Unnecessary Windows 10 services that can be safely disabled

Unnecessary Windows 10 services that can be safely disabled.

Windows 10 isn’t as sluggish and bloated as some of its previous versions. This means you shouldn’t have any serious performance claims. Again, why leave out free performance by running unnecessary services?

There is a long list of Windows 10 services that most users don’t need. So you can safely disable these unnecessary Windows 10 services and satisfy your need for clean speed.

Some Common Sense Advice First

All Windows services have specific tasks. Some of these jobs are critical to the proper functioning of your computer. If you disable a Windows service that is essential for your computer to function properly, you might lock your computer or you might have to undo what you did.

We have tested disabling all unnecessary services listed below through the Services application on our computer. However, we are not responsible for any problems with your computer. Do not mess with random services not listed here, and always create a restore point or system backup before making changes.

We rate the process as “safe to disable” if it does not affect the basic functions of your computer, but we do not recommend that you actually disable each of these services as they are not harmful and may be useful.

The Print Spooler

Do you have a printer? Have you ever used it? Printers are becoming a niche product as we all move towards paperless documentation and use smartphone cameras to scan documents. If you are not using a printer, you can safely disable the print spooler. It is a service that manages and queues print jobs. With no print jobs to process, it just sits there using RAM and CPU time.

Windows Image Acquisition

This is a service that waits until you press a button on the scanner and then manages the process of getting the image in the right place. It also affects communication with digital cameras and camcorders that you connect directly to your computer, so keep this in mind if you need this feature.

Fax Services

Incredibly, there are actually many businesses that still use faxes. However, the use of faxing is a very narrow niche, so you almost certainly won’t need fax services on your computer.

If you are one of five people who send and receive faxes from your computer, this does not apply to you. Alternatively, buy a scanner instead.

Bluetooth

It is safe to disable the Bluetooth service if you do not need it. It can also be a precaution against Bluetooth attacks. Bluetooth devices such as mice, game controllers, and headphones are common these days. Thus, only a small number of users who never use Bluetooth should consider this.

Windows Search

Windows Search is safe to disable and can have a noticeable impact on your performance as it also disables the Windows Search Indexer. However, we do not recommend this for most people. Instant and fast search is one of the best features in Windows 10.

This is an option if you use a little Windows search or your processor is very slow. Go ahead and disable it to see if it improves performance.

Windows Error Reporting

Windows sends a bug report to Microsoft when something goes wrong. Microsoft will use this information to address issues in future updates. Some people have a privacy issue and prefer not to submit reports.

If you don’t want to send bug reports to Microsoft, you can go beyond the “Don’t send every time” option and disable the entire service. If you are having trouble with the error reporting system, you can also check out our Windows guide werfault.exe.

Windows Insider Service

The Windows Insider Program allows users to try out upcoming Windows releases before they become available to all users. Nobody should be doing this on a mission-critical computer. If you do not want to participate in the Windows Insider Program, please disable this service.

Windows Defender and Firewall

First, let’s be clear that we always recommend that you have both an antivirus package and a firewall on your computer. However, these do not have to be the ones that come with Windows. If you are using a third-party antivirus and firewall, you can disable the Windows Defender service.

Remote Desktop

Windows 10 lists three Remote Desktop Services. These three services work together to enable remote control of your computer. If you are not using Windows Remote Desktop features, you can disable all three of these services.

However, keep in mind that Microsoft support often uses Remote Desktop technology to resolve issues you may encounter. Remote support will not work if you disable these services. But remote desktop technology can also be a serious security issue and is often used for fake support scams. Therefore, disabling these services can also help improve the security of your computer.

Remote Registry

The registry is an important component of Windows that stores important information about the configuration of your computer. Leave that alone if you’re not an expert. The Remote Registry service allows someone to remotely modify the registry of a computer.

This is a useful feature for system administrators, but most users only modify their registries locally. If they ever change it. This means that almost anyone can turn off this service. In fact, it might even be a good security measure, as hackers cannot tamper with your registry remotely.

Touch Keyboard and Handwriting Panel Service

Windows 10 is now fully compatible with both touchscreens and handwriting recognition, but most desktops and laptops don’t have this hardware. Disable this service if you are not using a touch keyboard or stylus.

Disable Windows Services With Care

Disabling these services will not dramatically increase speed. However, you can get an extra frame or two from your video games, or open even more tabs in your browser.

There are a few more services that you can stop. But we strongly advise against messing around with Windows services that you are unsure of. It is especially risky to disable services that are important to your hardware, such as those associated with your graphics card. Always investigate a given Windows service before disabling it.