Actually, quite the opposite. I have answered many of those type of questions and feelings in the “BV and www.blackviper.com Rant.” Even if you couldn’t care less, you should give it a peek.
Lately, it seems as the XP Services Page has taken over the “purpose” of www.blackviper.com, but I still get plenty of hate mail about the “Anti-Hacks, Cracks and Cheats“ page that I have posted.
The minimum you will need to run bootvis is the following:
Depends. A network connected computer going through another computer and then on to the internet needs the following services:
DHCP Client ~ Unless you are using a static IP address.
Plug and Play ~ No real need to have it disabled.
RPC ~ Required for the next service.
Workstation ~ Needed to connect to a “server.” Also needed for connecting to another computer for File and Print Sharing.
For an analog (modem) connection, you will also need Telephony and anything that service needs to run and your particular connection method. (Auto Connection Manager, etc.)
Leave the Event Log and Windows Management Interface running. They will keep things smooth and the log may tell you if you need something that you do not have running.
Yes. The core of all Windows XP products are the same. Some services are not available in Windows XP Home, but the ability to enable and disable the ones that are still exists. If you do not have some of the services listed, don’t panic! If your computer manufacture “pre-installed” your XP, they choose not to have certain services installed for you.
How did you E-Mail me? Place each service that you disabled back to manual, or even better, Automatic, to see which one you need for your particular configuration. Everyone’s is slightly different (56k ~ ISDN ~ DSL/Cable ~ T1 ~ 10/100) so I cannot have a “guaranteed” internet setup. Actually, the default (as long as it worked before) should do fine. 
You can also try out the “Safe” configuration.
Needless to say, using the “default” is not the point, but if you place each service, one at a time, that deals directly with networking or the internet back to automatic, you can narrow down which is actually required for your configuration. Do look at the dependencies and decide if you may need it! Your internet connection will not be effected if you do not use “Windows Time” for example, nor will “Help and Support” effect auto play on a CD Drive. Tweaking your system always comes with risk.
Take note: The very bare minimum you will need for internet connectivity is the following:
DHCP Client ~ Unless you are using a static IP address.
Plug and Play ~ No real need to have it disabled.
RPC ~ Required for the next Service.
Workstation ~ Needed to connect to a “server” or another computer for File and Print Sharing.
If you do not need ICS, be sure to disable all of the services associated with it. The “Gaming” configuration is a catch all that could be labeled “Power User” or “Slim and Trim” or “Minimum Memory.” I just choose to call it “Gaming” because that is what I do best. You should try out my “Safe” configuration if you are scared about breaking something. Also, view my Services 411 Page for more information on what services you may need or not need if you use your computer for other purposes, like work?!? View all of the Service Configurations.
You can also check out my Windows XP Super Tweaks Page.
No. There is no user configurable services in Windows 95/98/Me. Services appear with the “true” 32-bit OS’s, like WinNT, Win2k and WinXP. Using msconfig, you can check other programs that may be hogging memory, but that is a totally different topic and you should not disable anything that you are not sure if you need. In short, if an application is in the system tray (lower right) it is taking up memory and does not need to be.
You can check my Windows Me Super Tweaks Page for things that you can do to make your computer run a bit faster.