Title: Disabling unneeded Windows 11 Services (for gaming)
Slug: disabling-unneeded-windows-11-services
Date: 2025-01-11 17:45:00
Author: Kartones
Lang: en
Tags: Systems-IT, Windows, Operating Systems, Security, Resources, Tools, Videogames
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Description: A guide to remove Windows 11 services that are not useful from a gaming-only point of view.


Posts in my Windows 11 optimization series:

- [Optimizing Windows 11 for Gaming](https://blog.kartones.net/post/optimizing-windows-11-for-gaming/)
- *Disabling unneeded Windows 11 Services (for gaming)* (this post)
- [Additional Windows 11 and BIOS gaming-related optimizations](https://blog.kartones.net/post/additional-windows-11-and-bios-gaming-related-optimizations/)


Windows comes with +100 services, and while I must say that things have improved from the past, and many have manual activation and/or "delayed start", there are still a few that either activate by default, or should be totally disabled.

Note that the following list is for a Windows PC exclusively for gaming: No printers, no network sharing, no camera or geo-localization... And similarly, I do use a Bluetooth headset and XBox Live games and gamepads, so I've left those services active, but if you don't, you can disable a few more services by turning those off.

Without further ado, this is the list of services to first `Stop` (if running) and then set to status `Disabled`, from the `Services` app (just search for "Services" in the Start Menu). Right click on each service and then on `Properties`.

- ActiveX Installer
- BitLocker Drive Encryption Service
- Cellular Time
- Certificate Propagation
- Cloud Backup and Restore Service
- Connected Devices Platform Service
- Connected User Experiences and Telemetry
- Contact Data
- Downloaded Maps Manager
- Geolocation Service
- Microsoft Windows SMS Router Service
- Netlogon
- Parental Controls
- Payments and NFC/SE Manager
- Phone Service
- Print Device Configuration Service
- Print Spooler
- PrintNotify
- PrintScanBrokerService
- Quality Windows Audio Video Experience
- Radio Management Service
- Remote Access Auto Connection Manager
- Remote Access Connection Manager
- Remote Desktop Configuration
- Remote Desktop Services
- Remote Desktop Services UserMode Port Redirector
- Remote Registry
- Retail Demo Service
- Secondary Logon
- Sensor Data Service
- Sensor Monitoring Service
- Sensor Service
- Server
- Shared PC Account Manager
- Smart Card
- Smart Card Device Enumeration Service
- Smart Card Removal Policy
- TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper
- Telephony
- Virtual Disk [1]
- Volume Shadow Copy
- WalletService
- Windows Backup
- Windows Biometric Service
- Windows Camera Frame Server
- Windows Camera Frame Server Monitor
- Windows Connect Now - Config Registar
- Windows Image Acquisition (WIA)
- Windows Insider Service
- Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service
- Windows Mobile Hotspot Service
- Windows Remote Management (WS-Management)
- Windows Search
- Work Folders
- WWAN AutoConfig


There are more services that I wish I could fully remove, but some can't be modified, and even if you stop them, they will re-run next time again, so not bothering at all.


[1] You might want this "Manual" in case you mount images. I haven't tried it, so I don't know how good or bad it is.