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Is your Windows PC running slow and sluggish?
If you’ve already tried the basic fixes—deleting unnecessary files, stopping startup programs, and optimizing storage—but your computer still feels slow, the problem could be background services.
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Windows runs many background services, some of which are essential, but others just take up resources and slow down performance.
However, not all services can be disabled without consequences.
So, which ones can you safely turn off?
Why Disabling Windows Services Can Speed Up Your PC
Every service running in the background consumes CPU, RAM, and disk resources.
Some services are necessary for system stability, while others serve features you might never use.
If you disable non-essential services, you free up resources, leading to a snappier PC with fewer slowdowns.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Not all services should be disabled – Some are critical for Windows to function properly.
- Disabling the wrong services can cause issues – You might lose certain features or encounter errors.
- Focusing on non-essential services is key – The goal is to turn off what you don’t need while keeping Windows stable.
Now, let’s look at the Windows services you can safely disable.
Services You Can Turn Off to Speed Up Windows
Here are some non-essential services that you can safely disable if you don’t use the related features:
1. Connected User Experiences and Telemetry
- Why disable it? It collects diagnostic data and sends it to Microsoft.
- How to disable:
- Press Win + R, type
services.msc
, and hit Enter. - Find Connected User Experiences and Telemetry in the list.
- Right-click it, select Properties, change the Startup type to Disabled, and click OK.
- Press Win + R, type
2. Windows Search (If You Don’t Use Search Frequently)
- Why disable it? If you don’t use Windows Search often, this service can slow down your PC by constantly indexing files.
- How to disable:
- Open Services (
services.msc
). - Locate Windows Search, right-click, and select Properties.
- Set Startup type to Disabled and click OK.
- Open Services (
3. Print Spooler (If You Don’t Use a Printer)
- Why disable it? The Print Spooler service runs in the background even if you don’t have a printer.
- How to disable:
- Open Services (
services.msc
). - Find Print Spooler, right-click, and select Properties.
- Set Startup type to Disabled.
- Open Services (
4. Remote Desktop Services
- Why disable it? If you never use Remote Desktop to connect to your PC remotely, this service is unnecessary.
- How to disable:
- Open Services (
services.msc
). - Locate Remote Desktop Services and set Startup type to Disabled.
- Open Services (
5. Bluetooth Support Service (If You Don’t Use Bluetooth)
- Why disable it? If you don’t use Bluetooth devices, this service runs for no reason.
- How to disable:
- Open Services (
services.msc
). - Find Bluetooth Support Service, right-click, and select Properties.
- Set Startup type to Disabled.
- Open Services (
6. Windows Insider Service
- Why disable it? This is only useful if you’re part of the Windows Insider Program.
- How to disable:
- Open Services (
services.msc
). - Find Windows Insider Service, set it to Disabled, and click OK.
- Open Services (
7. Xbox Services (If You Don’t Game on Your PC)
- Why disable it? If you don’t use Xbox features, these services use resources for no reason.
- How to disable:
- Open Services (
services.msc
). - Look for Xbox Live Auth Manager, Xbox Live Networking Service, and Xbox Game Monitoring.
- Set all three to Disabled.
- Open Services (
What NOT to Disable
While disabling unnecessary services can help, some are critical for Windows to run properly.
Do not disable:
- Windows Update (Unless you want to manage updates manually)
- Windows Defender (Unless you have a third-party antivirus)
- Network Services (Needed for internet connectivity)
- Windows Time (Required for system clock synchronization)
Conclusion
If your PC is running slow, disabling unnecessary Windows services can help free up system resources and improve performance.
However, knowing which services to disable is crucial to avoid breaking essential functions.
Want to instantly speed up Windows?
Grab my Windows Speed Boost Pack—a one-page cheat sheet with all the fixes in one place! [Click here to get it for just $2.]
Brianna is based in Minnesota in the US at the moment, and has been writing since 2017. She is currently a 3rd Year med student at the time of writing this.