Interactive Service Detection: Definition and How to Disable. Which Windows services are needed and which can be disabled Windows 7 Interactive Services Discovery Service
Hello dear readers, today I would like to talk about:
1. ABOUT Windows services, what it is, what it is needed for and which ones are responsible for what.
2.And how can you increase the speed of your computer?
So what are these Windows services?
Services- applications that are automatically or manually launched by the system when Windows starts and perform various tasks regardless of the user’s status.
Open list of services can be done in several ways:
1. Hold down the windows button and press R, a window will open, enter services.msc there
2. Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services
3. Start > right-click on my computer > Manage > Services and Applications > Services
As you can see, there are quite a lot of them in Windows and by downloading, you can familiarize yourself what services exist and what each of them is responsible for.
Since services are applications, they operate and use some of the computer's resources. you can improve its performance. Let's see what can be disabled.
What services can be disabled in Windows 7, 8
I did not make a list of those services that can be disabled, because... many services are individual. I just tried to describe each service and in what situations they can be disabled. If you need to turn something off mindlessly, then just use .
* BranchCache The service caches network content. If you don't use your home network, you can turn it off altogether.
* DHCP client - If you use the Internet, do not touch it under any circumstances. It is this service that assigns you an IP address.
* DNS client — It is also a necessary service for using the Internet. Works with your DNS (serves in the right directions).
* KtmRm for distributed transaction coordinator - system transaction function. We leave it the same way.
* Microsoft .NET Framework - We leave all such services as is. They serve for the normal operation of most applications.
* Parental Controls - Parental control service. If you don't use it, you can turn it off.
* Plug-and-Play serves for automatic recognition of changes in the system. For example, when you connect a flash drive, this service wakes up... So we leave it as it is.
* Quality Windows Audio Video Experience - transmission of audio and video over the network in real time. It is not needed only if there is no network (or Internet), in other cases we leave it.
* Remote Desktop Configuration - For remote desktop. If you do not use remote connections, disable it.
* Superfetch Useful feature, works with cache. Speeds up Windows, so leave it.
* Windows Audio - Controls sound. If you don't need the sound, turn off the sound. In other cases we leave it.
* Windows CardSpace - unnecessary and unsafe service. That's why we turn it off.
* Windows Driver Foundation - User-mode Driver Framework - For normal operation of the drivers, do not touch. Let it remain as it is.
* Windows Search - Indexing files for search. If you don’t use it and have time to wait until the file is found, then disable it. Be sure to disable it on the ssd!
* WMI Performance Adapter - needed for services that require wmi, install manually. If any applications need them, they will launch them themselves)
* WWAN auto-configuration - service for using mobile Internet. If you use a usb modem or SIM card in your laptop, do not disconnect it.
* Offline files - helps you work autonomously with inaccessible files that were downloaded before. We set it manually.
* Network Access Protection Agent - We set it manually, because... if necessary, the service will start if some program requests the necessary information.
* AIPsec policy gent - Needed if you have a network and the Internet.
* Adaptive Brightness Control - Leave it if there is a light sensor.
* Windows Backup - If you don't use it, turn it off. But it’s better to read about archiving in Windows, you never know, you’ll use it.
* Windows Biometric Service - needed only when using biometric devices. In other cases we disable it.
* Windows Firewall - To be honest, I always turn it off, because... I have nothing to steal) And if they encrypt the data, I will restore it) But I advise you to get, for example, Kaspersky Internet Security, which has both an antivirus and a firewall. And turn this one off, because... it sometimes blocks things that are not needed) In general, it monitors the security of your computer and closes ports so that thieves cannot get into your computer)
* Computer browser — There is no need for a home network. Manually.
* Web client - It's boring if you don't have internet. Used to work with files on the Internet. We leave it.
* Virtual disk - Service for working with storage devices. We set it manually.
* IP Ancillary Service - Works with protocol version 6. I always disable it itself, so the service can be disabled altogether.
* Secondary login - Set it manually, because... some games or programs will enable it if necessary.
* Grouping of network participants - Needed for home group. Install manually, you never know...
* Disk Defragmenter - In principle, it does not interfere. You can leave it or turn it off. If you turn it off, I recommend doing it once a month. And for ssd drives, we disable it altogether!
* Automatic Remote Access Connection Manager - We set it manually. Needed for remote connections.
* Print Manager - Needed if you have something to print from. In other cases we disable it.
* Remote Access Connection Manager - manually. Once I disconnected it completely and could not create a connection. So it's better to do it manually.
* Desktop Window Manager Session Manager − If you don’t use transparency from Aero, you can turn it off, it will give a big boost.
* Network Member Identity Manager − It's better to set it manually.
* Credential Manager - Better by hand. Stores your data, such as logins and passwords.
* Security Account Manager - It's better to leave it as is. If you disable this service, all changes to the local security policy will be lost.
* Access to HID devices - Access to shortcut keys. Disable it, if some combinations stop working, then put it back.
* Windows Event Log - records all events. A useful tool for the experienced user. It is impossible to disable.
* Performance Logs and Alerts - system service, leave it as is.
* Software Protection - Also a system service, leave it as is.
* Windows Defender - Protection against spyware and malware. Install a normal antivirus and disable this service.
* CNG Key Isolation - Manually.
* Windows Management Instrumentation - System service, without it, some applications may not work correctly, so it’s better to leave it.
* Application Compatibility Information - A useful thing, it helps launch applications that refuse to run on your OS. We set it manually.
* Group Policy Client - We leave it. Responsible for security policy settings.
* Changed Link Tracking Client - Tracking ntfs files is not necessary. Turn it off.
* Distributed Transaction Coordinator - We set it manually.
* Windows Presentation Foundation font cache - We set it manually. Applications will launch it if necessary.
* SNMP Trap - Some programs will collect information about you. So turn it off.
* Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator - Manually, if necessary, applications will launch it.
* Routing and remote access - Need not. Turn it off.
* IPsec Key Modules for Internet Key Exchange and Authenticated IP - Not necessary, but better to do it manually.
* DCOM server process launcher module - System service, leave it as is.
* NetBIOS support module over TCP/IP - If there are no other computers on the network, then manually.
* Windows Instant Connections - Setup Logger - Manually.
* SSDP Discovery - Leave it as is. Required for new devices.
* Interactive Service Discovery − Manually.
* Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) - Not needed if you do not share your Internet over network connections.
* Shell Hardware Definition − necessary for the autorun dialog box of a disk or flash drive. Whatever suits you, most people need it. I left.
* Basic TPM services − Only needed to use TMP and/or BitLocker chips.
* Remote Desktop Services User Mode Port Redirector - If you don't use remote connections, then you don't need it. It's better to install it manually.
*PIP bus enumerator PnP-X — It's better to install it manually.
* Nutrition - Doesn't turn off. We leave it.
* Task Scheduler - It is advisable to leave it as is, because... Nowadays many programs use it.
* Media Class Scheduler − We leave it to those for whom sound is important.
* Support for the "Problem and Resolution Reports" control panel item - Manually.
* Smart Card Removal Policy - For smart card users, it is better to do it manually.
* HomeGroup Provider - To use home groups. Better by hand.
* Wired Auto-Tuning - Manually.
* Software Shadow Copy Provider (Microsoft) - Manually.
* Homegroup Listener - Manually.
* PNRP protocol - We also leave it manually. Some applications may use the service.
* Publishing Feature Discovery Resources − Needed if you want to show your files to other computers over the network. If you don't want to, then manually or disable it.
* Work station - It's better to leave it, because... Some applications use this service.
* Certificate Distribution − Better by hand.
* Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) - Manually.
* Windows Event Collector - Manually.
* Application Details - Manually.
* Server - If the computer is not used as a server or does not share access to files and printers, then turn it off.
* Thread Ordering Server - Disable if there is no home group.
* Network Login - Manually.
* Network connections - Leave it as is. If there is no network or Internet, you can turn it off.
* COM+ Event System - set manually. Applications that depend on this service will launch it themselves if necessary.
* COM+ System Application - Also manually.
* SSTP Service - We leave it as is, the service is needed if there is Internet on the computer.
* WinHTTP Web Proxy Automatic Discovery Service - If you need internet, then leave it as is.
* WLAN AutoConfig Service - service for wireless networks. Accordingly, if they are not there, it is not needed.
* Basic Filtering Service - on the one hand, it is not needed (if security is not needed), but on the other hand, some programs may produce errors. So we leave it.
* Tablet PC Input Service - If the screen is not touch-sensitive, then it is not needed.
* Windows Time Service - needed to synchronize time with the Internet.
* Windows Image Upload Service (WIA) - The service is only needed if there is a scanner. She is responsible for receiving images from scanners and cameras.
* Microsoft iSCSI Initiator Service - We install it manually, if programs need it, they will launch it themselves.
* Network Saving Interface Service - Needed for normal network operation.
* Windows Font Cache Service - serves to improve performance, caches fonts and does not waste time loading.
* WITHMedia Center set-top box service - If you don't use any attachments, you don't need it.
* Block Level Archiving Engine Service - We set it manually. If archiving or restoration is needed, the service will start on its own.
* Net.Tcp Port Sharing Service - Off by default. Only needed if you need the Net.Tcp protocol.
* Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service - Manually. If you need it, it will turn on.
* Portable Device Enumerator Service - Used to synchronize music, videos, etc. with removable media. I would install it manually. This is not always necessary.
* Windows Media Center Scheduler Service - Needed if you only watch programs in Windows Media Player.
* Bluetooth Support - Needed if you have Bluetooth.
* Diagnostic Policy Service - Needed to diagnose problems... To be honest, it rarely helps. Therefore, you can experiment by turning it off. If necessary, turn it on.
* Program Compatibility Assistant Service - The service is needed to run programs that are incompatible with your OS. If there are none, install them manually.
* User Profile Service - Better to leave it. It works with computer user profiles.
* PNRP Computer Name Publishing Service - Needed for home groups.
* Windows Error Logging Service - Logs errors. It's better to install it manually.
* Windows Media Center Receiver Service - to watch TV and radio programs in the player.
* Connected Network Information Service - It is better to leave it as is for normal network operation.
* Network List Service - It's better to leave it that way.
* SPP Notification Service - For licensing. Leave by hand.
* System Event Notification Service - If you are not going to watch Windows messages, then you do not need it.
* Windows Remote Management Service (WS-Management) - Place it manually.
* BitLocker Drive Encryption Service - Encrypts disks. If you don't use it, it's better to turn it off.
* Application Layer Gateway Service − The service is needed only to work with the firewall. Manually.
* Cryptography Services - To install new programs, it is better to leave it as is.
* Remote Desktop Services - If you do not use remote desktops, then disable it.
* Smart card - If you don't use them, then you don't need it.
* RPC Endpoint Mapper - The service is needed for incoming traffic. Nothing can be done about it. That's why we leave it.
* Windows Audio Endpoint Builder - If you need sound, leave it.
* Telephony - Leave by hand. It will start if needed.
* Themes - They eat up a lot of memory resources. If you don't need it, turn it off.
* Volume Shadow Copy - Creates recovery points, backing up in the background. Place it manually. It will start if necessary.
* Link layer topologist - Also by hand. It will start if needed.
* Remote Procedure Call (RPC) - System service. Leave it as is.
* Remote registry - Allows remote users to manipulate your registry. Turn it off.
* Application Identity - Manually.
* Diagnostic system unit - Diagnosis of problems. Place it manually.
* Diagnostic Service Node - Also manually.
* Generic PNP Device Node - Place it manually. Not all devices are PnP.
* Application Management - Place it manually. The service allows you to configure policies for applications.
* Manage certificates and health key - Install it manually, if you need it, it will start on its own.
* ActiveX Installer - Also manually. You will need to install such an object, it will start on its own.
* Windows Installer - Installation of programs.msi. Manually.
* Windows Modules Installer - Installs and removes components and updates. Manually.
* Fax - Needed if you have a fax.
* Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) - Leave it by hand. The service is useful.
* Discovery Provider Host - Leave it by hand. It will need to start.
* Windows Color System (WCS) - Manually. The devices will need it and they will launch it.
* Security Center - Monitors Windows security. She annoys me with her notifications. So whether to turn it off or not is up to you.
* Windows Update - On the one hand, a useful function. It closes holes in the system, updates drivers, but on the other hand, it actively uses the Internet, memory resources, and if you turn off the computer during the update, the OS may crash. So you also have to choose what is more important, security or performance.
* Encrypting File System (EFS) - For file security. It's better to leave it as is manually.
I tried to present the entire list of services. By disabling some, you will improve the performance of your computer. You can also decide at your own discretion which ones are needed and which ones are not. For example, if there is no Internet, then you can safely cut half of it; if there is no printer, then you can also turn off a lot. Thus, depending on your needs, you can significantly invigorate your old computer.
Sometimes trying to launch an old game or program will result in an error with the title "Detecting interactive services." The problem is infrequent, but annoying, and next we will look at its solution.
Let's start with the reasons for the failure. The fact is that in older versions of Windows (up to and including XP), the system contained components called “Interactive Services”, which allowed one or another program to create additional messages. Windows Vista and later do not have them, but do have a replacement service for backward compatibility. However, sometimes it only gets in the way, since the program can start without interactive services, so this element can be disabled to solve the problem.
- Open Start and follow the path "All programs" – "Service" – "Administration".
- A directory with shortcuts to administration tools will open - find the item "Services" and run it by double-clicking with the left mouse button.
- Once the list of services is displayed, find the entry in it . Select it, right-click, then select from the context menu "Stop".
- Call the service context menu again, but this time select "Properties".
- Refer to the drop down list "Startup type"– you should select an option "Stopped". Next, click the buttons "Apply" And "OK".
Restart your computer and the problem should be resolved.
Solving possible problems
Often, an attempt to fix the problem in question leads to additional failures. Let's look at the most common ones and suggest ways to eliminate them.
Services won't open
The most common additional error is the inability to open the snap-in "Services". In most cases, this means corruption of system files (which, by the way, may be the cause of the main problem that we are discussing in this article). Of course, the method of eliminating the problem would be to restore damaged components, but before doing this, you should check the system for viruses - it is possible that it was their activity that violated the integrity of the data.
After this, you can proceed to recovery.
After fixing the problem, other programs stopped starting
Disabling an element "Interactive Service Discovery" sometimes it leads to other programs, mostly also old ones, either not starting at all or working with errors. The only way to resolve this failure is to enable "Interactive Service Discovery"– follow the instructions above, only in step 4 select the option "Automatically". In the future, to avoid such problems, we recommend installing Windows XP on a virtual machine and working with problematic software from under it.
Conclusion
We looked at a way to fix the problem with the “Detection of interactive services” error on Windows 7. To summarize, we note that many old programs have more modern analogues, which often remain backward compatible with the working formats of the old ones, so using such software will be a compromise solution.
Warning: This process involves some degree of risk, and therefore it is advisable to have at least a general idea of what we are going to do. If you need to return all services to their default state, you can download ready-made reg files. Select your system and download the archive. After downloading, unpack the archive and run the reg file.
A full description of the services, as well as the name and display name, can be viewed and the status can be changed at this path: Start - Control Panel - Administration - Services.
But not all services are necessary for the computer to function properly. Below is a list of services that are disabled or enabled in my configuration. User one(with administrator rights), to the network not connected. To access the Internet, I use my cell phone as a modem connection.
AST Service(Nalpeiron Licensing Service) - Disabled.
BranchCache(This service caches network content received from caching hosts on the local subnet) - Manually.
DHCP client(Registers and updates IP addresses and DNS records for this computer) - Auto
DNS client(The DNS Client service (dnscache) caches DNS (Domain Name System) names and registers the fully qualified name of a given computer.) - Disabled. If there is a network - Auto
KtmRm for distributed transaction coordinator(Coordinates transactions between MS DTC and Kernel Transaction Manager (KTM).) - Manually.
Microsoft .NET Framework NGEN v2.0.50727_X86(Microsoft .NET Framework NGEN) - Manually.
Parental Controls(This service is a placeholder for the Windows Parental Controls functionality that existed in Vista.) - Manually.
Plug-and-Play(Allows the computer to recognize changes in installed hardware and adjust to them, either without requiring user intervention or minimizing it) - Auto
Quality Windows Audio Video Experience (qWave)- network platform for streaming audio and video in home networks based on the IP protocol) - Manually.
Remote Desktop Configuration(Remote Desktop Configuration) - Manually.
Superfetch(Maintains and improves system performance.) - Auto
Windows Audio(Manage audio tools for Windows programs.) - Auto.
Windows CardSpace(This provides a secure ability to create, manage and disclose digital identities.) - Manually
Windows Driver Foundation - User-mode Driver Framework(Manage host processes of user mode drivers.) - Manually.
Windows Search(Indexing content, caching properties and search results for files, email and other content.) - Auto. If you don’t use search on your computer, you can Disable.
WMI Performance Adapter(Provides performance library information from Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) providers to clients on the network.) - Manually.
WWAN auto-configuration(This service manages mobile broadband (GSM and CDMA) data cards and embedded modular adapters, as well as connections and automatic network configuration.) - Manually.
Offline files(The Offline Files service does the job of maintaining the Offline Files cache.) - Manually.
Network Access Protection Agent(The Network Access Protection Service agent collects and manages information about the health of client computers on the network) - Manually.
A IPsec policy gent(Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) supports network layer authentication of caching hosts) - Manually.
Adaptive brightness control(Designed to monitor the ambient light sensor and adjust the monitor brightness according to light changes.) - Manually.
Windows Backup(Supports backup and restore on Windows.) - Manually.
Windows Biometric Service(The Windows Biometric Service is designed to collect, compare, process and store biometric data in client applications without directly accessing the biometric samples or hardware) - Manually.
Windows Firewall(Windows Firewall helps prevent unauthorized access to your computer over the Internet or network.) - Disabled. A third party firewall is used.
Web client(Allows Windows programs to create, access and modify files stored on the Internet) - Manually.
Virtual disk(Providing management services for disks, volumes, file systems and storage arrays.) - Manually.
IP Ancillary Service(Provides tunnel connectivity using IPv6 transition technologies) - Manually.
Secondary login(Allows you to run processes as another user) - Manually.
Grouping of network participants(Enables multi-party interactions using peer-to-peer grouping.) - Manually.
Disk Defragmenter(Provides the ability to defragment disks.) - Manually. You can leave and Auto by setting a schedule to run.
Automatic Remote Access Connection Manager(Creates a connection to a remote network when a program accesses a remote DNS or NetBIOS name or address.) - Manually.
Print Manager(Load files into memory to print later) - Auto. If you don't have a printer, then Disabled.
Remote Access Connection Manager(Manages dial-up and virtual private network (VPN) connections from this computer to the Internet or other remote networks.) - Manually.
Desktop Window Manager Session Manager(Ensures the launch and maintenance of the desktop window manager) - Auto.
Network Member Identity Manager(Provides identity services for Peer-to-Peer Name Resolution Protocol (PNRP) and Peer-to-Peer Network Grouping) - Manually.
Credential Manager(Provides secure storage and retrieval of user credentials,) - Manually.
Security Account Manager(Starting this service signals to other services that the Security Account Manager (SAM) is ready to accept requests.) - Auto.
Access to HID devices(Provides universal access to HID devices) - Manually.
Windows Event Log(This service manages events and event logs) - Auto.
Performance Logs and Alerts(The Performance Logging and Alerts service collects data from local and remote computers according to the specified schedule parameters, and then logs the data or issues an alert.) - Manually.
Software Protection(Allows download, installation and enforcement of digital licenses for Windows and Windows applications) - Auto.
Windows Defender(Protection against spyware and potentially dangerous programs) - Auto. However, it is still recommended to use third-party products to protect your computer from viruses.
CNG Key Isolation(The CNG Key Isolation Service is hosted in the LSA process) - Manually.
Windows Management Instrumentation(Provides a common interface and object model for accessing operating system, device, application, and service management information.) - Auto.
Application Compatibility Information(Process compatibility check requests for applications as they launch) - Manually.
Group Policy Client(This service is responsible for applying settings defined by administrators for computers and users through Group Policy.) - Auto.
Changed Link Tracking Client(Supports links of NTFS files moved within a computer or between computers on a network.) - Auto.
Distributed Transaction Coordinator(Coordination of transactions spanning multiple resource managers such as databases, message queues, and file systems.) - Manually.
Windows Presentation Foundation Font Cache(Optimizes the performance of Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) applications by caching commonly used font data.) - Manually.
SNMP trap(Accepts capture messages generated by local or remote SNMP agents and forwards them to SNMP management programs running on this computer.) - Manually.
Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator(In Windows 2003 and earlier versions of Windows, the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator service managed the RPC Name Service database.) - Manually.
Routing and remote access(Offers routing services to organizations in the local and global networks) - Disabled.
IPsec key modules for Internet key exchange and IP authentication(The IKEEXT service contains modules for Internet Key Management (IKE) and Authenticated IP (AuthIP).) - Auto.
DCOM server process launcher module(The DCOMLAUNCH service starts COM and DCOM servers in response to object activation requests) - Auto.
NetBIOS support module over TCP/IP(Provides support for NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT) service and NetBIOS name resolution for clients on the network) - Manually.
Windows Instant Connections - Setup Recorder(The WCNCSVC service contains the Windows Connect Now configuration (Microsoft's implementation of WPS) - Manually
SSDP Discovery(Discovers network devices and services that use the SSDP discovery protocol, such as UPnP devices) - Manually.
Interactive Service Discovery(Enables notification to the user that user input is required for interactive services, which provides access to dialog boxes generated by interactive services as they appear.) - Manually
Computer Browser(Serves a list of computers on the network and provides it to programs upon request) - Manually.
Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)(Provides network address translation, addressing, name resolution, and intrusion prevention services for a home or small office network.) - Disabled.
Shell Hardware Definition(Provides notifications for startup events on various devices.) - Auto.
Basic TPM services(Allows access to the Trusted Platform Module (TPM), which provides hardware-based cryptography services to system components and applications.) - Manually
Your company's CFO sent you a simple email with a "small request": he wants a complete inventory of the computers in your company, including computer locations and information.
software installed on each computer. To the end of the week. This is necessary for the following reasons (select one or more).
- It's time to plan your budget for next year, and you need to determine the amount of funds allocated for software licensing.
- A software audit notification has been received and you must now confirm compliance by providing sufficient licenses for a specific product.
- The CEO has directed that IT infrastructure costs be reduced, and he believes that application standardization is one way to achieve this goal.
What should you do?
Information technology asset management has evolved over the past ten years, with organizations now focusing on effectively managing software assets. The main reason for this is that software is now a much larger investment than before, and there are also growing security, policy and legal issues that need to be addressed. The possibility of being found non-compliant and having to pay large fees or fines on a “true-up” basis has further increased the need for accurate license management.
Large organizations typically use software management tools and resources. These tools are often large, comprehensive solutions designed not only to track hardware and software resources, but also to manage software installation on workstations, monitor performance, and other production functions. Where does that leave organizations that cannot implement such solutions, or that lack the resources and expertise to implement and manage such complex solutions?
Meeting the needs of both large and small businesses has been one of the core ideas behind Software as a Service (SaaS). Microsoft's Software plus Services strategy combines efforts to develop service-based solutions to effectively manage software assets. One of the first such services, Microsoft® Asset Inventory Service, will be released to Software Assurance customers as part of the Desktop Optimization Pack for Software Assurance later this year.
The Asset Inventory Service (AIS), shown in Fig. 1 is an easy to deploy and use hosted service to collect information about the software installed on your organization's computers. This information is accessed through browser-based reporting, and the next version of the service plans to include the ability to analyze Microsoft Volume Licensing agreement deployments.
Rice. 1 Microsoft Asset Inventory Service
The nature of interactive services
What are the reasons for using an interactive solution? There are several good reasons, including immediate availability of updates and new versions, ease of implementation, and reduced deployment and management costs.
Online services are dynamic: just like a web page, content and functionality can be continually updated by providers to improve the user experience and reflect ongoing changes in technology. This provides an exceptional level of flexibility and allows software vendors to provide cutting-edge features, solutions and expertise that enable administrators to manage desktop systems much more ahead of the curve.
The advantage of online services is their ubiquitous availability. Modern information technology environments range from fully networked computers with direct connections to network resources to remote users and branch offices with access to resources via the Internet from a variety of locations. Add in mobile users who almost always connect to your network through web-based email programs, and a complete inventory of your company's information technology assets becomes a very difficult task. This has historically been a major problem with inventory tools, especially on-premises solutions that lacked support for remote/non-network cases.
However, most, if not all, of your computers have Internet connectivity, so you can use online services to manage them without having to implement special measures to provide access to native client-server solutions. The management service is accessed over a secure Internet connection, so your managed account can manage computers from anywhere with Internet access.
Deployment is very simple; to get started, you only need to create an account in the online system. You won't need servers for your environment or invest in new network infrastructure and software platforms. All this means reduced capital investment and administrative costs. Technical support is also simplified as the organization does not have to worry about maintenance and upgrades as new versions of the service are now part of the service agreement.
Using the service
Promoting the development of the online community Asset Inventory Service and System Center Online foster a successful community of users who can influence the evolution of online services. A software directory (wiki style) is a great example of what a user community can contribute to; Users of the service can offer suggestions, corrections and advice.
In the future, the catalog itself may also become a valuable source of information for end users exploring software purchasing options. The service may collect a variety of anonymous statistics to determine software and hardware adoption rates; the information collected will be useful to the end users involved in this work.
The community will also determine the overall direction of the service, providing feedback on prioritizing areas to address specific business needs.
To provide interactive desktop management services, the Microsoft System Center Online team is expanding the platform to not only support the Asset Inventory Service in the short term, but also future services. The service is designed with security, scalability and reliability in mind. AIS is a complete hosted solution with all servers located in Microsoft computer centers. To deploy the solution, customers need to install a small program on all client computers that must be included in the managed inventory.
The Asset Inventory Service is managed by the Microsoft.com team. It is a multi-owner web application that uses web services to ensure the privacy and security of individual users' data; A combination of client and web applications is used to store customer data. Agents running on the client node upload the software inventory to Microsoft's IIS Web service. SSL with mutual authentication protects client data, communication between client and service, and the AIS Web site; For storage purposes, the host uses SQL Server™.
Users sign in to the service to manage accounts and view reports using Windows Live™ ID accounts. The customer's Web site also uses SSL to protect customer data and uses SQL Server Reporting Services to generate reports. The SQL Server databases are mirrored and load balancing is used for high availability of the Web sites. In addition, inventory data is divided into scalable blocks for even greater availability.
Subscription to the Asset Inventory Service is accomplished by purchasing Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack licenses through your Microsoft Volume Licensing Agreement. You can then activate your Asset Inventory Service subscription on the Microsoft Volume Licensing services website at licensing.microsoft.com. To successfully authenticate and register with AIS, you must have a valid Windows Live ID.
During activation, the license administrator designates the Asset Inventory Service subscription administrator by specifying a Windows Live ID. The subscription administrator registers with AIS using a Windows Live ID and completes the AIS activation process. The administrator can then add other users to the service by specifying their Windows Live ID.
Inventory Agent
The client, installed on all computers, is a small, easy-to-deploy agent packaged as a Windows® Installer (MSI) package. The agent installer is downloaded and client deployment is managed from the online service. (Figure 2 shows the management and support interface.) The agent works similar to the Windows Update Agent in that it also communicates regularly with System Center Online servers. The purpose of this is to update the inventory profile at a certain frequency and update itself when a new version of the agent is available.
Rice. 2 Account Management and Client Deployment
The inventory is scheduled to start automatically, no user intervention is required. It is also possible to run the inventory manually if necessary. The first time an agent contacts a service, the public key infrastructure (PKI) certificate credentials are used to provide a user ID to the service and create a unique ID for the computer running the agent. The agent itself, which runs only on a schedule, requires no user interaction, so it requires minimal resources and runs in the background. The size of the downloaded files is small so as not to cause “bursts” in network traffic.
The inventory process itself is simple and efficient. The agent searches registry entries, MSI databases, and other sources for installation information, unlike traditional management systems that reduce user productivity by searching and resolving all executable files on a computer. This process returns software inventory data with friendly names and metadata to identify and classify items so they can be used in various license management activities.
Reporting Services
Once inventory data is loaded, the process of identifying and cataloging it occurs in preparation for displaying the data in reports. Inventory data is mapped to a central software catalog that categorizes the data. This is one of the most important features of the service: inventory data from all clients provides a central software catalog with unique signatures. The Microsoft development team reviews non-confidential and unclassified software signatures and, using a structured taxonomy of software categories and families, classifies the applications represented by the signatures according to their type and functionality. The purpose of these categories is to provide higher level of awareness reporting, allowing users to quickly select the types of software they need, such as antivirus applications only.
Software signatures are also used to consolidate data displayed in reports. For example, there may be a number of versions of the publisher name - one application may report the publisher name as Contoso Software and another as Contoso, so there may be two names in the report. Consolidating publisher and application titles improves the accuracy of reporting on these criteria and the relevance of the data displayed.
Once the user has selected the desired dataset using filters and groups, report content can be exported to a variety of supported formats using SQL Server Reporting Services, including CSV files, Microsoft Word documents, Microsoft Excel® spreadsheets, and PDF files (see Figure 3). This allows for additional external analysis and processing or use of the report as input for other enterprise management systems.
Rice. 3 Inventory report
A future feature of the service will improve the way Microsoft handles licenses, making the process much easier for users. Users will be given the option to download Volume Licensing Agreement pairs, which will then be used to obtain information about license types from the Microsoft Customer License Information Store. This license entitlement data will then be used to generate a report that will include information about all installed licensed Microsoft software and the number of associated licenses.
Using the product ID, which is also obtained during inventory, installed software can be classified by channel: volume license, retail license, and OEM license. This feature is planned to be included in the next version of the Asset Inventory Service.
Prospects
Asset Inventory Service is the first product from System Center Online, but it is by no means the last. As mentioned earlier, the System Center Online team has a long-term goal of providing comprehensive desktop management services that are fully accessible as an online service.
Possible products currently under consideration include information technology asset management for hardware and software inventory and tracking, software distribution and release to provide capabilities similar to Windows Online Software Update Services, and hybrid interactive/local services. We are also exploring whether other desktop management services can handle this type of situation.
For more information about the Microsoft Asset Inventory Service, visit
Some users have observed a certain error in the form of a system message on their computer. Find out what this error is and how to fix it in the article below.
To understand why this error appears, you first need to establish what kind of program is causing it. You can find out the path to the program by clicking on the Program Information link located at the bottom of the error window.
As can be seen from the error itself, it occurs due to partial incompatibility of the program with the Windows operating system.
What to do if the program is incompatible with Windows. In this case, you can use the program to run in compatibility mode for a particular operating system.
To run a program in compatibility mode, right-click on the program shortcut and select Properties.
In the properties window, go to the tab Compatibility and check the box opposite Run the program in compatibility mode .
You can also set the permission level to run this program as an administrator.
Another reason why the error may appear is that the so-called Interactive Service Detection service is running.
How to disable interactive services
In order to disable interactive services on your computer, press Control Panel → Administration → Services(even simpler - Start→ in the search bar enter Services).
In Windows Services, find . Double click on this service → in the line Startup type select Manually , and in the section State click Stop .
As an alternative method, you can reinstall the program. It may have been installed incorrectly earlier, resulting in the error The program running on this computer is trying to display a message. Or due to an incorrect program update.
