Learn How to Improve Your Windows Services

Your computer's operating system (such as Windows XP) houses an enormous amount of valuable information that is needed to run some very critical functions. It is also, however, usually filled with unnecessary information and files that can seriously bog down your computer. It's important to regularly maintain your operating system to ensure that it is not overloaded. That way you can be sure that your computer is operating as quickly and efficiently as it should be.

If you just want to temporarily disable some of your system's features, that's quite easy to do. Use the "Services Management Tool" to determine which programs are currently enabled and how much resources they're using. This is important information since you can identify which programs you can safely shut off. With the "Services Management Tool" you can enable or disable programs to startup automatically when the computer is booted up. Of course, you have to be careful what you turn off and on because your computer's systems are interrelated. You might turn off something that several other functions depend on. You can cause serious problems if you don't know what you're doing.

When you identify a program that you are going to disable from starting automatically, right-click on the file and then select "Properties." Choose the status that you want: enabled/disabled or automatic/manual. Remember, this doesn't disable the application itself, it just stops it from launching automatically when Windows starts up. Also remember that if you want to use this application when it is disabled you will have to load it manually.

Disable Services Carefully

Some programs, applications or services are safe to turn off and others are dangerous. Make sure you are aware of what you are disabling. Furthermore, not all services will let you disable them. Below you will find a list of services that allow you to make adjustments to their startup status. You should always read all information provided before you proceed to make modifications or adjustments to your computer's settings. If you make a mistake, you can always revert your computer back to its original settings.

• Alerter. This is almost never used. It is used for administrative purposes in order to control notifications.
• Automatic Updates. Do not disable this service unless you are certain that you do not need it. The Automatic Updates depend on several other services: Background Intelligent Transfer Service, Even Log, and Cryptographics Service. You will need the Automatic Updates function if you plan on downloading and installing any updated versions of Windows.
• Computer Browser. This function searches for other computers that are within your network's range. There are other ways of browsing the network, however, so this isn't really all that relevant.

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