What are these new Settings (Scheduled Tasks)

[AsadAlrafidain]

Can Someone please explain to me what these are...I recognize some of them but the rest I don't know

 

[garlin]

Right after OOBE, Windows Update will run several tasks in the background to install optional MS apps. These apps are from other MS divisions, which means they're not included in the install image, and must be downloaded.

To prevent the app's installation, delete the task. Some apps or updates are more easily identified:

- install DevHome App​

- install Edge Updater (which force installs Edge if you've removed it from the image)​

- update any installed Language Experience Packs (LXP), not to be confused with normal Language Packs​

- install new Outlook client​

I would only change the three you have selected (DevHome, EdgeUpdate, OutlookUpdate). The other tasks are for Windows overhead.

 

[AsadAlrafidain]

Right after OOBE, Windows Update will run several tasks in the background to install optional MS apps. These apps are from other MS divisions, which means they're not included in the install image, and must be downloaded.

To prevent the app's installation, delete the task. Some apps or updates are more easily identified:

- install DevHome App​

- install Edge Updater (which force installs Edge if you've removed it from the image)​

- update any installed Language Experience Packs (LXP), not to be confused with normal Language Packs​

- install new Outlook client​

I would only change the three you have selected (DevHome, EdgeUpdate, OutlookUpdate). The other tasks are for Windows overhead.

Thanks....but wouldn't it be better if I delete all of them? I'm trying to build a system focused on pure gaming

 

[Clanger]

AsadAlrafidain Try it and find out the the best and quickest way. One task is related ctfmon, disable and no typing into windows settings boxes. You might end up having to manually disable some post setup which isnt a problem.
You could also do the same with autologgers and event logs.

You are always better off bareboning services tasks autologgers event logs and gawd knows what else post setup after all your software and drivers are installed.

 

[AsadAlrafidain]

AsadAlrafidain Try it and find out the the best and quickest way. One task is related ctfmon, disable and no typing into windows settings boxes. You might end up having to manually disable some post setup which isnt a problem.
You could also do the same with autologgers and event logs.

You are always better off bareboning services tasks autologgers event logs and gawd knows what else post setup after all your software and drivers are installed.

Thanks

 

[AsadAlrafidain]

any update on these ? what should we disable (PC targeted for gaming)

 

[garlin]

CrossDevice is Cross Device Experience Host, or the new replacement for Phone Link (Android devices).
PCManager is the optional PC Manager tool for cleaning up Windows. Poor man's CCleaner.

Some users are saying Cross Device Experience causes weird performance issues running in the background. That might get fixed in the future.

 

[kosmo]

CrossDevice is Cross Device Experience Host, or the new replacement for Phone Link (Android devices).
PCManager is the optional PC Manager tool for cleaning up Windows. Poor man's CCleaner.

garlin i've been searching high & low for any useful info on both Scheduled Tasks & Services in W10 without any luck. There's lots of "Point 'n Drool" sites that explain how to open Task Scheduler and click on random tasks but so far I haven't found any site that offers the info necessary for me to figure out if it's likely to be either wise or safe to disable to delete any of these programs that run undercover.

Can you recommend any sites that discuss the actual function of either Tasks or Services in semi-Plain English?

 

[Clang2]

Try here, looks very detailed.

 

[kosmo]

Try here, looks very detailed.

Thanks - that looks like a good discussion of how Task Scheduler actually works and I will read it all.

But what i'm looking for is an explanation of what each task actually does - as opposed to the deliberately vague & abstract description that M$ provides. Info that would allow me to make a semi-intelligent decision as to whether to delete, disable or leave a particular task (or service) alone.

 

[Clang2]

that place doesnt go the whole hog but its something. there seems to be no detailed explanations out there :/
we could probably do with a detailed tasks section here but i dont envy the poor schmoe who would probably end up compiling it.

 

[garlin]

There's no comprehensive (or broad) list of every Windows scheduled task and their actual functions. Some are widely known, but most are undocumented. Just because you can find them in Task Scheduler, doesn't provide any answers to their true role.

For example, some call up a DLL with arguments. Whatever function they're running is buried inside a multi-purpose DLL.

Services are much better explained, with sites like BATCMD.
https://batcmd.com/windows/11/services/

Individual services can be changed to Manual start type (disabled), in Services.msc. You can experiment by changing different ones, rebooting and seeing if anything's broken. The simpler answer is just remove Windows components you don't need, then all Services which belong to that component will no longer exist for you.

 

[kosmo]

Thanks, again, garlin for your comments

Services are much better explained

I found 2 other sites (here) & (here) as well for services and the 2nd one is slightly more useful, I think, than BATCMD. But they all fail to offer the info that we actually need in order to make informed decisions. IE: what do these processes actually do and what other processes depend on them.

There's lots of advice available on the various forums about what Services & Scheduled tasks are "safe" to delete or disable but there's a fundamental problem with such advice: Someone you, at best, "know" only by their forum reputation is advising you what to discard from your computer is only potentially useful if your computer hardware, software and usage is exactly the same as his. The odds of that being true are a zillion to one. Sharing Service, Scheduled Task and, I would add, NTL preset files is like borrowing your neighbor's pants - it's not likely to be a good fit.

So we're left with deciding what our own individual "budget" is in terms of time, energy and aversion to catastrophic failure before we choose what kind of risks to take in our experiments. IE: i've just spent 2 intense weeks adapting my NTL modded ver of LTSC-21 to my new (ok- 5 yr old), very fast computer and adapting my regular programs to W10. It's working really well now with no quirks that i've found yet. And, yes, I wish I knew enough to have slimmed the OS install size to less than it's current 9.5gb. And the knowledge that dozens (or more) processes are running in the background that are completely unnecessary drive me a bit crazy but, it this point i'm forcing myself to be really conservative in "weeding the garden" and make backups for every bit of pruning I do. It's not that i'm afraid of a catastrophic failure - which I can fix by restoring the last image backup - but of ending up with a subtle system quirk that's impossible for me to pin down or trace back to some file I probably shouldn't have deleted. In other words i've just about reached the point where I declare this project a success and go out and weed the garden instead.

 

[Clang2]

i build stuff for my needs and i tell users to cherry pick and adapt to their needs as i do when i cherry pick and adapt other peoples stuff to my needs. testing to destruction is the way to do it, ive bricked more test installs than i can remember.
these days i just trim the fat and tweak the living daylights out of the rest, its a good compromise that gives me acceptable results.

 

[Clang2]

I wish I knew enough to have slimmed the OS install size to less than it's current 9.5gb

i need to build a new en-gb ltsc 2021 updated sysprepped+captured image, will list what where and how on the weekend-10/11th. need to swat up/refresh on a few things first. under 9.5GB is easy.

 

[garlin]

MS docs on disabling Services:

Guidance on disabling system services on Windows IoT Enterprise​

Guidance on disabling system services on Windows Server 2016 with Desktop Experience​

Per-user services in Windows​

 

[kosmo]

will list what where and how

Thank you very much!

 

[kosmo]

MS docs on disabling Services

Wow! These are gold! I'm in your debt!

One of the advantages of using a "Enterprise" ver of the OS is that in the literature for the Enterprise customers is written for grownups! Look at this list of services where they're actually acknowledging we may be acting wisely, depending on our individual circumstances, in disabling some of them. Now try to imagine them doing the same thing with a retail W11 Pro customer. (Admittedly, for good reasons)

Even so this list has to be taken in the context of their assumptions. IE: I think it's clear that they automatically assume IoT LTSC customers will be connected to a network much more involved than the one I have at home to connect my desktop machine to my laptop. But the descriptions of what each service does are much more thorough than the snippets shown in the system services window on your computer.

If you ever prune your services then you'll want to bookmark that page for future reference.

 

[Clang2]

LTSC 1809 minimal services (and a comparison with windows 7).
not everyone can go that low it shows what is possible and that 10 can be brought close to w7's level of resources use.

edit - there are a number of windows service tools out there and Sordums Easy Service Optimizer includes 3 templates(based on Black Vipers work) that you can apply on a running system or export as a reg file.
Autoruns has a services section aswell as being a great all round tweak tool.

LTSC-21 to my new (ok- 5 yr old), very fast computer

ltsc 1809 is running very well on my intel 8/9th gen pentium gold 2c/4t(crippled to 2c/2t) and an older crucial nvme drive with a number of xp era programs running well without any need for Compatibility Mode. here.

 

[kosmo]

LTSC 1809 minimal services

Thanks for the link to Clanger's list. I think Clanger & I are on opposite ends of the risk spectrum but the list - and especially the followup comments afterward explaining why some of those choices won't work for may people - are very useful.