In our previous posts we have told you how to disable process and services from starting up and taking unnecessary resources. But you have to do this carefully, cause in case, if you disable some important service of the computer, there will be one of the days when you bang your head in frustration that some things are not working and you will not have a damn clue about it!

So to save you from this situation and also to save ourselves from a lots of curses, we give you all the needed information about which services and which process to disable. 1st of all we will tell you about the various services. And after reading this carefully, you will know if you need them or not. But 1st if don't know about services, Just see this article.
Now lets see what to disable or not.

• Alerter: If you don't have a network connection, i.e. if your computer is not joined with network cables or otherwise with another computer like in a Cyber Cafe, You DO NOT need this service, cause the alert is for some changes in the network. So you do not need it and could disable it.
• Automatic Updates: This is a kind of a hidden curse kind of a thing. If you are using a limited data transfer based internet connection, this will surely help you to lighten your pockets. This sometimes runs without the notice of the user and draws some bandwidth, and also before you know it, you have lost some valuable MB of data. But in the contrary, from the name of it, it updates your XP, keeps it up-to-date. But a very cautious word to those, who use Pirated XP and have internet connection. Be sure to disable it cause if you don't,after downloading and installing the "Genuine Advantage Validation" Update, the Pirated XP tag will haunt you down and it will be really embarrasing to show of your computer to your friends, unless they also have have the same tagg slapped to their PC.
  
• Computer Browser: Now again, If you are not using a networked compter you don't need this also. So simply Disable it.
  
• Cryptographic Services: Set this to manual if you are not sure you need it.
• DNS Client: This service resolves the DNS of the computer. This is also a network based service. But it is also used for internet connection. So don't disable it. Jus set it to manual so it will run only when it is needed.
  
• Error Reporting Service: Ok, now have you seen a program getting non-responsive, and the a window came giving 2 options, "Send", and "Don't send" and thats when if you have people peeking behind you will say, "Don't send". And you click the "Don't send" button. So here microsoft created an error reporting service solve your problems but believe me. They don't. It's an useless service and if you click on "Send" button, and if you expect some solution to that definite problem, you are asking Sun to come out of the west! So better disable it.
  
• Fast User Switching Compatibility: Disable it if you have only a single user on your computer, or if you do not use fast user switching feature much. That is, if you completely log-off and then allow other users to use your computer, then you do not need this. Note that this service is completely useless for low memory computers. And if you don't even know what 'User' means here, then you definately need to Disable it.
  
• FTP Publishing: Disable this if you do not use FTP.
• Help and Support: If you need any help, just come here or e mail us, or call someone who knows all this. Don't waste your RAM's resources to run a program for "Help and Support". So disable it.
  
• Indexing Service: This indexes all your hard drives files, so when you search for a certain file or folder using the search feature, it shows the results very quickly. But also it continuously runs on background to track all your files and data. So uses a greater part of CPU. So you can disable it.
  
• Net Logon: Disable this feature also if you are not on a network.
  
• NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing: Disable this if you do not use Remote Desktop feature. If you don't know what it is, then disable it anyways.
  
• Network Provisioning Service: Disable this, it’s also useless if you are not on a network.
• NT LM Security Support Provider: Disable this, its useless too.
• Office Source Engine: This is for MS Office feature. If you have MS office this is for recovering sudden crash in MS office. Disable this if you have the MS office setup file.
  
• Print Spooler: Disable it if you don’t have a printer.
  
• Remote Desktop Help Session Manager:Disable this anyways. Cause you will not get any support and help from Microsoft any ways.
  
• Remote Registry: This is a SERIOUS sequrity thread turned on in every XP by default. So turn it off NOW.
  
• Security Center: This is a really useless feature. They will always show you some faults on your computer. Its better stay disabled.
  
• Server: Set it to manual or disable it if you are not on network.
• Smart Card: Disable it. Seriously if you use smart card for your computer, you must be my long lost great great Grandfather!
  
• Telnet: Set it to manual if you use this feature, otherwise disable it, especially if you are home users.
• Terminal Services: If you aren't using remote desktop. Disable this one also.
  
• Uninterrupted Power Supply: If you don't have an UPS attached to the serial port, disable it. If you don't know what I was talkng about, Serial port is the port where you stuck your pen drive. If any one of the serial port is attached with the UPS, don't Disable it. Otherwise Disable it. If you still don't know what I am talking about, just leave it alone.
• Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS): Disable this if you have another firewall software installed, otherwise let it remain ON for better security.If you don't know what Firewall is, Then leave this alone also.
• Wireless Zero Configuration: Disable if not on a wireless network.
• WMI Performance Adapters: Disable it, useless service for basic usage.
• Workstation: Disable this one againg for you are not on a network.

Now apart from all these services listed above, let all the others stay as they are. Don't even try to change anything other than this. This may harm your computer and may cause a lots of frustration.

Now for the next step, the "Start Up" process. This one we will let you know in the next article. So keep watching. Till then, happy servicing.