PC World : Speed Up Windows by Stripping It Down

"Windows can do all sorts of amazing things, some of which you might actually want it to do. Unfortunately, the things you don't want it to do can slow it down. By turning off unnecessary programs, processes, and services, you can unburden Windows and help it live up to its full potential.
Some of the following suggestions may not produce a noticeable improvement in performance individually. But their cumulative effect can be to speed up your system significantly."~Lincoln Spector

http://www.pcworld.com/article/218323/speed_up_windows_by_stripping_it_down.html?&tk=hp_fv

I must say that this article is quite good at walking you through some steps, however it doesn't give any help when you head to the services area. I would not recommend anyone who hasn't been there before or hasn't a clue to go into the services and play around. That can mess up your computer pretty quickly and there may not be a quick way back. But all in all this was a good article for a beginner-to-novice level person to speed up their computer easily.