Version 1.0 Windows XP services that can be disabled June 15, 2005 By Scott Lowe One of the most effective ways to secure a Windows workstation is to turn off unnecessary services. This reference sheet lists the Windows XP SP 2 services, describes each service's function, specifies whether you can safely disable the service, and outlines the ramifications of disabling the service. The list assumes the machines is running Windows XP SP2 in a corporate network environment. The list offers one of the following three possibilities for safely disabling each service: • YES = You can disable the service without causing any problems. • MAYBE = The computer's role dictates whether you should or should not disable the service--read the special considerations for further information. • NO = The service is critical to proper Windows operation and should not be disabled. Service Description Safely Ramifications if disabled Suggested Special Disable? setting Considerations Alerter Notifies selected users and computers of Yes Programs that use administrative Disable administrative alerts alerts will not receive them. Application Provides support for application-level Maybe Programs that rely on this service, Enable Only enable when using Layer protocol plug-ins and enables such as MSN Messenger and the Windows firewall or Gateway network/protocol connectivity Windows Messenger will not another firewall. Failure function. to do so can result in a significant security hole. Application Processes installation, removal, and Yes Users will be unable to install, Disable Management enumeration requests for Active Directory remove, or enumerate any IntelliMirror group policy programs IntelliMirror programs. Automatic Enables the download and installation of Yes The operating system cannot Enable Automatic updates help Updates critical Windows updates automatically install updates, but keep your computer can still be manually updated at the current. If you do disable Windows Update Web site. the service, perform regular, manual updates. Background Transfers data between clients and Yes Features such as Windows Update Disable Enable this services if Intelligent servers in the background will not work properly. you enable Automatic Transfer Updates. Page 1 Copyright ©2005 CNET Networks, Inc. All rights reserved. For more downloads and a free TechRepublic membership, please visit http://techrepublic.com.com/2001-6240-0.html Windows XP services that can be disabled Service Description Safely Ramifications if disabled Suggested Special Disable? setting Considerations ClipBook Enables ClipBook Viewer to store Yes ClipBook Viewer will not be able to Disable information and share it with remote share information with remote computers computers. COM+ Event Allows management of Component No System Event Notification stops Enable System/Syste Services by providing automatic working, which means that logon m Application distribution of events to subscribing COM and logoff notifications will not take components place. Other applications, such as Volume Snapshot service, will not work correctly. Computer Maintains an up-to-date list of computers Yes Your computer will be unable to Enable Enable this service, if you Browser on your network, and supplies the list to locate other Windows computers on need to share files with programs that request it. The Computer the network other Windows Browser service is used by Windows- computers. based computers that need to view network domains and resources. Cryptographic Provides three management services: No The associated management Enable Required if you use the services Catalog Database Service, which services will not function properly. Automatic Updates confirms the signatures of Windows files; Windows service; Also Protected Root Service, which adds and used by other Windows removes Trusted Root Certification services, such as Task Authority certificates from this computer; Manager. and Key Service, which helps enroll this computer for certificates DHCP Client Allows the system to automatically obtain Maybe The system will be unable to obtain Enable You can disabled this IP addressing information, WINS server an IP address, WINS information, service if you do not use information, routing information, and so and the like, from a DHCP server DHCP. forth; is required to update records in and will need to be configured with Dynamic DNS a static address. Page 2 Copyright ©2005 CNET Networks, Inc. All rights reserved. For more downloads and a free TechRepublic membership, please visit http://techrepublic.com.com/2001-6240-0.html Windows XP services that can be disabled Service Description Safely Ramifications if disabled Suggested Special Disable? setting Considerations Distributed Ensures that shortcuts and OLE links Yes Link tracking will be unavailable. Disable Link Tracking continue to work after the target file is Users on other computers won't be Client renamed or moved by maintaining links in able to track links on this computer. the file system Distributed Coordinates transactions that span Yes Distributed transactions will not Disable Transaction multiple resource managers, such as occur. Coordinator databases, message queues, and file systems DNS Client Resolves and caches DNS names, No The system will be unable to Enable Stopping this service will allowing the system to communicate with resolve a name and will be able to result in the inability for canonical names rather than strictly by IP communicate only via IP address. A the computer to resolve address client may be unable to names to IP addresses. communicate with its domain controller. Error Collects, stores, and reports unexpected Yes Error Reporting will occur only for Disable Reporting application crashes to Microsoft kernel faults and some types of user mode faults. Event Log Allows event log messages to be viewed No Administrators won't be able to view Enable in Event log to assist in problem logs, including the security log, resolution increasing the difficulty of diagnosing problems and detecting security breaches. Fast User Enables management for applications Yes Fast User Switching will be Disable Doesn't work in domain Switching that require assistance in a multiple user unavailable. environments anyway. Compatibility environment Help and Enables Help and Support Center to run Yes The Help and Support Center will Enable Support on this computer be unavailable. Page 3 Copyright ©2005 CNET Networks, Inc. All rights reserved. For more downloads and a free TechRepublic membership, please visit http://techrepublic.com.com/2001-6240-0.html Windows XP services that can be disabled Service Description Safely Ramifications if disabled Suggested Special Disable? setting Considerations HID Input Enables generic input access to Human Maybe Hot buttons controlled by this Disable Required for some "hot Interface Devices (HID), which activates service will no longer function. buttons" on newer and maintains the use of predefined hot keyboards. Can be safely buttons on keyboards, remote controls, enabled if these buttons and other multimedia devices don't work with this service disabled. IMAPI CD- Manages CD recording using Image Maybe This computer will be unable to Enable This service can be Burning COM Mastering Applications Programming record CDs. disabled if you don't have Interface (IMAPI) a CD-RW drive in your system. Indexing Indexes contents and properties of files Yes Files will not be indexed. Indexing Disable Uninstall this service if Service on local and remote computers; provides can speed searching. you don't plan to use it. rapid access to files through flexible querying language Internet Provides network address translation, Maybe Networking services such as Disable If you share your Internet Connection - addressing, name resolution and/or Internet sharing, name resolution, connection, you must Firewall (ICF) / intrusion prevention services for a home addressing and/or intrusion enable this service. Sharing (ICS) or small office network prevention will be unavailable. IPSEC Provides end-to-end security between Maybe TCP/IP security between clients Disable If you connect over an services clients and servers on TCP/IP networks and servers on the network will be IPSec secured impaired. connection, don't disable this service. Logical Disk Waits for new drives to be added and Yes New disks will not be detected by Enable Leaving this service Manager passes required information to the LDM the system. enabled makes it easy to administrative service; required to ensure add new drives to the dynamic disk information is up to date system. In a very high security environment, this should not be allowed. Page 4 Copyright ©2005 CNET Networks, Inc. All rights reserved. For more downloads and a free TechRepublic membership, please visit http://techrepublic.com.com/2001-6240-0.html Windows XP services that can be disabled Service Description Safely Ramifications if disabled Suggested Special Disable? setting Considerations Logical Disk Starts and allows configuration to take Yes None; runs only when needed. N/A Started by the Logical Manager place when a new drive is detected or a Disk Manager service Administrative partition/drive is configured only when needed. Do not disable if you have the Logical Disk Manager Service enabled. Machine Manages Visual Studio debugging Yes Visual Studio debugging Disable Debug information will not be available. Manager Messenger Transmits net send and Alerter service Yes Alerter messages will not be Disable messages between