Remove the Windows 7 Features You Don’t Need

Windows 7 is the latest Operating System which Microsoft has released. It has a really good and obviously advanced interface. Let me give you a guide on this wonderful Operating System. Windows 7 has the ability to add and remove bundled applications and services.. You can access this capability via the Windows Features interface, which can be accessed through Start Menu Search (turn on windows) or through the Control Panel, via Programs/Uninstall a Program and then Turn Windows Features on or off. You can see the simple UI here.

You can add or remove the following programs and services using this interface:

Games-This includes all built-in Windows games, including Chess Titans, FreeCell, Hearts, Internet Backgammon, Internet Checkers, Internet Spades, Mahjong Titans, Minesweeper, More Games, Purble Palace, Solitaire, and Spider Solitaire. Depending on the Windows 7 product edition you’re using, you may have a subset of this list. Enabling of these games by default depends on the version of Windows 7 you are using. 

Indexing Service– This service is disable by default, this is the predecessor to Windows Search and you may not need it as such.

Internet Explorer– This is Microsoft’s Web Browser which is enabled by default..

Internet Information Service– This includes Microsoft’s web server, and accompanying technologies such as an FTP server and management tools, and is disabled by default.

Internet Information Service Hostable Web Core-This version of the web server can be hosted inside of third party applications and is disabled by default.

Media Features– This depends on your choice and you can disable Windows DVD Maker, Windows Media Center, and Windows Media Player if you’d like.

Microsoft .NET Framework 3.51– Windows 7 comes with the .NET Framework enabled, but sub-features like Windows Communication Foundation HTTP Activation and Windows Communication Foundation Non-HTTP Activation are disabled by default.

Microsoft Message Queue (MSMQ) Server– Another feature is, MSMQ which provides a way for software components to send, save (queue), and receive messages in environments in which the different components might not always be available.

Print and Document Services-Windows 7 provides access to a number of related features, some of which are enabled and some are not. Among the  enabled features are are Internet Printing Client (which lets you print over the Internet Printing Protocol, or IPP) and Windows Fax and Scan (a decidedly old-school application not updated since Vista). The features which are Disabled by default are LPD Print Service (Line Printer Daemon, an older UNIX-style printing service), LPR Port Monitor (for UNIX-style Line Printer Remote printer sharing), and Scan Management (for monitoring and administering network-based scanners). 

Remote Differential Compression– This is Enabled by default, this technology works under the hood on both Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2

RIP Listener– Disabled by default, the RIP (Routing Information Protocol) Listener has to wait for route updates sent by routers (generally from Cisco) that use the Routing Information Protocol in a corporate LAN. 

Services for NFS– This includes administrative tools and the NFS client, both of which are disabled by default. NFS is an older network file system, and these tools allow Windows to interoperate with NFS-based servers.

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)- This is also disabled by default, SNMP is a legacy networking protocol designed for monitoring and administering compatible network-based devices. There is also a WMI provider for SNMP, so that developers can access SNMP data via a more modern interface.

Simple TCP/IP services (i.e. echo, daytime, etc.)- A small collection of legacy, command line-based network tools including character generator, daytime, discard, echo, and quote of the day. It is disabled by default.

Subsystem for UNIX-based Applications– Disabled by default, you can run UNIX applications with this software subsystem. It is based on the Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX), within Windows.

Tablet PC Components– Curiously installed by default on all PCs, including those without Tablet PC hardware, this consists of a number of features, including Windows Journal, the Math Input Panel, and some features related to handwriting recognition.

Telnet Client– Do you have your own Hot Tub Time Machine and need to communicate in real time with others a legacy Telnet (TELecommunication NETwork) server for some reason?? ?You can install this Telnet client. This is disabled by default.

Telnet Server– YOu can host Telnet-based text chats. Enable the Telnet Server and go to town.

TFTP Client– This FTP client isn’t enabled by default, because you can find much better free GUI-based FTP clients out there.

Windows Gadget Platform– The Windows Gadget Platform, enabled by default, provides the presentation environment for Windows Gadgets (i.e. sidebar.etc.) as well as the collection of available Windows Gadgets. If you cdon’t want them, you can Disable it.

Windows Search– Enabled by default, this forms a core feature of Windows 7.

Windows TIFF IFilter– This allows you to search the contents of scanned TIFF files for text. It is disabled by default But if you’re going to need to search the contents of scanned documents saved in the TIFF format, this is a candidate for enabling.

XPS Services– Windows 7 includes support for Microsoft’s PDF-like XPS document format. The XPS Services component, enabled by default, provides basic XPS functionality such as printing and saving.

XPS Viewer– This is the end user XPS Viewer application. This allows you to view documents saved in Microsoft’s XPS format. It is enabled by default.

This article has been written by Guest Author Manvindar Singh.