Almost any edition of Windows comes with a certain set of functions, applications, programs that are already installed on the system. The user can delete or turn off unnecessary features, and in addition, add those that are required to perform the necessary work, but are not installed by default. After removing unnecessary functions, the system disk will have more free space, which is often not enough for users of tablets running under Windows.
Utility launch
Not every user knows where to enable or disable Windows components.
The list of components can be opened in the section of the control panel “Programs and components” (look for the link in the left block). But the easiest way to start this tool is to enter the phrase “enable or disable Windows components” in the Start menu search bar.
The operating system version 8.1 has a similar method, but before entering, you need to press the combination “Win + S” on the keyboard.
Uninstall or Install
The components window is presented in the form of a list with all the functions, applications, programs available for a particular OS release. If the checkbox is checked in the list next to the component name, then it is already installed and available. A gray checkmark indicates that the component consists of several packages. To view them, click on the “+” icon. To see a description of each component, simply hover and hold the cursor over its name.
Turning Windows components on or off is done by checking or unchecking the checkbox. To complete the operation, click on the “OK” button. Only after clicking this button will the installation or uninstallation process be activated.
If you uncheck the box, Windows may warn that disabling this application may change the operation of other components. For more comprehensive information, the operating system will offer a link, clicking on which will open a page on the Internet with a detailed description.
Turning Windows components on or off is sometimes quite slow, because the system has to make many changes and automatic settings. Many functions can be disabled without restarting the computer, however, if you still need a reboot, Windows will warn the user about this and make it possible to save all working documents.
Rebooting after completing all the procedures will take longer than usual. This is due to the application of additional settings and registration of components.
Additional requirements for some packages
During installation, the OS may display a window asking you to access the Windows Update site. If there is no Internet access at this time, then installing the component located on Microsoft servers will fail. Sometimes Windows asks for the drive from which it was installed, if there is no such drive, you will have to download the distribution kit or try to get the components in another way. Usually they can be found on the official Microsoft website, and all software products from the list of components can be downloaded for free.
The tool “Enable or disable Windows components” provides the user with the flexibility to customize the system, but if you do not know the purpose of a component installed by default, you should not delete it. It is possible that some of the necessary functions that you use every day will become unavailable after that.
Empty list
If the empty list does not allow you to perform the necessary actions when starting the “Enable or Disable Windows 7 Components” utility, you will have to make some simple manipulations to solve the problem.
Go to the registry by opening the Start menu and entering the word “regedit” in the search bar. In the results shown, find the item "regedit32" and click on the icon. In the registry, go along the path "HKEYLM \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ Windows" and change the value of the "CSDVersion" parameter to 0.