Turning Windows Features On and Off

Some of the features that come with Windows Vista are installed on your computer but are not immediately available for use because they are not turned on by default. Some features are turned on only in specific editions of Windows Vista, and some features aren't turned on in any edition. You can turn on a missing feature, such as Removable Storage Management, at any time. Or if your computer's performance seems unsatisfactory, you can try turning off Windows features you don't use to conserve system resources. You can always turn them back on if you find you need them.

In this exercise, you will explore the Windows Features dialog box so that you know how to turn Windows features on and off. There are no practice files for this exercise.

BE SURE TO display Control Panel before beginning this exercise.

1.	In Control Panel, click Programs, and then under Programs and Features, click the Turn Windows features on or off task. Then in the User Account Control dialog box, if you're logged on as an administrator, click Continue. Otherwise, enter an administrator password, and click OK. The Windows Features dialog box opens, and after a few seconds, a list of all the features appears. If all components of a feature are installed, its check box is selected. If some components of a multi-component feature are installed, its check box is shaded.
2.	Scroll the features list, noticing which ones are installed and which aren't.
3.	If you are not using an installed feature that you know it is safe to remove (such as Games), clear its check box, and then click OK. A message box tells you that configuring the change might take several minutes. When the process is complete, the message box and the Windows Features dialog box close.

CLOSE the Programs window.