Make Your Computer Run Faster by Controlling Non-Essential Services

Your Windows operating system uses a number of services to support the many features of Windows. Third party software will add even more services to your system. Your computer runs slower and may experience a slow-startup process (often taking 10-15 minutes) as a result of too many support services consuming resources and causing a delay during initialization.

How do I tell which services are running?

You can determine which Windows Services are running on your system by pressing ALT/CTRL/DEL and entering the Task Manager Screen. Once you have entered the Task Manager Utility, select the 'Services' tab at the top of the dialogue box.

Do I need all the Windows Support Services that are running?

The answer to this question is most often a resounding 'NO'. There are many services that support features you may not use, especially networking services not needed by the home user.

How do I stop a Windows Service?

There are three options for service start-up: automatic, manual or disabled. In some versions of Windows you can see the current startup status by right clicking on the service and going to properties or by clicking the services button seen in the lower right hand of the image above. Many Windows services depend on other services to work properly and others are normally disabled. Changing a service from 'automatic' to 'manual' will eliminate the service from startup but will allow it to run when called for by a program or another service.

Which Windows Services can be safely disabled to optimize performance?

The following services can be disabled if not used. Be sure to read the description before disabling the service. To test the effect first, right click the service and select 'Stop'.

Alerter: This program generates administrative alerts over a network for IT purposes and is most often not needed.

Computer Browser: This service is only need if you are connected to a network and wish to view other computer hard drives.

Distributed Link Tracking Client: This service is only used to update network file locations. If a file has been moved to another location, the link will be updated by this service.

Error Reporting Service: This service enables error reporting of system issues to Microsoft.

Fast User Switching Compatibility: Fast switching of user accounts makes it possible to leave your application open without saving your data. If not needed, don't enable this function, as it is known to cause hang-ups.

Indexing Service: With this indexing service, you are able to search faster on your computer. It is often not worth the speed in this area as it slows down your system overall.

Messenger: The Messenger service makes it possible sending messages over the network (this is not Live Messenger). This service is also available from the internet, which makes it a security risk; the user is advised to disable this service.

NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing: This service provides the possibility to invite others to access your computer as a remote desktop.

Performance Logs and Alerts: If you do not access your logs, then this service is not needed.

Remote Registry: This service allows external users to make changes to the registry keys over the network connection. This option leaves your system vulnerable to hackers and viruses.

Routing and Remote Access: This function enables others to dial into your computer.

Server: This process allows the sharing of local files and printers with other computers on your network. If there you are not on a network or do not need to share this function should be disabled.

System Restore Service: This service makes it possible to restore your system to an earlier date is you are experiencing errors. This service often doesn't function properly and consumes abundant resources. The user is better advised to create a restore CD and disable this service.

Themes: If you don't wish to have Custom Windows themes this service can be disabled.

Windows Image Acquisition (WIA): This service is used when downloading images from your camera, web cam or scanner. Moving this service to manual will allow it to operate without consuming resources when not needed.

After changing the status type on any un-needed services, simply re-start your computer and enjoy the improved performance and quicker start-up times.

For more information on Optimizing your PC, visit our extensive information blog at http://www.fixcleaner.com/blog Here, you can find easy access to articles on fixing errors and optimizing all sorts of Windows functions. You can even get tips and tricks on how to navigate your way across the new frontier of Internet Social Media.

Wendy V. is a contributing blogger for FixCleaner. As the proprietor of Vision Tech Publishing, she specializes in automation programming and has 13 years IT experience for Engineering software, Code submissions, and Project Management. She is an Electrical Engineer with a knowledge base both in and out of the technical arena, including technical documentation and creative writing.

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Intel buys networking chipmaker because the data center is now the computer

Updated: Surely but slowly, Intel is coming to the realization that cloud, not PC, is where computing’s future lies. And perhaps there is no better testament to this move than the most recent acquisition of an Ethernet silicon company. As data centers become increasingly important hubs of computing, companies from an earlier era — from Verizon to Intel — are making bold moves into the data center.

Intel’s decision to buy Fulcrum Microsystems is important and needs to be underscored. Why? Fulcrum makes silicon for Jayshree Ullal’s and Andy Bechtolsheim’s 10 Gigabit, high-performance switch company Arista Networks. The move is a forward-thinking one by the computer chip vendor, as virtualization continues changing the computing landscape. Fulcrum has been around for more than a decade and has raised at least $35 million in venture capital in its 11-year history. From Intel’s release on the acquisition:

“Intel is transforming from a leading server technology company to a comprehensive data center provider that offers computing, storage and networking building blocks,” said Kirk Skaugen, Intel vice president and general manager, Data Center Group. “Fulcrum Microsystems’ switch silicon, already recognized for high performance and low latency, complements Intel’s leading processors and Ethernet controllers, and will deliver our customers new levels of performance and energy efficiency while improving their economics of cloud service delivery.”

Intel’s moves here come amid a shift in the way applications think about architecting their services. Where once a server was an individual computer that ran applications, for cloud computing and large web scale applications such as Facebook, Google or Twitter, they are now components in a much larger system. Google first outlined this shift, but Facebook recently has built upon it with its Open Compute project that basically rethought the way the social network built its hardware and deployed it in a data center and then opened up that design for input and adaptations.

Open Compute left Intel’s (and AMD’s) chip business alone, while putting the margins of systems purveyors such as HP and Dell at risk. However, as other silicon companies such as ARM, Tilera advance, Intel must rethink its value proposition beyond the x86 CPU, much like its customers Dell and HP are now rethinking their value proposition beyond making servers. It’s also looking ahead to the changes that virtualization has wrought in the networking world, where efforts to separate the software that controls where packets go from the switches do the physical routing. This shift is occurring in part because as the data center become a computer, it needs a new way to communicate between nodes (servers). Thus, the rise of fabrics inside next generation servers and inside the data center.

And so back to Intel, which has seen this happening and wants to make sure it has the ability to provide the computing and networking brains inside the new version of the data center. For Intel, the acquisition of Fulcrum enables it to own one more component inside a rapidly commoditizing — but rapidly growing — market. So perhaps we’ll see Intel design a single system on a chip that offers what essentially is a data center on a chip.

Update: Looks like Arista’s Ullal agrees. She emailed GigaOM saying that deal was great for the industry because it validates the concept of merchant silicon as opposed to the specialized chips that Cisco and other networking vendors built. It also moves Intel into the networking sector helping it diversify. Now switch builders can choose from silicon from Intel, Broadcom or Marvell. She added, “This is great for Arista as Fulcrum now has backing of Intel (and truly address the enterprise to cloud networking migration in a mainstream manner). Arista has been one of Fulcrum’s top customers.”

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