Turn Windows features on or off

Some programs and features included in Windows, such as Internet Information Services, must be on for you to use. Some other features are enabled by default, but you can disable them if you do not use them.

To turn off a feature in earlier versions of Windows, you had to uninstall it completely from your computer. In this version of Windows, the features remain stored on your hard drive so you can relight them if you want. Disabling a feature does not uninstall the feature, and it does not reduce the amount of disk space used by Windows features.

To turn Windows features on or off, follow these steps:

Click Start, click Control Panel, click Programs, then click Turn Windows features on or off. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
To turn a Windows feature, select the check box next to the feature. To turn a Windows feature, clear the check box. Click OK.


Folders can contain features both on and off
Certain Windows are grouped in folders and some folders contain subfolders with additional features. If a checkbox is checked or is partially shaded, and some of the items inside the folder are turned, and some are turned off. To view the contents of a folder, double-click it.