Disabling certain Windows XP services can enhance performance and security – but it’s essential to know which ones you can safely turn off.
1: Automatic Updates
New security updates will not be automatically installed to your computer.
2: Cryptographic Services
Disable Cryptographic Services at your peril! Automatic Updates will not function and you will have problems with Task Manager as well as other security mechanisms.
3: Plug and Play
If you disable Plug and Play, your computer will be unstable and incapable of detecting hardware changes.
4: Print Spooler
When the Print Spooler service is not running, printing on the local machine is not possible.
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5: Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
Bad news. The system will not boot. Don’t disable this service.
6: Workstation
Disable the Workstation service and your computer will be unable to connect to remote Microsoft Network resources.
7: Network Location Awareness (NLA)
Your computer will not be able to fully connect to and use wireless networks
8: DHCP Client
Without the DHCP Client service, you’ll need to manually assign static IP addresses to every Windows XP system on your network. If you use DHCP to assign other parameters, such as WINS information, you’ll need to provide that information manually as well.
9: Network Connections
If this service is disabled, network configuration is not possible. New network connections can’t be created and services that need network information will fail.
10: DNS Client
If you stop this service, you will disable your computer’s ability to resolve names to IP addresses, basically rendering Web browsing all but impossible.
