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Services settings
Disable Workstation serviceThe workstation service offers network services like the messenger service. If you are not located on a network you can disable it.
Disable Messenger-Service
The messenger-service can be used to send short text messages to other computers. The message will be shown in a casual windows with an OK button. Sadly this service is used by advertisement companies to send billions of spam-messages to all computers connected to the Internet. So if you experience getting messages like \"call me 0190...\" you should disable this service.
Disable RPC-Locator
According to Microsoft this services manages the table of the RPC-nameservice. But if you don't have any applications requiring RPC just disable this.
Disable Automatic Update
If this service is enabled Windows automatically downloads and installs updates. However I recommend using the Security & Privacy Complete built-in Windows Update function to have full control over the updates. It's you who decide what happens to your computer, not some machine from Microsoft.
Disable DHCP-Client
The DHCP-Client is needed on networks where the computers don't have static IPs and get assigned new ones by a server. If you have static IPs configured you can disable this.
Disable DNS-Client (Careful!)
The DNS service is used to send and receive DNS queries (translate domain names to IPs). However Internet connection also works with this service disabled. So it just saves already resolved URLs in a cache so it doesn't have to request it every time again. If you don't want your DNS queries to be cached disable this.
Set Printer Spooler service to manual
The spooler service should be set to manually even if you own a printer. Then it doesn't get started at boot but you can enable it when you need it. If you would disable it instead of setting it to manual you could only start it after a reboot. This way everything works fine. Another benefit is that the port 1028 will be closed.
Disable Error-Reporting Service
This service transmits error-reports of crashed applications to Microsoft. If you don't want data transmitted to Microsoft you should disable it.
Disable Application Layer Gateway
This service offers support for some Internet applications. If none of your applications require this you can disable it.
Disable Help and Support
If you disable this service you won't be able to get any more information from the \"Help and Support\" in Start menu. Computer beginners should let it enabled but experienced users can disable it.
Disable Background Intelligent Transfer Service
This service (full name: Background Intelligent Transfer Service BITS) is the biggest security problem inside of Windows. Programs can set up/downloads to a tasklist without your knowledge. BITS then down/uploads this files when there is enough free bandwidth. That means it happens in the background and you will never notice it! There is no way to control it (without other tools like WinBITS). You should ABSOLUTELY disable this service! However it is required for Windows Update service so Security and Privacy Complete will activate it if you use the integrated buttons for starting/stopping the update!
Disable Indexing service
This service indexes file contents to make the built-in Windows search quicker. If you don't use the search function often you can disable this.
Disable IPSEC service
IPSEC manages the IP-security. Maybe there are some stupid firewalls using this service. Also in networks it might be used. Home users however can just disable it. Benefit: The \"isakmp\" Port and port 4500 will be closed.
Disable NetBIOS service
The \"Network Basic Input Output System\" is an very old programming interface from 1983, and only is used in networks. Every workstation should disable this service, by the way: you can't see it in services.msc!
Disable Remote-Registry (XP-Pro)
If this service is enabled other persons can remotely connect to your registry and e.g. gain information out of it. This might make sense in a network to make work more easy for the administrator. As home-user this service is only a security problem and should be disabled. Another benefit: the \"ntp\" port will be closed - even if the time service is enabled.
Disable Server
This service is for the file and printer sharing on networks. If you are not on a network or don't want other people to be able to use your files/printers you should disable it.
Disable Windows Security Center
The Security Center is this terrible application that knows what is good for you and what not. So it keeps telling you every 10 minutes that you need to buy a new virus scanner.
Disable SSDP service
The SSDP-service activates the detection of UPnP devices on networks. Actually I think noone would ever need this. At least I don't know anyone. Disabling it will lead to a closed port 1900 as extra benefit.
Disable Task Scheduler service
The Task Scheduler to plan various action execute them automatically at a defined time point e.g. launch application X on 1st January at 10:00. Maybe some old virus scanners are still using this services (stupid). If you don't need the task scheduler for anything else you can just disable it.
Disable TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper
This service offers support for NetBT. This might be used on networks but is useless on single workstations.
Disable Universal Plug and Play (UPnP)
Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) offers devices connecting to networks to get automatically configured. For example a new printer or a WLAN Access Point just had to be plugged into a network and could immediately be used by everyone on the network. Sounds fantastic but there is not really much devices available which are capable of UPnP. However it's a security problem so just disable it here.
Disable WebClient
The WebClient is used for the Web-based Distributed Authoring and Versioning (WebDAV). This provides access to special folders on servers even through the Internet. You can also use those as network drives. If you don't use this function consider disabling it.
Disable Windows Image Acquisition (WIA)
This service offers some support for cameras and scanners. However most cameras work even if this service is disabled so.. you don't need it.
Disable Windows Firewall
The built-in Windows Firewall only offers spare protection against attacks and fails likely every leak-test (I admit: other firewalls sadly do so, too). However you should definitely not trust the Windows Firewall and look for an other solution. There is plenty of other (free) personal firewalls that to a better job. But whatever you do: only disable this service when the other firewall is installed!
Disable Windows Timeserver
This service is for the time synchronization with a network or Internet server. Who doesn't need a 100 percent accurate clock can disable this. Benefit: the \"ntp\" Port gets closed.
Disable Windows User Mode Driver Framework
The Windows User Mode Driver Framework service has been installed by a hotfix for SP2. It's supposed to increase stability of Windows Media Player. If you don't use that player you should disable this here.