# A few random WinXP questions
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-few-random-winxp-questions/194043
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 9, 2003, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-few-random-winxp-questions/194043 "2003-08-09T16:30:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2003, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-few-random-winxp-questions/194043/1 "2003-08-09T16:30:50Z")
For the longest time I never bothered upgarding from Win98 to WinXP. Now I just got a new computer and its got WinXP Home on it. I really don’t like XP but I guess its about time I got used to it.
- Anyone know any good sites that describe how to properly secure a WinXP box? \* this is very important\*
- I know there was a dialogue box that allowed you to turn off all the fancy fading effects and other eye candy. I can’t find it though - where is it?
- Is there some way to turn off all those annoying notifications that pop up from the systray? I’m an experienced computer geek and these messages are just annoying, not helpful.
- Under “Computer Management” -\> “Services and Applications” -\> “Services” there are a million things running. Can anyone (or any site) list off all the services that can be disabled? I hate wasting extraneous CPU cycles (plus I bet there’s security issues with some of them).
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### Author:  [@Antimanics](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antimanics)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2003, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-few-random-winxp-questions/194043/2 "2003-08-09T16:38:16Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Trigonal Planar \*
> **- I know there was a dialogue box that allowed you to turn off all the fancy fading effects and other eye candy. I can’t find it though - where is it?**
[list=1]
[li]Right-click “My Computer”[/li][li]Select “Properties”[/li][li]Go to the “Advanced” tab[/li][li]Select “Settings” under the “Performance” section[/li][li]Disable to taste[/li][/list=1]
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### Author:  [@Read\_Neck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Read_Neck)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2003, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-few-random-winxp-questions/194043/3 "2003-08-09T16:42:18Z")
Try [www.blackviper.com](http://www.blackviper.com) to turn off unneeded services. [www.grc.com](http://www.grc.com) to help secure it and get a real firewall. (I’m a Sygate fan)
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### Author:  [@Daizy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daizy)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2003, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-few-random-winxp-questions/194043/4 "2003-08-09T16:49:27Z")
[Black Viper](http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm) is the site that you’ll find all you need to know about those services.
Are you wanting to disable the [balloon tips?](http://www.mike-tech.com/article.php?gif=winxp&article=179)
Lastly…turn off XP’s firewall…it’s pretty much useless…and instead use Zonealarm or Outpost.
Hope that helps.
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### Author:  [@Daizy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daizy)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2003, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-few-random-winxp-questions/194043/5 "2003-08-09T16:50:54Z")
Opps sorry **Read\_Neck** I should have previewed first. 😛
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### Author:  [@Read\_Neck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Read_Neck)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2003, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-few-random-winxp-questions/194043/6 "2003-08-09T20:14:57Z")
Thanks for the mike-tech link. There’s some real goodies on his site.
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### Author:  [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2003, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-few-random-winxp-questions/194043/7 "2003-08-09T20:41:56Z")
Under accessories is a ‘Tour windows XP’
Also start:H brings up the manual & its huge.
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### Author:  [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2003, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-few-random-winxp-questions/194043/8 "2003-08-09T20:48:46Z")
Under accessories is a ‘Tour windows XP’
Also start:H brings up the manual & its huge.
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### Author:  [@Rex\_Fenestrarum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rex_Fenestrarum)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2003, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-few-random-winxp-questions/194043/9 "2003-08-10T00:53:34Z")
Oh jeez - not the Black Viper guy again… He used to post at Ars Technica before we ran him out. Honestly, if you have to ask the question, maybe disabling a bunch of services isn’t for you.
To secure XP though, I recommend the FREE guides from the NSA:
[http://www.nsa.gov/snac/](http://www.nsa.gov/snac/)
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### Author:  [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2003, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-few-random-winxp-questions/194043/10 "2003-08-10T02:50:28Z")
I’m a Mac person and I’ve played more with Win2K Server than XP, but I’m pretty sure that each service, if you right-click it and get info on it, will list other services that are dependent on it (and also those on which it, itself depends).
You can disable an astonishing number of the blasted things. I seem to recall there is one that starts with “RCP” that you really really don’t want to mess with, but not many others that would hurt you so bad you couldn’t go back and switch them back on.