The following is alist ofMicrosoft Windowscomponents.
| Component | Description | Command | Introduced | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Settings | Allows users to change system settings, similar to the Control Panel, but has less options[1] | start ms-settings: | Windows 8 | |
| Control Panel | ||||
| Control Panel | Allows users to view and change basic system settings and controls, such as adding hardware, adding and removingsoftware, controllinguser accounts, and changingaccessibility options | control.exe | Windows 1.0 | |
| Device Manager | Allows the user to display and control the hardware attached to the computer, and control whatdevice drivers are used | devmgmt.msc | Windows 95 | |
| Windows Mobility Center | Centralizes the most relevant information related to mobile computing | mblctr.exe | Windows Vista | |
| Security and Maintenance | Centralizes and reports on the status ofanti-virus,Automatic Updates,Windows Firewall, and other security-related components of the operating system | Windows XP SP2 | ||
| Administrative Tools | ||||
| Microsoft Management Console | Provides system administrators and advanced users with a flexible interface through which they may configure and monitor the system | mmc.exe | Windows NT 4.0 Option Pack | |
| Windows System Assessment Tool | Built-inbenchmarking tool that analyzes the different subsystems (graphics, memory, etc.), and uses the results to allow for comparison to other Windows Vista systems, and for software optimizations. It rates the computer's performance using the Windows Experience Index. | winsat.exe | Windows Vista | |
| System Restore | Allows for the rolling back of system files, registry keys, installed apps, etc., to a previous state in the event of a system failure | rstrui.exe | Windows Me | |
| Windows Recovery Environment | Helps diagnose and recover from serious errors which may prevent Windows from booting successfully, or restore the computer to a previous state using System Restore or a backup image | shutdown /r /o | Windows Vista | |
| Microsoft Drive Optimizer | Rearranges files stored on a hard disk to occupy contiguous storage locations in order to optimize computer performance | dfrgui.exe | Windows 95,Windows 2000 | |
| Event Viewer | Lets administrators and users view theevent logs on a local or remote machine | eventvwr.msc | Windows NT 3.1 | |
| Resource Monitor (previously Reliability and Performance Monitor) | Lets administrators view current system reliability and performance trends over time | resmon.exe | Windows Vista | |
| Logical Disk Manager | Logical volume manager developed by Microsoft in conjunction withVeritas Software | diskmgmt.msc | Windows NT 4.0 (Separate Tool),Windows 2000 | |
| Registry Editor | Allows users to browse and edit theWindows registry | regedit.exe | Windows 3.1 | |
| Windows Task Scheduler | Allows users to script tasks for running during scheduled intervals | taskschd.msc | Microsoft Plus! forWindows 95 | |
| Software installation and deployment | ||||
| Windows Update | An online service providing updates such as service packs, critical updates and device drivers. A variation calledMicrosoft Update also provides software updates for other Microsoft products. | control.exe update | Windows 98 | |
| Windows Installer | An engine for the management of software installation. Includes aGUIframework, automatic generation of the uninstallation sequence and deployment capabilities for corporate networks. | msiexec.exe | Office 2000 | |
| ClickOnce | Technology for deploying.NET Framework-based software via web pages, with automatic update capabilities. Intended for per-user only applications. | mage.exe andmageUI.exe | .NET Framework 2.0 | |
| Component | Description | Introduced |
|---|---|---|
| Action Center | View notifications sent from apps and change common settings | Windows 7 |
| Windows Command Prompt | Text-basedshell (command line interpreter) that provides acommand line interface to the operating system | Windows NT 3.1 |
| PowerShell | Command-line shell and scripting framework. | Windows XP |
| Windows Shell | The most visible and recognizable aspect of Microsoft Windows. The shell provides the container inside of which the entiregraphical user interface is presented, including the taskbar, thedesktop, Windows Explorer, as well as many of thedialog boxes and interface controls. In Windows Vista, a new compositing glass-like user interface calledWindows Aero has been shown. | Windows 95 |
| File Explorer (previously Windows Explorer) | Provides an interface for accessing thefile systems, launching applications, and performing common tasks such as viewing and printing pictures | Windows 95 |
| Windows Search | Starting with Windows Vista, search is a tightly shell-integrated component of Windows. A downloadableWindows Desktop Search software is available for Windows XP and older versions. | Windows Vista, downloadable for older versions |
| Search Folders | Virtual folders that retrieve items based on queries rather than hierarchical folder trees on disk. | Windows Vista |
| Special folders | Folders which are presented to the user through an interface as an abstract concept, instead of an absolute path. This makes it possible for an application to locate where certain kinds of files can be found, regardless of what version or language of operating system is being used. See alsoWindows Shell namespace. | Windows 95 |
| Start menu | Serves as the central launching point for applications. It provides a customizable, nested list of apps for the user to launch, as well as a list of most recently opened documents, a way to find files and get help, and access to the system settings. By default, the Start Button is visible at all times in the lower left-hand corner of the screen. | Windows 95 |
| Taskbar | The application desktop bar which can be used to launch and monitor applications. | Windows 95 |
| Task View | Displays all open windows and activities (via timeline) at a glance and switch between virtual desktops, starting in version 2004, users can now rename desktops | Windows 10 |
| File associations | Used to open a file with the appropriate app. Users can assign file associations uniquely to specific actions, known as verbs. | Windows 1.0 |
| Component | Description | Introduced |
|---|---|---|
| Easy Transfer | Used to transfer many files at once from one computer to another | Windows Vista |
| Contacts | Keeps a single list of contacts that can be shared by multiple apps | Windows Vista |
| Camera | Allows the user to take pictures or record video[2] | Windows 8 |
| Calculator | Calculation application | Windows 1.0 |
| Calendar | Calendaring application | Windows Vista |
| Character Map | Utility to view and search characters in a font, copy them to the clipboard and view theirWindows Alt keycodes and Unicode names | Windows 3.1 |
| Cortana | Digital personal assistant | Windows 10 Version 1507 |
| Edge | Web browser | Windows 10 Version 1507 |
| Feedback Hub | Platform for exchanging communication with Windows Insiders and developers | Windows 10 Version 1607 |
| Groove Music (previously Xbox Music) | Digitalmedia player and media library application that is used for playingaudio. In addition to being a media player, Groove includes the ability to copy music tocompact discs,synchronize content with adigital audio player (MP3 player) or other mobile devices, and let users purchase or rent music from theWindows Store. | Windows 8 |
| Movies & TV (previously Xbox Video) | Digitalmedia player and media library application that is used for playingvideo. In addition to being a media player, Movies & TV lets users purchase or rent movies and TV episodes from theWindows Store. | Windows 8 |
| OneDrive (previously SkyDrive) | Freemiumcloud storage folder and sync service | Windows 8 |
| Microsoft OneNote | Integrated note-taking app, based on theMicrosoft Office product of the same name | Windows 8 |
| On-Screen Keyboard (osk.exe) | Virtual keyboard | |
| Paint 3D | Simplegraphicspainting app | Windows 10 Version 1703 |
| Photos | Simple image viewer | Windows 8 |
| Steps Recorder (called Problem Steps Recorder in Windows 7) | Utility that allows the user to capture steps they took to reproduce a problem | Windows 7 |
| Windows To Go | Utility to create bootable versions of Windows 8 and above | Windows 8 |
| Notepad | Simpletext editor | Windows 1.0 |
| Narrator | Screen reader utility that reads dialog boxes and window controls in a number of the more basicapplications for Windows | Windows 2000 |
| Sound Recorder | Simple audio recording app that can record from amicrophone orheadset, and save the results inWAVE format andWindows Media Audio format in some Windows versions | Windows 3.0 Multimedia Extensions |
| Skype | Messaging and calling service | Windows 8.1, downloadable for previous versions |
| Sticky Notes | Tool for jotting notes on the desktop | Windows XP Tablet PC Edition |
| Private Character Editor | Utility to create private use characters as defined under Unicode and various East Asian encoding schemes | Windows 3.1 East Asian editions |
| Remote Desktop Connection | Client implementation of the Remote Desktop Protocol; allows a user to securely connect to a computer runningTerminal Services (Remote Desktop on Windows XP and Server 2003) and interact with a full desktop environment on that machine, including support for remoting of printers, audio, and drives. | Windows XP, downloadable for previous Windows versions |
| Remote Assistance | Allows a user to temporarily take over a remote computer over a network or the internet to offer help with and resolve issues | Windows XP |
| Mobility Center | Allows a user to adjust settings related to mobile computing | Windows Vista |
| Speech Recognition | Allows a user to input voice commands | Windows Vista |
| IExpress | Allows users to create self-extracting, self-installingINF installation-based packages | Internet Explorer 6 |
| Xbox Console Companion (previously Xbox and Xbox Games) | Account manager for Xbox Live user accounts and a screen recording tool | Windows 8 |
| Xbox Game Bar | Provides a overlay for compatible games allowing for screen capture, chatting over theXbox network, showing the frame rate of games, and playing music viaSpotify[3][4] | Windows 10 May 2019 Update (Version 1903)[5] |
| Magnifier | Screen enlargement app | Windows 98 |
| Fax and Scan | Integratedfaxing andimage scanning application | Windows Vista, older faxing and scanning applications were present in previousWindows versions |
| Photo Viewer | Simpleimage viewer that can play a simple slideshow | Windows XP |
| Email aggregator | Windows Vista | |
| Maps | Map viewer that allows users to look for locations, and plan routes | Windows 8 |
| Media Center | Designed to serve as ahome-entertainment hub, to be viewed from a distance up to 3 meters (~10 feet) and controlled by specially designed remote controls. Lets users browse and view pictures, videos, and music from local hard drives, optical drives, and network locations, along with viewing, recording and deferred-playing live TV. Features an interactive TV guide with scheduled recording capabilities. Can also be used for visualization of other information (like sports scores) within the interface | Windows XP Media Center Edition |
| Task Manager | Provides information about computer performance and displays details about running applications, processes, network activity, logged-in users, and system services | Windows 3.0 |
| Disk Cleanup | Utility for compacting rarely used files and removing files that are no longer required | Windows 98 |
| Snipping Tool | Screen-capture tool that allows for taking screenshots (called snips) | Experience Pack forWindows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 |
| Microsoft Store (previously Windows Store) | Initially known as Windows Store, it started as anapp store for Windows 8. In Windows 10, it expanded into a broad digital distribution platform for apps, games, music, digital video and e-books. In 2017, it was renamed Microsoft Store and started offering hardware in United States, Canada and United Kingdom. | Windows 8 |
| MSN apps | Provide information from MSN web services | Windows 8 |
| Alarms & Clock(pre Alarms) | App that allows Windows users to set alarms, stopwatches, timers, and view a world clock | Windows 8 |
| Windows Security (previously Windows Defender Security Center) | Antivirus | Windows 10 Version 1703 |
| Solitaire Collection | Set of solitaire card games | Windows 10 Version 1507, downloadable for Windows 8.x |
| Component | Description | Supported by |
|---|---|---|
| Active Directory | A set of technologies introduced with Windows 2000 that allows administrators to assign enterprise-wide policies, deploy apps to many computers, and apply critical updates to an entire organization. Active Directory stores information and settings relating to an organization in a central, organized, accessible database. Networks can vary from a small installation with a few objects, to global-scale directories with millions of objects. Related topics:Domain controller,Flexible single master operation | Windows 2000 and later server versions |
| Group Policy | Provides centralized management of user and computer settings in an Active Directory environment. Group policy can control a target object'sregistry,NTFS security,audit and security policy,software installation,logon/logoff scripts,folder redirection, andInternet Explorer settings. Policy settings are stored in Group Policy Objects (GPOs), and may be linked to one or more sites, domains or organizational units. Related topics:Administrative Templates | Windows 2000 and later |
| Internet Information Services | Web server | Windows NT family |
| Component | Description | Supported by |
|---|---|---|
| FAT12,FAT16 | The original file systems used withMS-DOS. The standard file systems used withWindows 1.0 throughWindows 95. | All versions |
| FAT32 | Extensions to FAT supporting larger disk sizes. The standard file system forWindows 98 andMe. | Windows 95 OSR2 and later versions |
| NTFS | Standard file system of Windows NT; supports security viaaccess-control lists, as well asfile system journaling andfile-system metadata. Windows 2000 added support for reparse points (makingNTFS junction points andSingle instance storage possible),Hard links, file compression, andSparse files. Encryption of data is provided byEncrypting File System.Symbolic links and transactioning of file operations viaTransactional NTFS arefeatures new to Windows Vista. Although Windows 9x operating systems cannot read or write NTFS formatted disks, they can access the data over a network if it is shared by a computer running Windows NT. | Windows NT (all versions) |
| ISO 9660 (CDFS) | The predominant file system forCD-ROM andDVD-ROM media. Windows includes support forJoliet extensions and the ISO 9660:1999 standard. ISO 9660:1999 is supported since Windows XP. | MS-DOS andWindows 9x via extensions, such as MSCDEX.EXE (Microsoft CDROM Extension), natively inWindows NT 3.5 |
| Universal Disk Format (UDF) | Afile system for storing files on optical media. It is an implementation of theISO/IEC 13346 standard (also known asECMA-167). It is considered to be a replacement ofISO 9660. Successive versions of Windows have supported newer versions of UDF. | Windows 98,Windows 2000,Windows XP,Windows Server 2003,Windows Vista |
| HPFS | High-Performance File system, used onOS/2 computers. Read and write capability inWindows 95 (where it also listed network computer NTFS-formatted drives as "HPFS", even though it had no direct NTFS capabilities). HPFS write support was dropped inWindows NT 4.0 andWindows 98, and dropped altogether shortly before the release ofWindows 2000. | Windows 95 (Read/write),Windows 98,Windows NT (read),3.1/3.51 (read/write/boot) |
| ReFS | A newer file system, based onNTFS. This system adds built-in integrity checking and removes the need forchkdsk, among other features. The maximum partition size is 1YB. | Windows Server 2012,Windows 8.1 |
| Component | Acronym | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows kernel (Windows NT) Main article:Architecture of Windows NT | ||||
| Ntoskrnl.exe | The Windowskernel image. Provides thekernel andexecutive layers of the kernel architecture, and is responsible for services such as hardware virtualization, process and memory management, etc. | |||
| hal.dll | HAL | Provides and handles the interaction between software and hardware via theHardware Abstraction Layer. | ||
| kernel32.dll | This application provides kernel operations to apps in the Win32 mode, like memory management, I/Os, process creation, etc. | |||
| Core processes (Windows NT) | ||||
| System Idle Process | SIP | A counter which measures how much idle capacity theCPU has at any given time. The process runs in the background and monitors processing bandwidth, occupied memory and the Windows virtualpaging file. | ||
| Session Manager Subsystem | SMSS | Performs several critical boot-time operations, such as the creation ofenvironment variables, startingCSRSS, and performing file-copy operations that were queued up from before the system was booted (pending file rename operations). During system operation, it handlesWindows File Protection and the creation of logon sessions viaWinlogon. | ||
| Client/Server Runtime Subsystem | CSRSS | User-mode side of the Win32 subsystem. Provides the capability for applications to use theWindows API. | ||
| Local Security Authority Subsystem Service | LSASS | Responsible for enforcing the security policy on the system. Verifies users logging on to the computer and createssecurity tokens. | ||
| Winlogon | Responsible for handling thesecure attention key, loading the user profile on logon, and optionally locking the computer when ascreensaver is running. On Windows NT systems prior to Windows Vista, Winlogon is also responsible for loadingGINA libraries which are responsible collecting logon credentials from the user. | |||
| Svchost.exe | A generic host process name for services that run fromdynamic-link libraries (DLLs). Several Svchost processes are typically present on a Windows machine, each running in a different security context, depending on what privileges the contained services require. | |||
| Windows on Windows andWoW64 | WoW | An abstraction layer that allows legacy code to operate on more modern versions of Windows; typically this means running 16-bit Windows applications on 32-bit Windows, and 32-bit applications on 64-bit Windows. | ||
| Virtual DOS machine | NTVDM | AllowsMS-DOS apps to run onIntel 80386 or higher computers when there is already another operating system running and controlling the hardware. Introduced in Windows 2.1; not available in any64-bit edition of Windows. | ||
| System startup (Windows NT) Main article:Booting process of Windows | ||||
| NTLDR, IA64ldr,Winload | Thebootloader; performs basic system initialization options such as loading thehardware abstraction layer and boot-time device drivers, prior to passing control to the Windows kernel. In versions prior to Vista, NTLDR and IA64ldr also display menus to the user if multiple operating systems are defined inboot.ini, or if F8 is pressed. | |||
| Recovery Console | Provides the means for administrators to perform a limited range of tasks using acommand line interface, primarily to aid in recovering from situations where Windows does notboot successfully. | |||
| ntdetect.com | Used during the boot process to detect basic hardware components that may be required during the boot process | |||
| Windows Boot Manager | In Windows Vista and later operating systems, displays boot menus to the user if multiple operating systems are configured in the system'sBoot Configuration Data. | |||
| Graphical subsystem | ||||
| Desktop Window Manager | DWM | Thecompositing manager introduced in Windows Vista that handles compositing and manages special effects on screen objects in a graphical user interface | ||
| Graphics Device Interface | GDI/GDI+ | The kernel graphics component for representing graphical objects and transmitting them to output devices such as monitors and printers | ||
| Windows USER | The Windows USER component provides core user interface, messaging and visual elements | |||
This list is not all-inclusive.
| Display name | Service key name | Description | Introduced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Directory Service | NTDS | Network Authentication Management | Windows 2000 Server |
| Alerter service | Alerter | Sends administrative alerts over the network to client computers, administrators and users | Windows NT |
| Application Layer Gateway service | ALG | Provides support for plugins that allow network protocols to pass throughWindows Firewall and work behindInternet Connection Sharing | Windows 2000 |
| Application Experience service | Processes application compatibility cache requests for applications as they launch[6] | ||
| Application Management | AppMgmt | Processes requests to enumerate, install, and remove applications that are installed on the computer or deployed through an organization's network | Windows 2000 |
| Background Intelligent Transfer Service | BITS | Transfers files between machines using idle network bandwidth. Used byWindows Update,Windows Server Update Services, andSystems Management Server to deliversoftware updates to clients, as well as byWindows Messenger. | Windows XP |
| Computer Browser | Browser | Crawls neighboring computers on the network and locatesshared resources. One of the computers acts as theMaster Browser and supplies this information to other computers designated as browsers.[7] | Windows for Workgroups |
| Delivery Optimization | DoSvc | Apeer-to-peer distribution service that downloads Windows updates andMicrosoft Store apps from the local network or Internet peers, and redistributes them to others. Can be configured using either theSettings app orGroup Policy. The Settings app can turn it on or off, and specify whether the service operates on the local network only, downloads from and uploads to the Internet peers as well. Group Policy allows finer control.[8][9] Delivery Optimization relies on a centralized web service that does not index contents under 10 MB. Computers without Internet access cannot use Delivery Optimization.[10] | Windows 10 Anniversary Update[8] |
| Distributed Link Tracking | TrkWks, TrkSrv | Used to track links to files on NTFS volumes. Windows uses these services to find linked files if they are renamed or moved (locally or to another machine).[11] | Windows 2000 |
| Distributed Transaction Coordinator | MSDTC | Allows transactional components to be configured through COM+ by coordinating transactions that are distributed across multiple computers and/or resource managers, such as databases, message queues, file systems, and other transaction–based resource managers.[12] | Windows 2000 and laterNT-based |
| DNS Client | DNSCache | Resolves and caches domain names (e.g. “en.wikipedia.org”) to IP addresses | Windows 2000 |
| Event Log | EventLog | Stores and retrieves events that can be viewed in the event viewer. Part ofservices.exe.[13] | Windows NT |
| Extensible Authentication Protocol | EAPHost | Provides EAP authentication to connecting clients | Windows 2000 |
| Indexing Service | CISVC | Indexes contents and properties of files on local and remote computers; provides rapid access to files through flexible querying language.[14] | Windows 2000 and laterNT-based |
| Interactive Services Detection | UI0Detect | For compatibility; when a service-displayed user interface is detected, it gives the user an option to switch to Session0 to see it | Windows Vista |
| Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) | SharedAccess | When enabled, it allows other computers on the local network to access an internet connection that is available to the host computer | Windows 2000;[15]Windows Vista onward[16] |
| Network Location Awareness | NLA | Manages network configurations and information, and notifies applications of changes | Windows XP |
| Network Store Interface Service | NSIS | Collects routing information of active network interfaces, shares this with other services and notifies applications of changes | Windows XP |
| NTLM Security Support Provider | NTLMSSP | Uses theNTLMMS-CHAP protocol to encapsulate and negotiate options in order to provide signed and sealed communication. Deprecated now in favor ofKerberos authentication. | Windows NT |
| Peer Name Resolution Protocol | PNRPSvc | Resolves domain names using Peer Name Resolution Protocol | Windows XP |
| Plug and Play | PlugPlay | Enables autodetection and configuration of hardware | Windows 2000 |
| Windows Print spooler [fr] | Spooler | Manages printer devices and moves files into memory for printing | Windows 95,Windows NT |
| Remote Procedure Call (RPC) | RpcSs | ProvidesRemote Procedure Call features via remotely accessibleNamed Pipes | Windows NT family |
| Routing and Remote Access Service | RRAS | API and server software that enables applications to administer the routing and remote-access service capabilities of the operating system, to function as a network router. | Windows 2000 |
| Secondary Logon | SecLogon | Allows users to run apps with a different account than the one they logged in with. Allows non-administrative accounts to perform administrative tasks.[17] | |
| Security Account Manager | SamSs | Manages user account security information | Windows NT family |
| System Event Notification Service | SENS | Monitors system events, such as network, power, logon, logoff, terminal services session connection and disconnection, and delivers these to applications and other system components.[18] | Windows 2000 |
| Superfetch | SysMain | Monitors file usage patterns and boosts system speed by caching frequently accessed files to RAM[19] | Windows Vista |
| Task Scheduler | Schedule | Lets users setup and schedule automated tasks | Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95 |
| TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper | LmHosts | Enables support forNetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT) service andNetBIOS name resolution | Windows NT family |
| Volume Shadow Copy | VSS | Creates multiple versions of files that change. The ability to store persistent snapshots was added in Windows Server 2003.[20] | Windows XP |
| Windows Audio | AudioSrv | Manages audio devices for Windows-based apps. Controls all audio functions. | Windows XP |
| Windows Error Reporting | WERSvc | Generates error logs and reports errors. On Windows Vista and later, it notifies of solutions. | Windows XP |
| Windows Firewall | MpsSvc | Blocks unauthorized network connections to and from the computer | Windows Vista |
| Windows Firewall(néeInternet Connection Sharing) | SharedAccess | Provides a simple firewall feature which was introduced inWindows XP. It also shares the internet on the local network, if the internet connection sharing feature is turned on.[21] | Windows XP only[22][23] |
| Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) | STISvc | Handles scanner and camera inputs | Windows Me |
| Windows Time | W32Time | Synchronizes the system time with external time servers. From Windows Server 2003 forward, full and compliantNTP support is provided.[24] | Windows 2000 |
| Windows Update | WUAUServ | Provides updates for the operating system and its installed components | Windows XP |
| Wireless Zero Configuration | WZCSvc (XP), WLANSvc | Configures and manages802.11 wireless adapters | Windows XP,Server 2003 only |
| Windows Messenger service | Messenger | Allows users to send pop-up messages to other computers over the network | Windows NT family |
| WebClient[25] | Enables Windows-based apps to create and interact with Internet-based files | Windows XP |
| Component | Description | Introduced |
|---|---|---|
| AppLocker | Policy-based component that enables or disables execution of software based on rules such as location, properties and digital signature | Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate editions Windows Server 2008 R2 |
| BitLocker Drive Encryption | Disk encryption software, designed to protect data by providing encryption for entirevolumes | Windows Vista Enterprise and Ultimate editions, Windows Server 2008 |
| Credential Guard | Virtualization-based isolation of stored credentials to prevent theft and pass-the-hash attacks. | Windows 10 Enterprise, Education, IoT Enterprise, or , Windows Server 2016 |
| Data Execution Prevention | Security feature that is intended to prevent an application or service from executing code from a non-executable memory region | Windows XP Service Pack 2 |
| Encrypting File System | File system driver that provides file system-level encryption | Windows 2000 |
| Security Account Manager | Database stored as a registry file | Windows NT 3.1 |
| SYSKEY | Utility that encrypts the hashed password information in a SAM database using a 128-bit encryption key | Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 3 |
| User Account Control | Technology and security infrastructure utility that aims to improve the security of Microsoft Windows by limiting application software to standard user privileges until an administrator authorizes an increase | Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 |
| Windows Firewall | Utility designed to block unauthorized access while permitting authorized communications. An earlier edition known as Internet Connection Firewall that was disabled by default was included with the original Windows XP release. | Windows XP Service Pack 2 |
| Windows Defender | Security utility to prevent, remove and quarantine malware (viruses, Trojan horses, etc.) | Downloadable forWindows XP andWindows Server 2003 |
| Windows Resource Protection | Protects Registry keys and folders in addition to critical system files | Windows Vista |
The Application Experience service (AELookupSvc) is a part of the Application Compatibility Administrator. It processes application compatibility lookup requests for applications as they are started, provides support for Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista–based computers running apps in compatibility mode, reports on compatibility issues, and automatically applies software updates to apps.
There is also a client piece for WebDAV built into XP, 2003, R2, and Vista, called the WebClient Service.
The Microsoft Compatibility Appraiser task runs %windir%\system32\rundll32.exe appraiser.dll,DoScheduledTelemetryRun with the description 'Collects program telemetry information if opted-in to the Microsoft Customer Experience Improvement Program.'
The DMRC [(Device Metadata Retrieval Client)] checks the computer's local metadata cache and metadata store for metadata that applies to the device.
The Windows Diagnostic Infrastructure (WDI) helps to detect, diagnose, and resolve common problem scenarios with minimal user intervention.
