What Windows features you turn off?

[Polarman]

We all know that Windows (XP, Vista or 7) has many features bundled within. Some of them are neat but a lot is really not necessary.

Making Windows lean and mean is what most of us look for. I'm not talking about Vlited barebone install here.

Basicaly, it's a fresh install followed by some tweaking and turning off some unwanted features.

For my part, this is what i turn off:

Indexing
Built-in Defrag
Error Reporting
Remote Assistance
System Restore
Hibernation
Gadget Sidebar
Welcome center
Sound sheme

Except for XPS Viewer, everything else is turned off in "Windows Features" in the uninstall section of Vista.

This is not counting some disabled services.

So what do you have turned off?

[Kursah]

I don't use hibernation, remote assist, or sound schemes...really beyond that I just leave my OS alone. Haven't found a need to trim anymore, at least yet I'm not necessarily in the need to extract every ounce of performance...plus 7 x64 is smooth and stable on my rig, I figure there's no sense messing with it if things are ok and my current performance is where I want it. Back in the P2/3/4 and W98se/XP days I tweaked a lot more, but I also reinstalled the OS a lot more too.

:toast:

[beyond_amusia]

I shut off the Tablet PC functions - no need for them since I don't owns a multi touch screen.

[erocker]

Auto-Defrag and Windows Search also gets tuned off for me.

[francis511]

That annoying checkbox under nics for "allow the system to turn off blah blah..."

[SummerDays]

Forget about running the Windows Experience Test on a new build, because it automatically turns on AERO.

[DirectorC]

I wouldn't consider System Restore to be anywhere near 'unwanted'. It has saved my ass a bunch of times when I play with drivers or software that bonks my system.

And ever since I started using Windows 7 I leave everything default. It's still the fastest Windows ever. The tweaking I do is through msconfig/HijackThis to slim down all the startup processes that companies like to sneak in (such as Adobe, Ahead, Logitech, Creative, HP etc with their background services for nearly every app/device--most of which communicate online and check for updates, no thanks!).

[Jstn7477]

Forget about running the Windows Experience Test on a new build, because it automatically turns on AERO.

What's so bad about Aero? It doesn't seem to slow down my system or anything.

[Soylent Joe]

I get rid of all the Action Center alerts.

[mlee49]

Uh UAC anyone? Thats the first move I make when I install vista.

[DirectorC]

Uh UAC anyone? Thats the first move I make when I install vista.

True LOL. I think that's a given for pretty much all of us with Vista/7.