GeezerVison is showing ss64.com — SC - Service Control command - Windows CMD

SC.exe

Service Control - Create, Start, Stop, Query or Delete any Windows SERVICE. The command options for SC are case sensitive.

Syntax

   Indicate whether the last boot should be saved as the last-known-good boot configuration:
      SC [\\server] boot {OK | bad}

   Configure a service:
      SC [\\server] config service_name [option1] [option2]...

   CONTINUE a service:
      SC [\\server] continue [service_name]

   Send a control to a service:
      SC [\\server] control [service_name] [{paramchange | netbindadd | netbindremove | netbindenable
                                          | netbinddisable | UserDefinedControlB}]

   Create a service (add it to the registry):
      SC [\\server] create service_name [binPath= ] [option1] [option2]...

   Delete a service (from the registry):
      SC [\\server] delete [service_name]

   Change the description of a service:
      SC [\\server] description [service_name] [Description]

   Enumerate service Dependencies:
      SC [\\server] enumdepend [service_name] [BufferSize]

   Change the actions taken by a service upon failure: (delay times in MS milliseconds)
      SC [\\server] failure [service_name] [reset= ErrorFreePeriod] [reboot= BroadcastMessage]
            [command= CommandLine] [actions= {"" | {[run/MS] | [restart/MS] | [reboot/MS]}[/...]]

            ErrorFreePeriod Specifies the number of seconds with no failures after which the failure
            count will reset to 0. This parameter requires the actions= parameter.

   Change the failure actions flag of a service:
      SC [\\server] failureflag [service_name] [Flag]
            The default flag value is 0 (no action). If this is set to 1, and if the user has already
            configured recovery actions for service failures, then the recovery actions will also be
            triggered if the service stops because of an error.

   Get the DisplayName of a service:
      SC [\\server] getdisplayname [service_name] [BufferSize]
      
   Get the ServiceKeyName of a service:
      SC [\\server] getkeyname [service_name] [BufferSize]
      
   Send an INTERROGATE control request to a service:
      SC [\\server] interrogate [service_name]

   Lock the services database:
      Locking the Service Control Manager's database prevents any services from starting.
      Use this command if you want to make sure that a service will not be started after it
      has been stopped. This will enable you to perform an action (for example, deleting the service)
      without interference. Unlock the database by typing u.
      You can also stop the process from which you locked the database.

      SC Lock

   Query the LockStatus for the SCManager Database:
   This will show if a service request is running.
      SC Querylock

   Change the service to mark the service account as being managed by LSA:
      SC [\\server] managedserviceaccount [service_name] {true | false}

   Set the preferred NUMA mode of a service you own: (to remove this, set Node No. to -1)
      SC [\\server] preferrednode [service_name] [Node-Number]

   Change the required privileges of a service:
      (separate multiple privs with / e.g. SeBackupPrivilege/SeRestorePrivilege)
      SC [\\server] privs [service_name] [privileges]

   PAUSE a service:
      SC [\\server] pause [service_name]

   Query the configuration:
      SC [\\server] qc [service_name] [BufferSize]

   Query the configuration:
      SC [\\server] qc [service_name] [BufferSize]

   Query the description of a service:
      SC [\\server] Qdescription [service_name] [BufferSize]

   Query the actions taken by a service upon failure:
      SC [\\server] Qfailure [service_name] [BufferSize]

   Query whether the service uses an account with a password managed by LSA:
      SC [\\server] Qmanagedaccount [service_name] 

   Query the preferred NUMA node of a service:
      SC [\\server] Qpreferrednode [service_name] 

   Query the process protection level of a service:
      SC [\\server] Qprotection [service_name]

   Query the required privileges of a service:
      SC [\\server] Qprivs [service_name] [BufferSize]

   Query the service SID Type of a service: (RESTRICTED / UNRESTRICTED / NONE)
      SC [\\server] Qsidtype [service_name]

   Query the trigger parameters of a service:
      SC [\\server] Qtriggerinfo [service_name] [BufferSize]

   Query for a local instance of a User Service Template:
      SC [\\server] Quserservice [Service_Template_Name] 

   Show status of a service or enumerate the status for types of service:
      SC [\\server] query [service_name] [type= {driver | service | all}]
         [type= {own | share | interact | kernel | filesys | rec | adapt}]
            [state= {active | inactive | all}]
               [bufsize= Buffersize] [ri= Resumeindex] [group= groupname] [/?]

      The type= parameter can be used twice in some cases. The first appearance specifies
      whether to query services, drivers, or both (all). The second appearance of the type= parameter
      specifies a type from the create operation to further narrow a query's scope.

   Show extended information, pid, flags:
      SC [\\server] queryex [service_name] [type= {driver | service | userservice | all}]
        [type= {own | share | interact | kernel | filesys | rec | adapt}]
           [state= {active | inactive | all}] [bufsize= BufferSize]
              [ri= ResumeIndex] [group= {"" | GroupName}] [/?]

   Set a service’s security descriptor using SDDL:
      SC [\\server] sdset service_name ServiceSecurityDescriptor

   Display a service’s security descriptor using SDDL:
      SC [\\server] sdshow service_name

   Display the service SID string corresponding to an arbritary name:
   (name can be an existing or non-existent service)
      SC [\\server] showsid name

   Change the service SID Type of a service:
      SC [\\server] sidtype [service_name] {none | unrestricted | restricted}

   START a service:
      SC [\\server] start service_name [ServiceArguments]

   STOP a service:
      SC [\\server] stop service_name

   Configure the trigger parameters of a service:
      (list the options with SC triggerinfo)
      SC [\\server] triggerinfo [service_name] [option1] [option2]...

Key
   server       : The machine where the service is running

   service_name : The KeyName of the service, this is often but not always
                  the same as the DisplayName shown in Control Panel, Services.
                  You can get the KeyName by running: 
                     SC GetKeyName DisplayName

   BufferSize : Size of the enumeration/display buffer in bytes, Default = 1024.
               When the display resulting from a command exceeds the size of the buffer,
               a message similar to the following is displayed:
               Enum: more data, need 2130 bytes start resume at index 75

               The remaining output could be displayed by typing:
               sc queryex bufsize= 2130 ri= 75

   qryOpt:
          type= driver|service|all
                         Query specific types of service.

          state= active|inactive|all
                         The started state of the service to be enumerated.

          bufsize= bytes 
          ri= resume_index_number (default=0)
          group= groupname
                         Query services in a particular group.

   Options for Create and Config:

          binPath= BinaryPathName to the .exe file
          depend= Dependencies (separated by / (forward slash))
          DisplayName= display_name
          error= { normal|severe|critical|ignore }
          group= LoadOrderGroup
          obj= { AccountName|ObjectName }
          password= password
          start= { boot|system|auto|demand|disabled|delayed-auto }
          tag= { yes|no }
          type= { own|share|interact|kernel|filesys|rec|userown|usershare }

         Defaults when creating a service: type= own, start= demand, error= normal, obj= LocalSystem

         NOTE: The option name includes the equal sign. A space is required between the equal sign and
         the value. e.g. to disable a service: SC config "Name of Service" start= disabled

The qryOpt options above are case sensitive, they must be entered in lower case.

If [service_name] is left blank, most SC commands will display help.

Kernel device drivers are not displayed in the Windows Control Panel ➞ Services but can be displayed by SC.

Query a Service state

SC query will display if a service is running, giving output like this:
     SERVICE_NAME       : messenger
     TYPE               : 20  WIN32_SHARE_PROCESS
     STATE              : 4  RUNNING
                             (STOPPABLE,NOT_PAUSABLE,ACCEPTS_SHUTDOWN)
     WIN32_EXIT_CODE    : 0  (0x0)
     SERVICE_EXIT_CODE  : 0  (0x0)
     CHECKPOINT         : 0x0
     WAIT_HINT          : 0x0
To retrieve specific information from SC’s output, pipe into FIND or FindStr
e.g.
  C:\> SC query messenger | FIND "STATE" | FIND "STOPPED"

  C:\> SC query messenger | FIND "STATE" | FIND "RUNNING"
The statements above will return an %ERRORLEVEL% = 1 if the text is not found

IF errorlevel 1 GOTO :my_subroutine

The NET START command can be used in a similar way to check if a service is running:
   NET START | FIND "Service name" > nul
   IF errorlevel 1 ECHO The service is not running
Watch out for extra spaces:
SC QUERY state= all Works
SC QUERY state =all Fails!

Start a Service

Start the schedule service:

SC start schedule

The service control manager will normally wait up to 30 seconds to allow a service to start, you can modify this time (30,000 milliseconds) in the registry

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control
ServicesPipeTimeout (REG_DWORD)

Some options only take effect at the point when the service is started e.g. the SC config command allows the executable of a service to be changed. When the service next starts up it will run the new executable. Config changes requires the current user to have “permission to configure the service”.

PowerShell

Like every other external command SC can be run under PowerShell instead of CMD, however there is one extra complication for SC and that is the standard PowerShell alias SC which redirects to the Set-Content cmdlet.

To avoid that, use the call operator to run SC.exe from PowerShell:

& sc.exe

Examples

Find the service name given a display name:

SC GetKeyName "task scheduler"

Find a display name given a service name:

SC GetDisplayName schedule

Query a service state:

SC QUERY schedule

Start a service:

SC start schedule

Disable a service:

SC CONFIG "Schedule" start= disabled

Delete a service:

SC delete MyDemoSvc

List all drivers:

SC QUERY type= driver

List all services:

SC QUERY state= all |findstr "DISPLAY_NAME STATE" >svc_installed.txt

Display extended information about all service groups:

SC queryex group= ""

Configure a service:

SC \\Server64 CONFIG myService obj= ServiceAcct64 password= pa55w0rd

SC CONFIG MyService binPath=c:\myprogram.exe obj=".\LocalSystem" password=""

Disable Windows Update:

SC config wuauserv start= disabled
NET stop wuauserv

SC config bits start= disabled
NET stop bits

SC config dosvc start= disabled
NET stop dosvc

Re-enable Windows Update:

SC config wuauserv start= auto
NET start wuauserv

SC config bits start= disabled
NET start bits

SC config dosvc start= disabled
NET start dosvc

Enable remote registry access on computer64:

SC \\computer64 config remoteregistry start= auto
SC \\computer64 start remoteregistry

“There is always room at the top” ~ Daniel Webster

Related commands

NET service - Start/Stop services.
PsService - View and control services.
SUBINACL - Set service permissions.
WMIC SERVICE - WMI access to services.
Win32_Service class error return codes.
List of Windows Services
Q251192 - Create a Windows Service using SC.
Q166819 - Control Services Remotely.
Q170738 - Debug a Windows Service.

Equivalent PowerShell:
Get-Service - Get a list of services.
New-Service - Create a new service.
Invoke-CimMethod - Start/stop services via CIM.
Restart-Service - Stop and then restart a service.
Resume-Service - Resume a suspended service.
Set-Service - Change the start mode/properties of a service.
Start-Service - Start a stopped service.
Stop-Service - Stop a running service.
Equivalent bash command (Linux): nice - Change job scheduling priority.