Windows Features - Turn On or Off

How to Turn Windows 7 Features On or Off​

   Information

Some programs and features included with Windows 7 must be turned on before you can use them. Certain other features are turned on by default. This will show you how to turn the features you select on or off.

   Note

New Windows Features to Turn On or Off in Windows 7:

• Games - Internet Games
• Internet Explorer 9
• Internet Information Services - FTP Server
• Internet Information Services Hostable Web Core
• Media Features
• Microsoft .NET Framework 3.51
• Services for NFS (Network File System)
• Subsystem for UNIX-based Applications
• TIFF IFilter
• Windows Gadget Platform
• Windows Search
• XPS Services
• XPS Viewer

   Tip

• A blue box indicates that you have the main feature selected and turned on, but not all of the subfeatures under the expanded main feature are checked.
• If the box is checked for the main feature, then it means that all of the subfeatures under the expanded main feature are checked and turned on as well.

If Windows Features is empty, then see:

The "Windows Features" dialog box is empty in Windows 7 or Windows Vista, or you receive an error message that includes the following code when you try to use Windows Update: "0x80073712"

   Warning

Turning off a feature does not uninstall the feature, and it does not reduce the amount of hard disk space used by the Windows 7 feature. The features remain stored on your hard disk so you can turn them back on if you want to later.

Here's How:
1. Do step 2 or 3 below.

2. Open the Start Menu, type Windows Features in the search box, and press Enter.
A) Go to step 4.
OR

3. Open the Control Panel (icons view), and click on the Programs and Features icon.
A) In the left pane, click on the Turn Windows features on or off link. (See screenshot below)

B) Go to step 4.
4. If prompted by UAC, click on Yes to approve.

5. If open, you can close the Programs and Features window now. (See screenshot above)

6. To Turn On a Windows Feature
A) Check the selected feature. (See screenshots below step 8)
NOTE: Some Windows features are grouped together in folders, and some folders contain subfolders with additional features. If a check box is partially checked or is dimmed, then some of the items inside the folder are turned on and some are turned off. To expand and view the contents of a folder, double-click it. Hovering the mouse pointer over a folder will give you a pop-up desciption of the feature.
7. To Turn Off a Windows Feature
A) Uncheck the selected feature. (See screenshots below step 8)
8. When done, click on OK. (See screenshots below)
NOTE: These are the default settings in Windows Features.

9. After turning on or off a feature, you may be prompted to restart the computer.
That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Enable or Disable "Windows Features" in Windows 7
• How to Create a Windows Features Shortcut in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Turn Windows 7 Search On or Off
• How to Turn Windows Defender On or Off in Windows 7
• How to Uninstall a Windows Update in Windows 7
• How to Uninstall or Change a Program in Windows 7
• How to Enable or Disable Problem Steps Recorder in Windows 7
• How to Uninstall Internet Explorer 9
• How to Install or Uninstall Internet Explorer 10 (IE10) in Windows 7
• How to Uninstall IE11 in Windows 7 to Restore Previous Version of Internet Explorer

 

[adgower]

Thanks! I was looking for something like this! Works great!

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Adgower.

 

[Lucretius]

Goodbye Internet Explorer 8 and Goodbye Tablet PC Components!

 

[isaaclopez]

Somethings wrong with mine....It says loading and then the box turns white but nothing is in it. I am running Ultimate 32-Bit

 

[Brink]

Hello Isaac,

See if the suggestions in the link in the yellow tip box at the top of the tutorial may be able to help fix it for you.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[isaaclopez]

But here's the thing there is no error..And I just tried the scan and it said nothing was found...Will I have to reinput my key if I repair...It seems I have lost it.

 

[Brink]

Isaac,

No, you will not lose anything doing a repair install to fix this.

 

[jacksparrow]

Hi,
Is it safe to turn off all the features? Will it increase my computer's performance in any way?

Thanks.
--
Incredible India

 

[Brink]

Hello Jacksparrow, and welcome to Seven Forums.

No. It would not be safe to turn off all of the features. You would only want to turn off the ones that you do not use. If you are not sure, then it's best to leave them at default to avoid turning a feature off that you may not know that you needed.

You will not gain any hard drive space by turning off a feature, but you may gain a very slight increase in performance by not having features, that may run in the background as a process, that you do not use.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Paultx]

The MS fix for Windows features empty box didn't work for me, but I found a working solution here. Hope this helps someone else.

 

[hondadogie]

Features explanations

What I have been seeking all night is a good description of the features...I know you can mouse-over them and get the pop-up description, however I find the pop-up description fairly vauge and at times, uses terms that I do not know the meaning of...is there a way to put them back to default if they are messed around with??

 

[Brink]

Hello Hondadogie, and welcome to Seven Forums.

I find that doing a Google search with the Windows Feature in quotes gives you the best results on finding out more details about it.

Unfortunately you can only manually change the settings back to default. The screenshots under step 7 in the tutorial are the default settings in Windows Features to help.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[viruzth]

I have ms. office 2010 that including XPS fuction. (i dont even know what is XPS)

If i uninstall XPS feature on seven, will it has effect on my ms. office XPS?

Thanx before.

 

[Brink]

Hello Viruzth,

This can help tell you more about XPS files.

Open XML Paper Specification - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I would recommend to leave the XPS options in Windows Features checked and turned on in case you need it. You will not save any hard drive space by unchecking them.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[drugo]

wow
another super guide!!!
but

7. When done, click on OK. (See screenshots below)
NOTE: These are the default settings in Windows Features.

the default are only in the screenshot
is there not a feature in w7 to restore default?

 

[Brink]

Hello Drugo,

Nope. Only manually setting them back to default.

 

[drugo]

Hello Drugo,

Nope. Only manually setting them back to default.

i could be not exported , i mean with the regkey?:sarc:

thanks for the super tutorial

 

[Brink]

Drugo,

Yes, but not easily at all. You would have to use the registry settings added by Group Policy to turn them on or off. It's just to much to squeeze into one tutorial. This is the main reason why I included screenshots for the default settings.

.....but for the basics:

You could search through the existing Tutorials for the "How to Turn On and Off......." tutorials for a feature you want turned on or off to have the REG files for it.

Otherwise, you could go through Group Policy under "Windows Components" to turn a feature on or off.

 

[Hopalong X]

Brink

Indexing Service.
Do you know if it is to be checked or unchecked?
Mine is unchecked always has been as far as I know but I'm unsure what it does. Something to do with Windows Explorer I'm guessing?
Couldn't find any info here on the forum though it may be here.

If your not sure that is okay.
I'll do some looking around MS tomorrow.

Mike