are all these Windows services are needed?

Speccy
1

I hope someone here can read anough german, as my windows XP pro SP3 is a german installation. XP and Firefox are getting very slow, admittedly the computer itself also not the fastest, but this speed is baaaad...

I have tried about everything else. And then I found all these services that are switched on.

I need someone, who really needs to know what he, or she, is talking about. Because advice from other sources ended up interfering with the normal working of the computer, and I had to switch everything back on.....

Which of these can be switched off? Anybody knows? Thanks

Services

Running Arbeitsstationsdienst

Running avast! Antivirus

Running COM+-Ereignissystem

Running Computerbrowser

Running DCOM-Server-Prozessstart

Running DHCP-Client

Running Ereignisprotokoll

Running Gatewaydienst auf Anwendungsebene

Running Gesch?tzter Speicher

Running HID Input Service

Running Hilfe und Support

Running HTTP-SSL

Running IPSEC-Dienste

Running Java Quick Starter

Running Konfigurationsfreie drahtlose Verbindung

Running Kryptografiedienste

Running Netzwerkverbindungen

Running NLA (Network Location Awareness)

Running Plug & Play

Running RAS-Verbindungsverwaltung

Running Remoteprozeduraufruf (RPC)

Running Sekund?re Anmeldung

Running Server

Running Shellhardwareerkennung

Running Sicherheitscenter

Running Sicherheitskontenverwaltung

Running SSDP-Suchdienst

Running Systemereignisbenachrichtigung

Running Systemwiederherstellungsdienst

Running TCP/IP-NetBIOS-Hilfsprogramm

Running Telefonie

Running Terminaldienste

Running Verwaltung logischer Datentr?ger

Running WebClient

Running Windows Audio

Running Windows User Mode Driver Framework

Running Windows-Firewall/Gemeinsame Nutzung der Internetverbindung

Running Windows-Verwaltungsinstrumentation

Running WMI-Leistungsadapter

Running ?berwachung verteilter Verkn?pfungen (Client)

2

Have you been to the blackviper site?

A lot of people use this site for setting which services on which operating system are safe to disable or set to manual.

http://www.blackviper.com/2008/05/19/black-vipers-windows-xp-x86-32-bit-service-pack-3-service-configurations/

You don't mention what security software you have installed and if you have had any problems with malware/virus recently.

If you boot up into safe mode with networking do you get the same slowdown?

3

Thanks.

I use Avast permanently, I also use Malwarebytes, and even Avira live, but nothing ever turns up.

The problem with sites like blackviper is, that they do not give precise enough instructions. Basically they would only be useful, if I already knew the answer to the question I am asking. If you follow the instructions, you simply sooner or later end up with a no longer really functioning computer and you have to re-install, what was deleted and end up where you started... which is precisely where I am right now.

I guess it might simply be my not too fast computer (1,60 Ghz), but in a week I will be back home with my "real" machine....

Thanks again for trying

4

@John Grey:

I turned off the service called ""Auto Update"" (I don't know what the name in german is) because it drove me nuts. Everytime I started my computer it performed a full scan of my harddisk and that took about 10 minutes and during that time my laptop was crawling like a snail. But I manually turn that service on every month when there're new updates available from Microsoft.

5

I'm no expert, but I see nothing conspicuous as the probable cause of your slow performance.

Services
Running Workstation Service
Running avast! Anti Virus
Running COM + Event System
Running Computer Browser
Running DCOM Server Process Launcher
Running DHCP Client
Running Event Log
Running at the application level gateway service
Running Protected Storage
HID Input Service Running
Running Help and Support
Running HTTP SSL
Running IPSEC Services
Running Java Quick Starter
Running Wireless Zero Configuration
Running Cryptographic Services
Running Network Connections
Running NLA (Network Location Awareness)
Running Plug and Play
Running Remote Access Connection Manager
Running Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
Running Secondary Logon
Running Server
Running Shell Hardware Detection
Running Safety Center
Running SAM
Running SSDP Discovery Service
Running System Event Notification
Running System Restore Service
Running TCP / IP NetBIOS Helper
Running Telephony
Running Terminal Services
Running Logical Disk Manager
Running WebClient
Running Windows Audio
Running Windows User Mode Driver Framework
Running Windows Firewall / Internet Connection Sharing
Running Windows Management Instrumentation
Running WMI Performance Adapter
Running Distributed Link Tracking (Client)

I suspect the source of your difficulties lies elsewhere.

I have a zippy Vista, so I don't stop anything on my list from running.

6

Perhaps Windows Taskmanager provides an answer which processes are eating up so much of the speed. Post here the content of what Taskmanager shows and make sure the processes that eat the most process time and/or memory are on top of the list. And we'll have a look at it.

And of course I would advise you to install CLEANMEM memory manager. It can dramatically reduce memory usage and as a result of that Windows doesn't need to access the swapfile on the harddisk that often anymore. And accessing the harddisk/swapfile slows Windows down (dramatically).

http://www.pcwintech.com/cleanmem

http://forum.piriform.com/index.php?showtopic=28918

7

I use Avast permanently, I also use Malwarebytes, and even Avira live, but nothing ever turns up.

You mentioned Avast and Avira. If both of those are installed at the same time that alone could cause serious performance issues, even if you think you've got one of their resident shields "fully disabled". Avira AntiVir for one won't always play nice with other real-time antivirus' installed, it's likely to cause lockups/freezing.

If you must have two antivirus programs installed you could try something else, one resident and one on demand such as this setup:

* Avast Antivirus (real-time) + ClamWin Free Antivirus or ClamWin Portable (has no real-time ability yet)

* Avira AntiVir (real-time) + ClamWin Free Antivirus or ClamWin Portable (has no real-time ability yet)

* Microsoft Security Essentials (real-time) + ClamWin Free Antivirus or ClamWin Portable (has no real-time ability yet)

...etc.

8

@John Grey:

I turned off the service called ""Auto Update"" (I don't know what the name in german is) because it drove me nuts. Everytime I started my computer it performed a full scan of my harddisk and that took about 10 minutes and during that time my laptop was crawling like a snail. But I manually turn that service on every month when there're new updates available from Microsoft.

Thanks, but auto update is turned off...

9

I'm no expert, but I see nothing conspicuous as the probable cause of your slow performance.

Services
Running Workstation Service
Running avast! Anti Virus
Running COM + Event System
Running Computer Browser
Running DCOM Server Process Launcher
Running DHCP Client
Running Event Log
Running at the application level gateway service
Running Protected Storage
HID Input Service Running
Running Help and Support
Running HTTP SSL
Running IPSEC Services
Running Java Quick Starter
Running Wireless Zero Configuration
Running Cryptographic Services
Running Network Connections
Running NLA (Network Location Awareness)
Running Plug and Play
Running Remote Access Connection Manager
Running Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
Running Secondary Logon
Running Server
Running Shell Hardware Detection
Running Safety Center
Running SAM
Running SSDP Discovery Service
Running System Event Notification
Running System Restore Service
Running TCP / IP NetBIOS Helper
Running Telephony
Running Terminal Services
Running Logical Disk Manager
Running WebClient
Running Windows Audio
Running Windows User Mode Driver Framework
Running Windows Firewall / Internet Connection Sharing
Running Windows Management Instrumentation
Running WMI Performance Adapter
Running Distributed Link Tracking (Client)

I suspect the source of your difficulties lies elsewhere.

I have a zippy Vista, so I don't stop anything on my list from running.

I also suspect the old age of this 1.6 GHZ machine....

I will fly back home on sunday, and there will be my fast Windows7. This one here I use for travelling, and it seems so much slower than it used be before...

Especially Firefox and the vlc player. (I have changed over to KM player, which is a lot faster). Worst is turning the computer off, it really takes several minutes... what to do. I suppose when we get old, we also get slower.... ;-)

10

Perhaps Windows Taskmanager provides an answer which processes are eating up so much of the speed. Post here the content of what Taskmanager shows and make sure the processes that eat the most process time and/or memory are on top of the list. And we'll have a look at it.

And of course I would advise you to install CLEANMEM memory manager. It can dramatically reduce memory usage and as a result of that Windows doesn't need to access the swapfile on the harddisk that often anymore. And accessing the harddisk/swapfile slows Windows down (dramatically).

http://www.pcwintech.com/cleanmem

http://forum.piriform.com/index.php?showtopic=28918

No, taskmanager shows absolutely nothing, its all "Leerlaufprocess" (running empty)

11

You mentioned Avast and Avira. If both of those are installed at the same time that alone could cause serious performance issues, even if you think you've got one of their resident shields "fully disabled". Avira AntiVir for one won't always play nice with other real-time antivirus' installed, it's likely to cause lockups/freezing.

If you must have two antivirus programs installed you could try something else, one resident and one on demand such as this setup:

* Avast Antivirus (real-time) + ClamWin Free Antivirus or ClamWin Portable (has no real-time ability yet)

* Avira AntiVir (real-time) + ClamWin Free Antivirus or ClamWin Portable (has no real-time ability yet)

* Microsoft Security Essentials (real-time) + ClamWin Free Antivirus or ClamWin Portable (has no real-time ability yet)

...etc.

No, I did not write that. I have Avast installed, and because it gets so slow I check with other software also. Malwarebytes is not turned on, just installed, and Avira Live, is a special boot CD which you can download from Avira...

12

Although Windows has many services not all are active and the ones that are running do not really cause significant slow down.

Some services are essential for running Windows so be careful what you turn off you may cause more harm than good.

- If you're experiencing slow downs check your CPU load / Interrupts make sure they're not pegged (use Process Explorer for this).

- Check your system logs (eventvwr.exe) this may indicate problems with software or hardware that wasn't entirely obvious.

- Make sure your IDE transfer mode is set to DMA and not PIO mode.

- Check the health of your hard drive make sure it's read/write performance is on form (Benchmark test with HD Tune).

- Defrag your file system and pagefile, if you haven't defragged in a while your machine performance could suffer.

- If your machine has 128MB or less RAM then add more memory to your machine i.e. 512MB+

- Malware could also contribute to a system slowdown due to poor coding.

Richard S.

13

Although Windows has many services not all are active and the ones that are running do not really cause significant slow down.

Some services are essential for running Windows so be careful what you turn off you may cause more harm than good.

- If you're experiencing slow downs check your CPU load / Interrupts make sure they're not pegged (use Process Explorer for this).

- Check your system logs (eventvwr.exe) this may indicate problems with software or hardware that wasn't entirely obvious.

- Make sure your IDE transfer mode is set to DMA and not PIO mode.

- Check the health of your hard drive make sure it's read/write performance is on form (Benchmark test with HD Tune).

- Defrag your file system and pagefile, if you haven't defragged in a while your machine performance could suffer.

- If your machine has 128MB or less RAM then add more memory to your machine i.e. 512MB+

- Malware could also contribute to a system slowdown due to poor coding.

Richard S.

All of these have been checked, as I have written, by the way.

I agree by now, that it probably is simply "old age".

One more question I still have. The computergets quite hot, is it possible that a CPU slows down in its performance, because of heat damage?

Can it simply perform slower, or would it break completely when overheated?

(This question is about damage here, not the overheating. The computer is as slow, when it is still cold)

14

Computers do generate heat and too much heat isn't good for your hardware or for electronic components.

I would suggest you monitor your machine using a program called SpeedFan since Speccy still doesn't give tempture readings for P4 CPUs.

Note that your graphics card will run a lot hotter than everything else so you should ignore the readings.

However if your CPU, motherboard or hard drive are getting close to 60C then you have a problem.

Over heating could indicate a cooling / airflow problem i.e fans not working fully because they're clogged up with dust and dirt.

Another possibility could be the hard drive, if it gets hot quickly and is much hotter than the CPU or motherboard then you have a problem.

Richard S.

15

Computers do generate heat and too much heat isn't good for your hardware or for electronic components.

I would suggest you monitor your machine using a program called SpeedFan since Speccy still doesn't give tempture readings for P4 CPUs.

Note that your graphics card will run a lot hotter than everything else so you should ignore the readings.

However if your CPU, motherboard or hard drive are getting close to 60C then you have a problem.

Over heating could indicate a cooling / airflow problem i.e fans not working fully because they're clogged up with dust and dirt.

Another possibility could be the hard drive, if it gets hot quickly and is much hotter than the CPU or motherboard then you have a problem.

Richard S.

I suppose this could have damaged it... my Speccy always shows the temperature of my CPU. And it usual is in the 60s or 70s, as far as I remember, right now it is 64 degrees, after using it for 20 minutes. But I regularly keep my fan windows clean, but that does not make any difference at all.

Old age... what to do.... the computer and myself.... ;-)

16

60-70 C (Multiply the Celsius temperature by 9, Divide the answer by 5, Add 32 to get Fahrenheit )

or

60-70 F (Subtract 32 from the Fahrenheit temperature, Divide the answer by 9, Multiply that answer by 5 to get Celsius)

17

60C = 140F :)

Just out of curiosity what are your current temperature readings??

Richard S.

18

for example...

http://www.windows-tweaks.info/html/dienste.html

provided, of course, you know what you use on equipment

following services can you deaktivate

Java Quick Starter

Konfigurationsfreie drahtlose Verbindung - only usefull, if you has a wireless modem...

Server - if you not use a network, than can you deaktivate