Pocket‑lint’s short, practical list of five Windows 11 services and features the author disabled to eke out a measurable performance boost captures a classic, effective approach: stop what you don’t use, reclaim CPU/RAM/network cycles, and keep the system focused on tasks that matter. The selections — Connected User Experiences and Telemetry, Remote Desktop Services, Windows Update Delivery Optimization, the Xbox app, and Microsoft’s growing set of on‑device AI features (Copilot / Recall) — are sensible candidates for many home users and enthusiasts who want a quieter, faster machine right away.
Windows 11 ships with dozens of background services and companion apps enabled by default. Microsoft designs defaults to work across a broad range of hardware and user scenarios, but that one‑size‑fits‑all approach results in background CPU, disk I/O, network use, and memory allocations that can be trimmed on machines where particular features are unnecessary. The Pocket‑lint approach is pragmatic: identify features you never use (or use rarely), disable them, measure the effect, and keep changes reversible.
This article expands that practical list into a robust, verified how‑to and risk assessment. For each service I summarize what it does, why disabling it can improve perceived performance, how to disable it safely, the likely benefits, and the trade‑offs — all cross‑checked against Microsoft’s documentation and independent reporting where possible.
Recommended first‑hour checklist (one‑page actionable):
Source: Pocket-lint 5 Windows 11 services I disabled to give my PC a performance boost
Background / Overview
Windows 11 ships with dozens of background services and companion apps enabled by default. Microsoft designs defaults to work across a broad range of hardware and user scenarios, but that one‑size‑fits‑all approach results in background CPU, disk I/O, network use, and memory allocations that can be trimmed on machines where particular features are unnecessary. The Pocket‑lint approach is pragmatic: identify features you never use (or use rarely), disable them, measure the effect, and keep changes reversible.This article expands that practical list into a robust, verified how‑to and risk assessment. For each service I summarize what it does, why disabling it can improve perceived performance, how to disable it safely, the likely benefits, and the trade‑offs — all cross‑checked against Microsoft’s documentation and independent reporting where possible.
Connected User Experiences and Telemetry (DiagTrack)
What it is and why it matters
Connected User Experiences and Telemetry, commonly shown as the service named DiagTrack (service name: DiagTrack), performs event‑driven collection of diagnostic and usage information to help Microsoft improve Windows. That includes crash reports, usage telemetry and other diagnostic artifacts. On resource‑constrained PCs, telemetry tasks and ancillary scheduled jobs can produce small but noticeable background CPU and disk activity.How disabling helps
Turning off the telemetry collector reduces background metadata and upload activity and can stop periodic disk churn tied to diagnostic collection. For older laptops, low‑RAM systems, or machines with mechanical storage, those savings are most visible.How to disable safely
- Services app: Win + R → services.msc → find Connected User Experiences and Telemetry → Stop → set Startup type to Disabled.
- Privacy settings: Settings → Privacy & Security → Diagnostics & feedback → disable optional diagnostic data and choose Delete diagnostic data to clear local cache.
- For admins: Group Policy (Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Windows Components → Data Collection) offers managed controls for telemetry levels.
Risks and caveats
- Disabling diagnostic collection removes data that Microsoft support and some third‑party troubleshooting tools use to diagnose hard‑to‑reproduce crashes.
- Major feature updates or servicing can re‑enable telemetry services; re‑check after feature upgrades.
- Aggressively applying registry or third‑party “telemetry removal” hacks increases the risk of upgrade or stability issues; prefer supported Settings/Group Policy methods.
Remote Desktop Services (TermService / Remote Desktop)
What it is
Remote Desktop Services (the TermService family of services) supports remote GUI sessions, Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connections, and related remote features. If you never connect to this PC remotely, the service only contributes idle background overhead.Why disable it
Stopping the service removes a rarely used listener and associated background components, tightening attack surface and shaving minor memory/CPU use. For home users who only briefly use Remote Desktop once or twice a year, the service can be safely stopped and re‑enabled on demand.How to disable and re‑enable
- Services: Win + R → services.msc → Remote Desktop Services → Stop → Startup type = Disabled. Re‑enable by setting Startup type to Manual/Automatic and clicking Start when needed.
- Alternative: Use Settings → System → Remote Desktop toggle to control RDP availability (this primarily adjusts the feature, not all term services).
Risks
- If you use features that rely on RDP‑adjacent functionality (certain virtualization, management, or remote assistance tools), disabling may break them.
- On enterprise‑managed systems, policies may re‑enable or require the service.
Windows Update Delivery Optimization (DoSvc)
What Delivery Optimization actually does
Delivery Optimization (service often referenced as DoSvc) is a peer‑to‑peer update distribution system. It breaks updates into chunks and can download parts from other PCs on your local network or the Internet — and can upload cached chunks your PC has already downloaded to help other PCs. This can conserve total WAN bandwidth for multi‑device households or enterprise networks but also results in background upload activity and local disk caching. Microsoft explicitly documents the upload/download behavior and provides user controls.Why disable it
If you have a single PC at home or you don’t want your machine uploading update parts to other devices (and potentially consuming upstream bandwidth), turn Delivery Optimization off. Disabling it prevents your PC from acting as a P2P source and prevents it from fetching update parts from external peers.How to disable
- Settings → Windows Update → Advanced options → Delivery Optimization → toggle Allow downloads from other PCs to Off.
- For administrators, Group Policy or MDM controls can force Delivery Optimization behavior across a fleet.
What you’ll gain
- Reduced background upload bandwidth (helpful on capped or slow upstream links).
- Fewer background disk caches for update chunks.
- Slight reduction in network‑bound CPU spikes associated with DO’s peer discovery and transfers.
Cross‑checks and how‑tos
Microsoft’s support article explains controls and safety: you can restrict peers to “PCs on my local network” or disable altogether; How‑To‑Geek and Microsoft Learn provide step‑by‑step toggles and registry/group‑policy alternatives for more advanced control.Uninstalling the Xbox app
Why remove it
The Xbox app (and related Microsoft Store gaming components) often maintain background processes and auto‑start behaviors that consume some RAM. If you don’t use Xbox services, uninstalling the app eliminates those background processes and reduces tray‑icon clutter. Pocket‑lint notes the Xbox app’s background presence as one reason to remove it during a clean‑up.How to remove it
- Settings → Apps → Installed apps → find Xbox → Uninstall (works when the app is a user‑installable package).
- If uninstall via Settings is unavailable or greyed out, use PowerShell as Administrator:
- Get the package name: Get‑AppxPackage xbox | Select Name, PackageFullName
- Remove it: Remove‑AppxPackage -Package <PackageFullName>
- To remove for all users: Get‑AppxPackage -AllUsers xbox | Remove‑AppxPackage
Risks and caveats
- Removing UWP apps can be reversed by reinstalling from the Microsoft Store.
- Some Xbox components are tightly integrated with Game Pass or other Microsoft gaming services and may be reinstalled or reactivated by system updates or Store behaviors.
- This is low‑risk for single‑user home PCs but should be coordinated on managed devices.
Turning off the AI: Copilot, Recall, and third‑party tools like Flyoobe
Why this is more than a “performance” tweak
Microsoft has integrated AI across the Windows 11 experience via Copilot and new features like Recall, which can run on‑device, use neural accelerators, and keep local snapshots. These features add background components, services, and local models that consume storage, memory, and occasionally CPU/NPU time — especially during initial indexing, model downloads, or snapshot capture. Pocket‑lint’s recommendation to disable AI features is both a privacy and a performance play.What Recall does and system requirements
Recall is a Copilot‑adjacent Windows feature that can save encrypted snapshots of your screen for on‑device search and retrieval. It is not enabled by default on Copilot+ PCs; enabling Recall requires meeting specific hardware and security requirements (Copilot+ PC, Secured‑core, NPU/40 TOPS or specified NPU performance, Windows Hello ESS, storage free space thresholds, etc.). Microsoft states snapshots are stored locally and processed on‑device. The feature requires substantial storage and specific hardware; it is optional and gated at setup or via Settings.How to disable Copilot and Recall
- Copilot: If present, you can uninstall or hide the Copilot app; Microsoft has had builds that accidentally uninstalled Copilot for some users, but generally Copilot can be reinstalled from the Microsoft Store if needed. For strict removal, uninstall via Settings or PowerShell (appx removal) and verify taskbar and startup entries.
- Recall: Settings → Privacy & Security → Recall & Snapshots → turn Save snapshots Off. Recall only saves snapshots after explicit consent; ensuring it’s not enabled avoids the background snapshot process.
About Flyoobe (third‑party tool)
Pocket‑lint recommends Flyoobe (a community GitHub project originally focused on Windows 11 setup and debloating) as a quick way to toggle off multiple Microsoft AI features in one place. Flyoobe is an open‑source project on GitHub that provides a Windows setup assistant, OOBE customizations, and “debloat” / tweak options — including toggles that script the disabling of Copilot/Recall components. The project is actively maintained and widely used by enthusiasts, but it is a third‑party tool and not an official Microsoft utility.Verifying Flyoobe’s claims and safety (important)
- Flyoobe’s README and releases show the tool can alter setup choices and run scripts to disable or remove certain optional components. That said, its actions are only as safe as the scripts it runs and the user’s threat model. Third‑party debloat tools can remove optional elements cleanly on many machines, but they may also:
- Break upgrade paths or supported servicing if they remove packages Microsoft expects to be present.
- Interact poorly with future feature updates, causing reinstall loops or broken features.
- Be flagged by enterprise management for unsupported changes on corporate devices.
Privacy and security considerations for Recall/Copilot
Recall’s design emphasizes local processing and storage, with Microsoft documenting that snapshots are not uploaded by default and require authentication to access. Still, independent privacy experts and regulators raised early concerns about unintentional capture of sensitive content (credentials, financial data, ephemeral private messages), which led Microsoft to pause and refine the feature before wider rollouts. If privacy or potential leakage of sensitive content is a concern, keep Recall disabled until you trust the device’s local encryption and access controls.Safe process: how to prune services without breaking the system
- Document current state
- Export current service list: Get‑Service | Export‑CSV services‑before.csv
- Create a system restore point or full disk image (recommended).
- Make one change at a time
- Disable one service or app and run your normal tasks for 48–72 hours to spot regressions.
- Measure objectively
- Use Task Manager, Resource Monitor, or Performance Monitor to compare baseline and post‑change CPU, disk I/O, and memory footprints.
- Track boot time via the Event Viewer Diagnostics‑Performance → Event ID 100.
- Keep rollback commands ready
- sc config DiagTrack start= auto && sc start DiagTrack
- Set‑Service -Name "DoSvc" -StartupType Automatic; Start‑Service -Name "DoSvc"
- PowerShell to reinstall UWP apps: Get‑AppxPackage -AllUsers xbox | Foreach {Add‑AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}
- For managed fleets
- Use Group Policy, MDM, or administrative templates; don’t use ad‑hoc third‑party scripts without testing on a pilot group.
Quick reference commands and UI paths
- Connected User Experiences and Telemetry (disable): Win + R → services.msc → Connected User Experiences and Telemetry → Stop → Startup type = Disabled. Or: sc config DiagTrack start= disabled; sc stop DiagTrack.
- Delivery Optimization (UI): Settings → Windows Update → Advanced options → Delivery Optimization → Allow downloads from other PCs = Off.
- Uninstall Xbox app (PowerShell): Get‑AppxPackage xbox | Remove‑AppxPackage (or Get‑AppxPackage -AllUsers xbox | Remove‑AppxPackage).
- Disable Recall: Settings → Privacy & Security → Recall & Snapshots → Save snapshots = Off.
Final analysis: expected wins and realistic limits
- Biggest, most reliable wins: disabling network‑heavy background features (Delivery Optimization when you don’t need P2P uploads) and trimming startup/UWP baggage like unused game/store apps. These reduce network and memory churn immediately.
- Moderate wins: removing telemetry and diagnostic services can reduce background I/O and periodic CPU spikes on older hardware; expect modest, not miraculous, improvements. These wins are most visible on machines with HDDs, ≤8 GB RAM, or older CPUs.
- Minimal or mixed wins: disabling services like SysMain (Superfetch) or other caching services yields variable results depending on SSD vs HDD and workload; test before committing.
- Non‑technical benefit: privacy. Disabling telemetry and AI snapshot features reduces the volume of potentially sensitive data stored or transmitted, giving users more control over their data flow.
Conclusion and recommendation
Pocket‑lint’s five choices are a practical, low‑friction starting point for anyone who wants to reclaim resources and quiet their Windows 11 machine quickly. The sensible, reversible pattern is: identify unused features, disable via Settings or Services (not via opaque registry hacks), measure impact, and keep a tested rollback. For enthusiasts, community tools like Flyoobe can speed bulk toggles, but they are third‑party: read the code, test first, and prefer official policy surfaces for managed deployments. When privacy is a concern, disable optional telemetry and AI snapshotting (Recall) until you’re comfortable with the device‑level protections and the feature’s behavior on your hardware.Recommended first‑hour checklist (one‑page actionable):
- Create a restore point or full image.
- Disable Delivery Optimization via Settings.
- Stop and disable Connected User Experiences and Telemetry (DiagTrack) if you want minimal diagnostic uploads. Test for 48 hours.
- Uninstall Xbox if unused; disable other startup apps.
- Verify Copilot/Recall settings and leave Recall off unless you meet the hardware/security requirements and are comfortable with local snapshots.
Source: Pocket-lint 5 Windows 11 services I disabled to give my PC a performance boost
