TOP TWEAKS: Disable Controversial Windows 7 Services, Internet Explorer Settings, Shortcuts

If you want to make sure your Windows 7 PC is secure, you have a lot of homework to do. But what if there was a tool that could do some of the work for you – automatically?

We’ve had a pretty darn long list of useful Windows 7 registry tweaks  – but it’s quite painful to download them one by one, so simply download this tool and you can apply a lot of the tweaks with one click.

Let’s take a look at what it can do to help you. And believe me, this list is quite long. It can disable a lot of controversial Windows 7 services for example prefetch, net crawling, pagefile at shutdown and much more. To make Windows 7 a bit more secure it can disable services such as Telnet, often used for exploits, or prevent to show a computer name in your network, but it can also tweak a lot of Internet Explorer settings. For example, the tool can rename UPLDDRVINFO.HTMl or disable ActiveX.

Here is the complete list of things it can do for you. Just take a quick look:

General Tweaks

• Disable compressed folders
• Disable registration wizard control
• Disable error reporting
• Disable LMHash
• Disable WGA Notifications
• Disable Windows Script Hosts
• Disable Remote Assistance
• Disable Null Session Connections
• Disable File Association Web service
• Disable Net Crawling
• Hide computer name in networks
• Disable Infection Reporting
• Disable Media Sensing for TCP/IP
• Claim Windows as registered
• Disable prefetch
• Enable fast shutdown
• Delete pagefile at shutdown
• Delete most recently used history at shutdown
• Disable recent shares in Network places
• Disable showing last user
• Adjust for best performance of programs
• Increase system responsiveness
• Disable UAC
• Modify default RDP port
• Disable Microsoft SpyNet

Disable Windows 7 Services

• Disable Error-Reporting
• Disable Automatic Windows Updates
• Disable Windows Security Center
• Disable Windows Defender
• Disable Time Sync
• Disable Scheduled Task Service
• Disable Indexing Service
• Disable DCOM
• Disable Telnet
• Disable Universal Plug and Play
• Disable UPnP Discovery
• Disable Messenger Service
• Disable NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing
• Disable RPC Locator
• Disable Remote Registry Service
• Disable Firewall
• Enable IMAPI CD Burning
• Enable Windows Audio Service
• Enable Windows Image Acquisition Service
• Disable Apple Mobile Devices Service
• Disable iPod Service
• Disable Google Updater Service
• Disable Google Desktop SAC

Internet Explorer

• Disable Automatic Updates
• Disable Scheduled Updates
• Disable Error Reporting
• Disable Integrated Windows Authentication
• Increase Max Connections
• Open Popups in new tabs
• Rename UPLDDRVINFO.HTMl
• Delete Temporary files on exit
• Disable auto completion for web forms and passwords
• Disable Alexa logging
• Disable MSN search
• Disable Windows Live Search
• Disable ActiveX
• Disable Javascript
• Disable SSL 2.0
• Disable Phishing Filter
• Disable Search Assistant
• Disable 404 Search
• Disable Home Page
• Disable Prompt for Default Browser
• Disable Information Bar alert
• Uninstall IE7

Windows Media Player

• Disable Automatic License Acquisition
• Disable Automatic Usage Rights Download
• Disable Upgrade Message
• Don’t add Media to Library
• Disable Metadata Retrieval
• Disable Usage Tracking
• Don’t send Player ID to content providers
• Disable Automatic Updates
• Don’t save data in Most Recent Used
• Disable Automatic Codec Downloads
• Import music as MP3
• Disable DRM for imported music
• Allow Deinstalltion

Windows Messenger

• Uninstall Windows Messenger
• Remove Messenger from Outlook Express

Desktop Search

• Disable Windows desktop search
• Uninstall Windows desktop search

Windows 7 Usability

• Disable Balloon-Tips
• Disable Diskspace Warning
• Integrate command prompt into shell
• Enable command prompt completion
• Integrate Notepad into shell
• Disable AutoRun
• Disable Search Assistant
• Disable Desktop Cleanup Wizard
• Disable Task Grouping
• Use Classic Start Menu
• Use Classic Logon Window
• Disable Metro Start Menu
• Disable Shutdown Reason
• Show contents of barricade folders
• Show hidden files and folders
• Show extension for *LNK
• Show extension for .PIF
• Show extension for *.SCF
• Show extension for *.URL
• Display full path in the title bar
• Disable Thumbnail Caching
• Disable Start Exit Sounds
• Use Windows Classic Theme

Delete Files

• Delete Internet Explorer Shortcuts
• Delete Windows Mail Shortcut
• Delete Recycle Bin Shortcut
• Delete My Documents Shortcut
• Delete My Computer Shortcut
• Delete My Network Places Shortcut
• Delete Control Panel Shortcut
• Delete Windows Media Player Shortcut
• Delete Windows Movie Maker Shortcut
• Delete Windows DVD Maker Shortcut
• Delete Windows Photo Gallery Shortcut
• Delete Windows Live Messenger Download Shortcut
• Delete Windows Fax and Scan Shortcut
• Delete Windows Calendar Shortcut
• Delete Windows Contacts Shortcut
• Delete MSN Shortcut
• Delete Windows Messenger Shortcut
• Delete Windows Update Shortcut
• Delete Welcome Center Shortcut
• Delete Windows Media Center Shortcut
• Delete Windows Ultimate Extras Shortcut
• Delete Windows Meeting Space Shortcut
• Delete Windows Catalog Shortcut
• Delete Program Access Shortcut
• Delete Microsoft bookmarks
• Delete Sample Pictures
• Delete Sample Music
• Delete Sample Videos
• Delete Sample Playlists
• Delete Bitmaps
• Delete Prefetch directory
• Delete Update Cache

As you can see this is quite an extensive list. A lot of useful registry tweaks that we also recommended on our site e.g. to Increase Max Connections can be applied with a single click. Easy, huh?

Download

You can grab this tool over at http://code.google.com/p/xpy/downloads/detail?name=xpy-1.2.3-bin.zip

The author also has various other tools at his site http://xpy.whyeye.org/other-tools/