What services are safe to Disable

One can't forget Blackviper's contribution,unfortunately his site went down.I have no idea what exactly happened.
Anyway here is the list of services which you can safely disable in Windows XP Service Pack 2.

http://tinyurl.com/q3mrt

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When Workgroup is greyed out

The Problem:-
If the workgroup is greyed out in the my computer/change name section, is there any other way of changing it?

Resolution:-

Start>Run>LUSRMGR.MSC>OK.

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If You randomly get disconnected from wireless network

The Problem:-
After connecting to a wireless network, it disconnects randomly.

Resolution:-

1.Start>Control Panel>Network Connections.
2.Right click on the wireless connection.
3.Select Properties.
4.Select Authentication tab.
5. Clear the Enable IEEE 802.1X authentication for this network check box.
6. Press Apply, OK, and OK.
7.Restart.

If the above method doesn't help then recreate a fresh wireless network connection and update the driver.

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Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) Release Candidate 1 (RC1)

Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) Release Candidate 1 (RC1) has been designed to make everyday tasks easier, provide dynamic security protection and improve the development platform and manageability. End user improvements include a streamlined interface, tabbed browsing, printing advances, improved search functionality, instant feeds (RSS), dynamic security protection, and more.

Download:

Internet Explorer 7 Release Candidate 1 for Windows XP SP2 Release Notes

Download:

Internet Explorer 7 Release Candidate 1 for Windows Server 2003 SP1 IE7 RC 1 (Windows x64 Editions)

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Hibernate Fix for XP SP2

The Problem:-Machines with more than 1GB of RAM when trying to hibernate,the affected machines will display the message "Insufficient System Resources Exist to Complete the API"

Now here is a fix from Microsoft:-

Visit Microsoft's site (validation required).

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Desktop tab is missing under display properties

The Problem:-When you right-click an empty area of your desktop and press Properties, or use Control Panel / Display, the Destop tab is missing from the Display Properties dialog.

Resolution:-
Start > Run >regedit > OK

Now locate to the following location:-
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
Look in the right pane for a value called NoDispBackgroundPage. If it exists it should be set to 0 (zero).

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0X800B0109 Error during Windows Update

The Problem:-

When you visit Windows Update , you may receive one of the following error messages:

Digital Signatures are missing.
Page Cannot be Displayed.
The Page Requested Cannot be Displayed.Additionally, the %systemroot%\WindowsUpdate.log file may contain the following error message:
0x800B0109

Why does it happen?

It happens if Vx2 ZServ malware is there.

Resolution:-See the resolution as described in the following Microsoft KB Article:-
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;916260&sd=rss&spid=3223

Vx2 ZServ malware removal tool:-
Windows Defender (Beta 2)
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx

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Windows Live Messenger 8.0.0812

Windows Live Messenger goes beyond the traditional instant messaging (IM) service, enabling people to connect and share, with free PC-to-PC calls and inexpensive calls from a PC to phones around the world, video calling, easy sharing with Sharing Folders, and more. Windows Live Messenger features the following improvements: - Video Call - Windows Live Call with Verizon Web Calling service - Integration with Windows Live Messenger phones - Integration with Microsoft LifeCams - Shared Folders - Offline Instant Messaging - Windows Live Contacts - Integration with other Windows Live Services.

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4451.html

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NVIDIA Forceware 32 Bit (2K-XP) 91.45 Beta

Unified Driver Architecture (UDA) Delivers rock-solid forward and backward compatibility with software drivers. Simplifies upgrading to a new NVIDIA product or driver because all NVIDIA products work with the same driver software. Includes full support for PCI Express and AGP.

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download3294.html

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Windows Genuine Advantage does not validate a copy of Windows XP

SYMPTOMS

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The Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) validation process does not validate a copy of Microsoft Windows XP.


RESOLUTION
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To resolve this issue, follow these steps:

1.Start Microsoft Internet Explorer, and then visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/diag (http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/diag)

2.Click Start Diagnostics.Note If you receive a dialog box that asks whether you want to run this file or save this file, click Run.The WGA Diagnostic Tool analyzes the computer and lists the reasons why you cannot validate the copy of Windows XP. The WGA Diagnostic Tool may list some error messages.The most common problems are an invalid product key and a blocked volume license key. If the product key that is generated by the WGA Diagnostic Tool differs from the original product key, go to step 3. If this is not issue, see the "More Information" section to resolve the problem.

3.If the product key that is generated by WGA Diagnostic Tool differs from the original product key, you must change the product key back to the original product key. To change the product key, use the Windows Product Key Update Tool. To do this, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/purchase/UpdateInstructions.aspx (http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/purchase/UpdateInstructions.aspx)

4.Follow the instructions on the Web site, and then try to validate Windows XP again.


MORE INFORMATION
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This section lists explanations and resolutions for WGA error messages.
•
Error messages

0x80080200
Unsupported Operating System for WGA

Cause

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WGA cannot currently determine whether the operating system is genuine or not. However, you still can access the Windows Update and Microsoft Update Web sites.
•
Error messages
0x80080201
0x80080202
Cannot detect product ID (PID)

Invalid product IDCause The system is in a state that prevents WGA from accessing the product ID (PID).

Resolution

1.Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then press ENTER.

2.Type the following commands. Press ENTER after each command:
regsvr32 %windir%\system32\licdll.dllregsvr32 %windir%\system32\licwmi.dll

3.Check the value of the PID in the registry. To do this, follow these steps:

a. Start Registry Editor.

b. Locate and then right-click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProductId

c. Make sure that the product ID has a format that resembles the following:
12345-VER-1234567-12345

4.Restart the computer. If you still cannot validate Windows XP, you may have to reinstall the operating system.
•
Error messages
0x80080203
0x80080204
Internet Connection Problem
Service Unavailable

Cause

Computer settings may be preventing you from validating Windows XP.

Resolution

1.Start Internet Explorer, click Tools, and then click Internet Options.


2.Click the Security tab, and then click Customer Level.

3.Make sure that the related ActiveX control options are enabled.

4.If you have third-party firewall software installed, disable the firewall.


5.Make sure that the Date and Time settings for the computer are correct.

6.Validate Windows XP again.
•
Error messages

0x80080205
Insufficient PrivilegesCauseYou must use administrative credentials to continue with validation.

Resolution

1.Reactivate Windows XP by using administrative credentials.
2.Validate Windows XP by using administrative credentials.
•
Error messages
0x80080206
Internet settings do not allow the genuine ActiveX control to run properly, or user may not be the system administrator of the machineCause An ActiveX control is disabled.

Resolution
1.Start Internet Explorer, click Tools, and then click Internet Options.
2.Click the Security tab, and then click Customer Level.
3.Make sure that options are enabled for the ActiveX control that triggered the error message.
4.Validate Windows XP again.
•
Error messages
0x80080207
Expired Validation CodeCause You have typed a wrong validation code on the Microsoft Download Center validation page.

Resolution

1.Run the validation check again.
2.Enter the correct validation code.
3.Validate Windows XP again.
•
Error messages
0x80080209
Can’t Run Active XCause This problem may occur because antivirus software or firewall software is preventing ActiveX controls from running.

Resolution
1.Configure third-party antivirus or firewall software so that ActiveX controls are enabled.
2.Validate Windows XP again.
•
Error messages
0x80080211
User has chosen to exit the validation processCause You have exited the validation process.ResolutionRestart the validation process later.
•
Error messages
0x80080219
Windows Not ActivatedCause This copy of Windows is a retail copy or an OEM copy. Activation is required to continue.

Resolution
1.Activate Windows XP.
2.Validate Windows XP again.
•
Error messages
0x80080220
Invalid Product KeyCause This problem occurs because of a blocked volume license key. You may have installed Windows by using an invalid product key. The volume license key has been blocked by Microsoft because the key has been reported as stolen or leaked.

Resolution
1.Buy a new copy of Windows XP.
2.Reinstall and then validate the new copy of Windows XP.
•
Error messages
0x80080222
The product key associated with your copy of Windows was never issued by MicrosoftCause The product key that is installed on this system is not recorded. Therefore, this product key is probably generated by a program that produces unauthorized product keys.

Resolution
1.Buy a new copy of Windows XP.
2.Reinstall and then validate the new copy of Windows XP.


REFERENCES
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For more information about Windows XP, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://support.microsoft.com/ph/1173?FR=1 (http://support.microsoft.com/ph/1173)For more information about WGA, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/downloads/whyValidate.aspx (http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/downloads/whyValidate.aspx)For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
892130 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/892130/) Description of Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA)

See KB Aricle:-
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;916247

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