be required to do so again.
Manual. This option allows the Service in question to load upon request.
This works well for most Services ?Esaving resources & reducing boot
time as they aren?t loaded until required, although not all Services
function well like this, e.g. Print Spooler or Protected Storage. System
performance may be slightly reduced while a Service is being initiated
also.
Disabled. With this option selected the Service in question cannot be
loaded, even if requested. This option is most useful for Security
purposes only & for most Services where you would have the option of
selecting Manual or Disabled it would be best to go with Manual.
Dependencies
A Dependency is a relationship of reliance between 2 or more resources
that makes it necessary for them to run in the same group on the same
node. In the case of Services this translate into some Services cannot
function correctly (If at all) without another (One of the reasons why
it?s never a good idea to just set a Service to Disabled, but Manual
instead). To determine any dependencies select a Service & Double click on
it, then choose the Dependencies tab, e.g. Shown below is the Telephony
service dependencies.

Be sure to bear these in mind, particularly if you are considering
disabling a Service altogether, although not all Services will have
dependencies, e.g. Themes.



Services listing & Recommendations
While this listing is fairly extensive, it is worth noting that the
Services which you may have available will be determined by the
Applications, Drivers & Network components, etc. you have installed (Or
don?t). As such if you are ?missing?Ea Service here don?t worry about it.
This guide will be updated in the future with further Services as
appropriate.
Application Layer Gateway Service. Provides support for 3rd party protocol
plug-ins for Internet Connection Sharing & the Internet Connection
Firewall. If you have Internet Connection Sharing & the Windows XP
built-in firewall enabled set this to Automatic, otherwise leave this set
to Manual.
Application Management. Provides software installation services such as
Assign, Publish, & Remove. Set this to Manual to enable Application
installation/Uninstallation as normal, although the more wary system
administrators may want to Disable this lest Users add/remove something
they shouldn?t.
Automatic Updates. Enables the download & installation of critical Windows
updates. For those who?d rather not take the time to visit Windowsupdate
this feature enables Windows XP to automatically check for & download any
updates available. Before deciding on a Startup setting for this Right
click on My Computer & select Properties. Now select the Automatic Updates
tab.

Should you select either of the top 2 options then set this Service to
Automatic to ensure it works correctly, but if you instead selected Turn
off automatic updating then set this to Manual.
Background Intelligent Transfer Service. Uses idle network bandwidth to
transfer data. For the majority of Users this feature should be of little
use & as such I?d recommend setting it to Manual. Those on highly active
Networks may benefit from having this set to Automatic, although it may be
worth testing out to see if it does.
ClipBook. Enables ClipBook Viewer to store information & share it with
remote computers. If the service is stopped, ClipBook Viewer will not be
able to share information with remote computers. Should you wish to enable
Users on other PCs to view data stored in the ClipBook Server then set
this to Manual or Automatic (Although this setting isn?t necessary, Manual
will suffice). Setting this to Disabled will disable others from viewing
this data which is a useful security feature & recommended for standalone
systems, similarly you can set this to Disabled should you have Network
DDE & Network DDM DSDM inactive.
COM+ Event System. Supports SENS (System Event Notification Service),
which provides automatic distribution of events to subscribing COM
(Component Object Model) components. Set this to Automatic.
COM+ System Application. Manages the configuration & tracking of COM+
(Component Object Model) based components. Similar to the previous service
you should also leave this set to Automatic to ensure proper running of
the PC, or at least any COM+ components.
Cryptographic Services. Provides three management services: Catalog
Database Service, which confirms the signatures of Windows files;
Protected Root Service, which adds & removes Trusted Root Certification
Authority certificates from this computer; & Key Service, which helps
enroll this computer for certificates. For best system security/integrity
I'd recommend setting this to Automatic at all times.
Creative Service for CDROM Access. This service is added during
installation of Creative?s Disc Detector (Which is installed as part of
Creative PlayCenter for Live! & Audigy Soundcards). Set this to Automatic
if you have Disc Detector enabled, otherwise set this to Manual.
DHCP Client. Manages network configuration by registering & updating IP
addresses & DNS names. If you on a network or have a permanent internet
connection, connected to a specified DHCP server set this to Automatic.
Those who are not connected to a Network (or specific DHCP server) set
this to Manual. Should you have problems connecting to websites & such
after setting DHCP Client to Manual then take the following steps.
1. Click on Start, Control Panel then Network Connections.
2. Select your connection, Right click on it & select Properties.
Now select the Networking tab.
3. Select the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) item followed by the
Properties button, then the Advanced button. Finally, select the DNS tab.

4. Untick Append parent suffixes of the primary DNS suffix &
Register this connection?s addresses in DNS.
Click Ok (several times) as necessary to apply the changes to your
Network/Internet connection. You?ll need to re-connection to that
affected connection for after the changes have been made.
Distributed Link Tracking Client. Maintains links between NTFS files
within a computer or across computers in a network domain. Those on a
Windows 2000/XP Network using shared NTFS 5.0 formatted drives may find
this service of some benefit, with the Distributed Link Tracking Client
being able to update/fix links & shortcuts to files on such volumes. Set
this to Automatic in such instances. On non-NTFS 5.0 Networks, or
stand-alone systems you can set this to Manual.
Distributed Transaction Coordinator. Coordinates transactions that span
multiple resource managers, such as databases, message queues, & file
systems. Initially you should try setting this to Manual although should
you experience problems with such transactional components (e.g. Message
Queuing) set this to Automatic instead. Stand-alone systems should be able
to set this to Manual without any issues at all.
DNS Client. Resolves & caches Domain Name System (DNS) names for this
computer. If this service is stopped, this computer will not be able to
resolve DNS names & locate Active Directory domain controllers. Should
your Network &/or Internet connection require the ability to resolve DNS
addresses set this to Automatic. This can be verified be checking the
Properties for any connections in Network Connections. If no DNS Server is
specified then you can set this to Manual. Although should you experience
Connection problems as a result of this set it to Automatic instead.



Error Reporting Service. Allows error reporting for services &
applications running in non-standard environments. This can be set to
Manual without issue, although should you wish to further customize Error
Reporting then Right click on My Computer & select Properties then the
Advanced tab, followed by the Error Reporting button.

Adjust the settings here as you feel necessary. Those of you with XP
systems not connected to the Internet would be best to Disable error
reporting altogether, although those paranoid Users out there may wish to
do this as well.
Event Log. Enables event log messages issued by Windows-based programs &
components to be viewed in Event Viewer. Leave this set to Automatic, it
will be started regardless & don?t attempt to use Disabled either or you
may face problems.
Fast User Switching Compatibility. Provides management for applications
that require assistance in a multiple user environment. Fast User
Switching is a feature of Windows XP which allows for much faster
switching of Users on a PC unconnected to a Domain. Should this ability be
of use to you then set this to Automatic, although if of little use (Which
it will be if you only have a single User account) you can disable this
feature by setting it to Manual, but before doing this be sure to disable
this in User Accounts also.
Click on Start, Control Panel then User Accounts. Select the Change the
way users log on or off option.

Untick Use Fast User Switching & hit Apply Options to disable its use. Now
you can also set the Service to Manual.
Fax. Enables you to send & receive faxes, utilizing fax resources
available on this computer or on the network. This Service is usually
installed in the event fax capable hardware is detected, e.g. Fax modem.
Should you intend to use Fax features available on your system set this to
Automatic, otherwise you may set this to Manual instead (The Fax service
can be uninstalled using Add or Remove Programs).
Help and Support. Enables Help & Support Center to run on this computer.
This Service can, in my experience be set to Manual without adversely
affecting Help & Support.
Human Interface Device Access. Enables generic input access to Human
Interface Devices (HID), which activates & maintains the use of predefined
hot buttons on keyboards, remote controls, & other multimedia devices.
With some HIDs you may be required to set this to Automatic for them to
function correctly (To use certain buttons/keys or other mappings anyway).
Those without such devices installed, & perhaps which have their own
installation software can set this to Manual without issue.
IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service. Manages CD recording using Image Mastering
Applications Programming Interface (IMAPI). Should you have a CD-RW
installed in your system set this to Automatic to enable CD burning,
although if you use a CD Burning application other than the built-in XP
one (Or have no CD-RW installed) you may be able to set this to Manual
without effecting burning capability.



Indexing Service. Indexes contents & properties of files on local & remote
computers; provides rapid access to files through flexible querying
language. Indexing enables the creating of a catalog to help make searches
for certain document types easier, e.g. .doc files. Should you wish to
enable this querying set this to Automatic. You can configure this in
Computer Management ?EClick on Start, Control Panel, Administrative Tools,
then Computer Management. Expand Services & Applications, Indexing Service
then System.

In the 3 sub-menus you can further adjust options, e.g. in the Directories
folder you can set which directories are to be catalogued. Should you wish
not to use the Indexing service you can Delete or disable the cataloguing
of the listed Directories & set the Service to Manual, which I?d highly
recommend.
Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) / Internet Connection Sharing (ICS).
Provides network address translation, addressing, name resolution &/or
intrusion prevention services for a home or small office network. Should
you use either Windows XP?s built-in Connection Sharing &/or Firewall
feature then set this to Automatic. If you use neither feature then you
can set this to Manual instead.
IPSEC Services. Manages IP security policy & starts the ISAKMP/Oakley
(IKE) & the IP security driver. If you are connected to an IPSec enabled
Internet/Network connection set this to Automatic, otherwise you may set
this to Manual instead. Most ISPs don?t support this & shouldn?t be of too
much concern to most of you.
Logical Disk Manager. Detects & monitors new hard disk drives & sends disk
volume information to Logical Disk Manager Administrative Service for
configuration. Leave this set to Automatic, certainly do not set it to
Disabled if you have a Dynamic disk installed.
Logical Disk Manager Administrative Service. Configures hard disk drives &
volumes. You can set this Service to Manual without issue, it will only be
run when required by disk management requests.
MS Software Shadow Copy Provider. Manages software-based volume shadow
copies taken by the Volume Shadow Copy service. Should you intend to use
the Windows XP Backup utility set this to Manual to enable software shadow
copy backups to be created. Similarly however if you don?t require this
you can also leave it set to Manual.
NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing. Enables an authorized user to access
this computer remotely by using NetMeeting over a corporate intranet. For
security reasons it would be best to set this to Disabled, particularly if
other less wary Users will have access to the PC & are likely to use
NetMeeting. If setting this to Manual you should be careful with whom you
allow remotely access your Desktop during NetMeeting sessions.
Network Connections. Manages objects in the Network & Dial-Up Connections
folder, in which you can view both local area network & remote
connections. Should the PC have any Internet or Network connection setup
set this to Automatic. Those on truly stand-alone systems (Not even
Internet connectable) may be able to set this to Manual as it shouldn?t
be required, or automatically startup.
Network DDE. Provides network transport & security for Dynamic Data
Exchange (DDE) for programs running on the same computer or on different
computers. Set this to Automatic if you require the use of DDE (Dynamic
Data Exchange) network connections (More than likely you won't need this
unless using certain legacy applications). DDE is a type of IPC
(InterProcess Communication). If you need this you generally should know
it (One such thing which does is the Clipbook). Otherwise, set this to
Manual.
Network DDE DSDM. Manages Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) network shares. If
this service is stopped, DDE network shares will be unavailable. Set this
to Automatic if you have previously set the Network DDE Service to
Automatic. Otherwise you may set this to Manual instead.
Network Location Awareness (NLA). Collects & stores network configuration
& location information, & notifies applications when this information
changes. On systems connected to a Network, or if you have previously set
to Automatic the Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) / Internet Connection
Sharing (ICS) Service then also set this to Automatic. Stand-alone systems
may set this to Manual without issue.
NVIDIA Driver Helper Service. This service is added during installation of
NVIDIA Detonator Drivers, although can be set to Manual without issue.
Performance Logs and Alerts. Collects performance data from local or
remote computers based on preconfigured schedule parameters, then writes
the data to a log or triggers an alert. Should you have configured XP to
monitor & record certain activities on your PC via the Performance utility
in Administrative Tools, e.g. Page file usage as described here in our
Windows XP Memory Tweak guide, then set this to Automatic. If set to
Manual no Performance logs/alerts will be recorded, which is the ideal
setting should you not have configured any to be recorded.
Plug and Play. Enables a computer to recognize & adapt to hardware changes
with little or no user input. Leave this set to Automatic.
Portable Media Serial Number. Retrieves the serial number of any portable
music player connected to your computer. This Service should be set to
Manual on most systems without issue, even if you do connected external
Media players to the system to transfer song to/from it. Although should
your device not function correctly with this set to Manual try setting
this to Automatic instead.



Print Spooler. Loads files to memory for later printing. If you don't have
a Printer installed (Network, or local) you can set this to Manual. If you
do however have a Printer installed, or intend to install a printer then
set this to Automatic.
Protected Storage. Provides protected storage for sensitive data, such as
private keys, to prevent access by unauthorized services, processes, or
users. This should be set to Automatic on all systems. Not only is the
Crypto subsystem a good thing to have enabled but it also avoids some
problems that can be caused by having the Protected Storage set to Manual
or Disabled, e.g. Internet Explorer & possibly Task Manager may have
reduced functionality as a result, such as Auto-Complete not working
normally or inability to add Scheduled tasks.
QoS RSVP. Provides network signalling & local traffic control setup
functionality for QoS-aware programs & control applets. QoS RSVP (Quality
of Service Resource ReServation Protocol) is used to reserve
network/internet connection bandwidth when QoS aware processes are active,
providing them with more bandwidth as necessary. Should you use such
applications then leave this set to Automatic, otherwise set this to
Disabled. The amount of bandwidth reserved defaults to 20%, although this
can easily be modified (High recommended). Thanks for the reminder Vincent
Poy.
Click on Start, Run, type in gpedit.msc & hit Enter. Expand Computer
Configuration, Administrative Templates, Network then select QoS Packet
Scheduler. In the right hand pane Double click on the Limit reservable
bandwidth setting.

Select the Enabled option (Do not select Disabled or Not configured) &
adjust the Bandwidth limit value as you see fit, giving increased
bandwidth if the QoS aware applications would benefit from it or vice
versa. Contrary to popular believe however this does not affect overall
available bandwidth as reported on some sites, i.e. You connection will
not be x% slower with this set to a value above 0. More detailed
information regarding this service can be found at Microsoft.
Remote Access Auto Connection Manager. Creates a connection to a remote
network whenever a program references a remote DNS or NetBIOS name or
address. If your system has Dial-up Internet access set this to Automatic,
on those with a Network connection (With or without Internet connectivity)
you may set this to Manual.
Remote Access Connection Manager. Creates a network connection. Should you
have setup any Internet or Network connection set this Service to
Automatic (It will be run anyway, even if set to Manual). Those with
stand-alone systems with no Internet or Network connections installed can
set this to Manual.
Remote Desktop Help Session Manager. Manages & controls Remote Assistance.
Before changing this Service Right click on My Computer & select
Properties, then the Remote tab.

In this tab you can modify how Remote Assistance & Desktop work (Or don?t
as the case may be). As regards the Remote Assistance feature you?d best
off Unticking (disabling) Allow Remote Assistance invitations to be sent
from this computer, or if you choose to Tick (enable) this, then be
careful with who you request assistance from (This should be less of a
concern on a business Network where you?ll probably have some full-time
Tech support guy available to send requests to), particularly if it to
someone online (I know I wouldn?t like someone else being able to do
something more to the PC than I would have wanted them to).
The Remote Desktop represents something less of a security risk & should
you use this feature then Tick it & use the Select Remote Users button to
determine who can access the PC (But any User with Administrative
privileges will be able to connect regardless of selections here). Click
the Apply then Ok button after making any changes you deem necessary.
Should you have Ticked either of the Remote Desktop/Assistance options,
enabling them then set this Service to Automatic. If you have disabled
both of these you can set this to Manual.
Remote Procedure Call (RPC). Provides the endpoint mapper & other
miscellaneous RPC services. This should be set to Automatic, a lot of
Services are dependant on this Service & in no way should it ever not be
running.
Remote Registry. Enables remote users to modify registry settings on this
computer. Setting this to Automatic allows certain other non-locally
logged on Users (i.e. Those other than the person at the PC, e.g.
Administrator) to be able to modify entries in specified Registry paths.
As such those not connected to a business Network of some sort would be
best advised to set this to Disabled. To configure which Registry paths
can be accessible click on Start, Run, type in gpedit.msc & hit Enter.
Expand Computer Configuration, Windows Settings, Security Settings, Local
Policies & select the Security Options folder. In the right hand pane
scroll down to the Network access: Remotely accessible registry paths
option & Double click on it. After specifying the paths accessible click
Ok for the changes to take effect.
Removable Storage. Manages removable media, drives, & libraries. If you
have such external devices, e.g. Tape drives (not CD\DVD\ & Floppy
Drives), then this set to Automatic. Otherwise you may set it on Manual.
Routing and Remote Access. Offers routing services to businesses in local
area & wide area network environments. For best system security you should
set this to Disabled. If you require the system to be used in various
Network configurations for Routing purposes or to be remotely accessible,
or use Internet Connection Sharing on the system then it would be best to
set this to Automatic.



Secondary Logon. Enables starting processes under alternate credentials.
This is the Windows XP equivalent of the RunAs Service. This allows
Applications to be started with the privileges of another User by Right
clicking on the appropriate shortcut & selecting Run as?E then entering in
the desired Username & password. This can be fairly useful in a lot of
cases, e.g. it gives any XP system to ability to use WindowsUpdate
regardless of who is logged on.

However this also poses a great security risk for many systems (Those on
Networks & those with shared access), where you may only want to allow
Users access/privileges to what their Use profile allows them, e.g. While
in college one of my friends figured out the Administrative password
required & was able to use that to enable certain things which he wouldn?t
otherwise have been allowed use (Tsk tsk). Set this to Manual should you
wish to enable this feature, while selecting Disabled will disable this
feature (Which I?d personally highly recommend) & result in a window like
this appearing should a User attempt to use the Run As?Eoption.

Security Accounts Manager. Stores security information for local user
accounts. If you have modified any Security setting using the Local
Security Policy utility (Or gpedit.msc) then set this to Automatic,
otherwise you should be able to safely set this to Manual.
Shell Hardware Detection. This is best left set to Manual, although should
you have problems with connecting certain external devices, e.g. Docking a
laptop then set this to Automatic instead.
Smart Card. Manages access to smart cards read by this computer. If you
require the use/support of Smart cards on your PC then set this to
Automatic. In all other instances you can set this to Manual without
issue.
Smart Card Helper. Enables support for legacy non-plug & play smart-card
readers used by this computer. If this service is stopped, this computer
will not support legacy reader. Similar to the previous Service, although
in this case for non-Plug & Play compatible Smart card readers. Set this
to Automatic to enable support & use of such legacy devices otherwise set
this to Manual.
SSDP Discovery Service. Enables discovery of UPnP devices on your home
network. Should your PC/Network be connected (Or will be) to such UPnP
enabled devices set this to Automatic, otherwise you can set this to
Manual instead. You can read more about UPnP in this Microsoft article.
Please be sure to also install this patch as it will remove a serious
security issue with this feature.
System Event Notification. Tracks system events such as Windows logon,
network, & power events. Notifies COM+ Event System subscribers of these
events. Although on most systems this can be set to Manual, it is best to
set this to Automatic (particularly with Laptops) so as to avoid some
functionality problems that may occur with it not active.
System Restore Service. Performs system restore functions. Before
selecting the Startup type Right click on My Computer & select Properties,
then the System Restore tab.

Select the Drive(s) you have available as appropriate & then the Settings
button to configure the system restore feature per Drive. If you don?t
wish to use System Restore at all then Tick Turn off System Restore on all
drives, this will both improve overall system performance & save Hard
Drive space (Though there are the obvious drawbacks that go hand in hand
with disabling it). Click Apply then the Ok button to apply your changes.
Should you have disabled System Restore then you may set the Service to
Manual, otherwise leave this set to Automatic.
Task Scheduler. Enables a user to configure & schedule automated tasks on
this computer. I?d recommend setting this to Automatic, regardless of
whether or not you actually have any scheduled tasks. The Task scheduler
is used in the Prefetching process - Prefetching is the process of
bringing data & code pages into memory from disk before it's demanded,
which should help improve overall system & application startup time. You
can read further details about this in this Microsoft Windows XP Kernel
Article (Scroll down to the Prefetch section). Certainly do not set this
to Disabled anyway.



TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper. Enables support for NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT)
service & NetBIOS name resolution. For best Internet security it would be
best not to use NetBIOS & as a result you should set this to Manual or
Disabled. Should your Internet (Or more likely Network) connection require
NetBIOS/WINS support set this to Automatic. If not then set this to Manual
& take the following steps;
1. Click on Start, Control Panel then Network Connections.
2. Select your connection, Right click on it & select Properties.
Now select the Networking tab.
3. Select the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) item followed by the
Properties button, then the Advanced button. Finally, select the WINS tab.


Untick Enable LMHOSTS lookup & select Disable NetBIOS over TCP/IP.
Click Ok (several times) as necessary to apply the changes to your
Network/Internet connection. You?ll need to re-connection to that
affected connection for after the changes have been made.
Should you experience problems connecting to your Network/Internet
connection after applying these settings, then try restoring the original
settings instead.
Telephony. Provides Telephony API (TAPI) support for programs that control
telephony devices & IP based voice connections on the local computer &,
through the LAN, on servers that are also running the service. This
Service should be set to Manual or Automatic (If this Service has any
dependencies then it will automatically be initiated). Attempting to Stop
this Service will have the following effect if any dependency exists;

Telnet. Enables a remote user to log on to this computer & run programs, &
supports various TCP/IP Telnet clients, including UNIX-based &
Windows-based computers. Should you require other Users to be able to
remotely access the PC using the Command Prompt/Telnet set this to
Automatic. For improved security I?d recommend setting this to Disabled.
Terminal Services. Allows multiple users to be connected interactively to
a machine as well as the display of desktops & applications to remote
computers. The underpinning of Remote Desktop (including RD for
Administrators), Fast User Switching, Remote Assistance, & Terminal
Server. Should you require the use of any of the features listed here set
this to Manual or Automatic, if these aren?t required it would be best to
set this to Disabled for security reasons.
Themes. Provides user experience theme management. Should you use any of
the Themes available in Windows XP then set this to Automatic otherwise
the Theme will not display/function correctly. For improved system
performance (& less visual pleasantries) you should set this to Manual or
Disabled, which is probably more worth noting on XP systems which are
intended to be used to work on.
Uninterruptible Power Supply. Manages an uninterruptible power supply
(UPS) connected to the computer. If your system is connected to a UPS
system then set this to Automatic, otherwise you can set this to Manual
instead.
Universal Plug and Play Device Host. Provides support to host Universal
Plug & Play devices. If you have set the SSDP Discovery Service to
Automatic then set this to Automatic also, similarly if you have set it to
Manual you may set this to Manual also.
Upload Manager. Manages synchronous & asynchronous file transfers between
clients & servers on the network. Leave this set to Manual.
Volume Shadow Copy. Manages & implements Volume Shadow Copies used for
backup & other purposes. Similar to the MS Software Shadow Copy Provider
Service you can set this to Manual should you be using the Backup utility
to perform such a backup procedure & equally you can set it to Manual if
you won?t be.
WebClient. Enables Windows-based programs to create, access, & modify
Internet-based files. For best functionality you should set this to
Manual, although for improved security it would be best to set this
Disabled ?Eparticularly on systems which are likely to have multiple less
experienced Users logged on & have Internet access (This shouldn?t impede
Internet access whatsoever).
Windows Audio. Manages audio devices for Windows-based programs. If this
service is stopped, audio devices & effects will not function properly. If
you have a Soundcard installed set this to Automatic otherwise it will not
playback any audio. Setting this to Manual will, as a result be of most
use to system administrators in a work environment where you don?t want
Users of your systems to get distracted by listening to MP3s/CDs, etc.
while supposedly being productive.
Windows Image Acquisition (WIA). Provides image acquisition services for
scanners & cameras. This can be set to Manual regardless of Imaging
Applications/Hardware installed to ensure their proper functionality &
only is initiated when required. One such Application that uses this is
Windows Movie Maker.
Windows Installer. Installs, repairs & removes software according to
instructions contained in .MSI files. Leave this set to Manual. This will
allow you to Install/Uninstall/Repair programs listed in the Add/Remove
Programs applet in the Control Panel. You should set this to Disable this
if you don't wish others to have the ability to change any Software
installation, or to install Programs/Hardware which use the Windows
Installer.
Windows Management Instrumentation. Provides a common interface & object
model to access management information about operating system, devices,
applications & services. WMI is a management infrastructure that supports
monitoring & controlling system resources through a common set of
interfaces & provides a logically organized, consistent model of Windows
operation, configuration, & status. To ensure your PC runs as normal set
this to Automatic only.
Windows Management Instrumentation Driver Extensions. Provides systems
management information to & from drivers. An extension of the Windows
Management Instrumentation service this is not as critical to normal
operation of the system & in most cases you will be able to set this to
Manual without adversely affecting the PC.



Windows Time. Maintains date & time synchronization on all clients &
servers in the network. By default Windows XP will attempt synchronisation
with a Network/Internet server weekly in order to maintain a consistent &
accurate time on the PC. Should you wish to use this feature set this to
Automatic, although most of you may not require this time checking in
which case set this to Manual & disable automatic synchronisation. Double
click on the time on the Taskbar & select the Internet Time tab.

Untick Automatically synchronize with an Internet time server to disable
synchronisation & click Ok for the changes to take effect.
Wireless Zero Configuration. Provides automatic configuration for the
802.11 adapters. Should your system require support for 802.11 devices set
this to Automatic, otherwise you may leave it set to Manual instead.
WMDM PMSP Service. WMDM (Windows Media Device Manager) PMSP (Pre-Message
Security Protocol) is a feature of the Windows Media Format SDK, which
supports the SDMI (Secure Digital Music Initiative) for packaging
copyrighted music. Applications developed with WMDM will enable users to
copy their music compact disc (CD) collection, as well as protected music
downloaded from the Web, to SDMI-compliant portable music players &
SDMI-compliant portable storage devices (such as flash memory cards). If
you are intending to transfers music to SDMI-compliant portable devices
then set this to Automatic, otherwise you may safely leave this set to
Manual. Thanks to Patrick Gagnon, Seth Hanford & Chanur Silvarian for
their help with information about this Service.
WMI Performance Adapter. Provides performance library information from WMI
HiPerf providers. You can leave this set to Manual.

Restoring a Service
Should you need to restore the Startup type for one Service, but can?t
load the Services utility, click on Start, Run, type in regedit hit Enter
& expand the [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servic es] key.
Expanding the Services folder will list all Services on the system. Simply
scroll down to the affected Service (Check the DisplayName entry in the
Right pane to verify the Service name).

Right click on the Start entry & select Modify. Select the Value data
field.

Changing the number displayed here will change the Startup type of the
Service.
A value of 2 sets the Startup type to Automatic.
A value of 3 sets the Startup type to Manual.
A value of 4 sets the Startup type to Disabled.
After making any change select Ok & reboot your PC for the change to take
effect.




Recovery Options
For most of you the Recovery options available for a Service will be of
little use (& as such are covered at the end), although system/network
admins will probably find them to be of more use. Double click on a
Service & select the Recovery tab.

Here you can specify the actions to be taken in the event a Service fails,
e.g. (Attempting to) Restart the Service or launching a program. Configure
this options at your own discretion ?Ebut like I said, for most of you
these will be of no use.




Conclusion
By now you?ll have configured your system Services optimally to your
configuration, or Network. Overall you may well have reduced overall
Services Memory requirements, kept bootup time to a minimum & plugged up a
few potential security hazards. Should you have any Problems please post
them in our Software /OS Forum. This guide should be updated in the future
with further Services & other information as appropriate.

3D Spotlight !