Disabling these 3 hidden Windows settings made my PC instantly faster: Here’s how

When we think about what makes a computer feel fast, we usually focus on hardware upgrades, storage space, or cleaning up unused apps. What many people do not realise is that Windows itself runs dozens of background services that quietly consume system resources. Most of them are designed to support a wide range of users, from home users and students to large corporations and government organisations. That means your PC may be running features you have never used and probably never will. Curious about what was happening behind the scenes on my own computer, I reviewed several Windows services and found four that served no purpose in my daily workflow. I disabled all of them, and my Windows device suddenly felt so much faster. Here are the settings I turned off, and you can too.

Why I started looking at Windows services

Windows is built to work for millions of people with different needs. Some users connect to office networks, others manage large groups of devices, and some rely on specialised hardware to do their jobs. Microsoft includes many services that start automatically when Windows boots to support various scenarios. The problem is that not every feature is useful for every user.

When I checked the list of services running on my PC, I found several that had been active for years despite never being used. Rather than blindly disabling them, I took a cautious approach. I checked what each service did, disabled it, restarted my computer, and used the system normally for a few days. If nothing broke, I left the service disabled.

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1. Print Spooler: A service for printers I never use

The first service I disabled was the Print Spooler. The feature has a simple job: whenever you send a document, photo, or webpage to a printer, it manages that request and sends it to the printer. This service is essential because printing remains a regular part of daily work, especially in offices, schools, and other workplaces.

However, in my case, the printing is almost nonexistent, as most of the documents are shared digitally and are stored in the cloud or viewed on a screen. That made me wonder why a printing service was always running in the background. Hence, I decided to just disable it.

But just to be clear, disabling it did not suddenly transform my PC into a speed machine, as while the service was unnecessary in my case, it is fair to say that it does not consume a huge amount of system resources.

Furthermore, way back in 2021 the scammers were using the feature to take over your Windows device. Although Microsoft fixed the vulnerability, it showed how much access a service like Print Spooler has within Windows. So, if you never print anything, disabling the Print Spooler may be a reasonable option. Also keep in mind once disabled, you’ll not be able to print anything unless you enable the feature again.

To disable the Print Spooler service, I pressed Windows + R and typed ‘services’. MSc and pressed Enter. Under the ‘Services’ tab, I discovered ‘Print Spooler’, which I opened. I do not have a printer on my computer system, so I chose ‘Stop’ and set the startup type as ‘Disabled’. After restarting, I checked that the system worked normally without the Print Spooler service running.

2. Smart Card: Enterprise features on a home PC

The second service I found that was not useful for me was the Smart Card. It enables Windows to interact with the physical smart card used in identity and secure logins. It is common to see these systems in government institutions, military organisations, healthcare institutions, and big companies.

As in such institutions, an employee can use a card or badge to gain access to computers, networks, or secure systems.

Hence, this functionality is important for the enterprise users. However, for a typical home user, it is often irrelevant. Moreover, when I looked at my own usage, neither I nor anyone from my family connected any kind of smart card reader on my Windows device. Hence, I decided to disable it, and to do so, I pressed Windows + R and typed ‘services’. MSc, and pressed Enter.

In the Services window, I found the Smart Card option and opened it. Since I wasn’t using any smart card device, I stopped the service, changed the startup type to disabled, and clicked Apply and OK. After restarting my PC, everything worked normally without the service running in the background.

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3. Windows Search: The only service I was unsure about

Aside from the abovementioned, I also disabled the Windows Search feature on my device. Unlike the other services on this list, Windows Search serves a purpose that almost everyone uses. The feature is a lifesaver when you have to search for files, folders, and other data which are indexed just to open them instantly.

However, after a careful review and reading about it, I found that while the feature is useful, the indexing consumes resources, as it requires scanning of files on a regular basis, which may lead to increased disc usage, memory usage, and CPU usage.

Moreover, I also had another issue with Windows Search, as even when the indexing was enabled, I often found the search experience inconsistent. Sometimes it worked perfectly while at other times it struggled to find files that I knew existed.

While I do agree that the feature is highly relevant for certain communities like students, businesses, remote workers, developers, IT administrators, government agencies, and many others, even when it’s inconsistent, I still decided to turn it off, and to do so, I pressed Windows + R and typed ‘services’. MSc, and pressed Enter.

In the Services window, I found Windows Search, opened it, clicked ‘Stop’, and set the startup type to ‘Disabled’. After clicking Apply and OK, I restarted my PC. Windows Search stayed disabled, and my alternative search tool worked normally.

Should you follow me?

I wouldn’t suggest disabling all of the services that I disabled on my Windows device, since the configuration of each computer is unique, and some of them can be valuable depending on the usage of Windows by a particular user.

However, even if you try to tweak only one or two parameters discussed above, the likelihood is high that you will see the results. Try making the changes that suit you most and test their efficiency, as the outcome might surprise you.