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

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• 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