- Comprehensive management of services Windows from the graphical interface and the line of commands for complete control of the system.
- Secure identification, customization, and management of user and system services in a variety of scenarios.
- Advanced automation using scripts, group policies, and registry editing to optimize and secure computers.
Manage Windows Services It's one of those tasks that often goes unnoticed until we actually need to optimize the system, fix a problem, or customize how our computer works. Often, we simply use the computer without thinking about the processes and services that are active and how they affect performance or security.
Mastering the services console (services.msc), command-line tools, and understanding how services work on a per-user basis can make the difference between a smooth experience and unexpected issues. If you want to become a true expert in managing services in Windows (both from the graphical interface and using scripts and commands), here's the definitive guide.
What is a service in Windows and why is it important to manage them?
Un the service In Windows, it is a program that usually runs in the background and generally does not interact directly with the user. Services can take care of essential functions of the system, such as credential management, networking, updates, printing, data synchronization, or extra features provided by third-party applications (antivirus, drivers, virtualization tools, etc.).
Proper management of these services allows for optimizing performance, improving security and avoiding conflicts or unnecessary resource consumption.. Additionally, knowing how to enable, disable, or restart them can help you when you encounter errors, slowness, or just want to customize your Windows.
Differences between process and service: key concepts
- Processing: It is any program or set of instructions that is running, it can be in the foreground or background, and it usually has a lifespan limited to the use that the user gives it.
- Service: They typically work in the background and remain running continuously or on demand, depending on their configuration. Services can be started, stopped, paused, resumed, and even restarted, and are typically managed by the operating system itself.
Processes can launch services and vice versa, but the key is that services persist beyond the user session and can be available even before logging into the system.
Where to view and how to manage services in Windows?
There are several ways to manage services in Windows, the most used being the graphical console services.msc, the tool Task Manager and command line utilities like PowerShell, CMD y SC.
Access the services panel (services.msc)
- You can open the panel from the Start menu by searching for “services” and selecting the app that appears.
- Another common way is to press Windows + R, to write services.msc and press Enter.
The Services panel displays a list of all installed services, their status (running, stopped, etc.), startup type (automatic, manual, disabled), and allows you to manage them in basic and advanced ways.
Task Manager
- You can access by clicking Ctrl + Shift + Esc or right-click on the taskbar and select “Task Manager.”
- From the “Services” tab, you’ll see a list; you can start/stop services and view their properties.
Command line: CMD and PowerShell
Command-line management is ideal for advanced users, administrators, and for automating tasks. Allows you to list, start, stop, and modify services quickly and accurately.
Types of services in Windows
- System services: native to Windows, essential for the functioning of the operating system.
- Per-user services: Created when a user logs in, they operate in their context and disappear when they log out. They allow for better resource management and personalized security.
- Third-party services: installed by external programs (antivirus, browsers, printers, etc.).
Highlighting services per user is essential, since starting with Windows 10 and especially in Windows 11, are more relevant than ever and require a specific management approach.
Services per user: what they are, how to identify and manage them
When you log on to Windows, the system creates services for each user based on templates stored in the Registry. These services:
- They operate in the security context of the logged-in user instead of using system or predefined accounts.
- They are stopped and deleted when the user logs out.
- They provide customization and isolation, but some may be key dependencies for applications.
Examples of services per user may be the history of the clipboard, mail and contacts synchronization, Bluetooth support, backup in the cloud, user experiences, among others. Each one is identified by a name to which a unique identifier (LUID) is appended, for example “OneSyncSvc_443f50.”
List of common services by user
- Agent Activation Runtime (AarSvc): makes it easy to activate conversational agent applications.
- Clipboard User Service (cbdhsvc): enables clipboard history and synchronization.
- Technical support service for Bluetooth users.
- Cloud backup and restore service.
- Synchronize Host (OneSyncSvc): Syncs mail, contacts and calendar.
- Access and storage user data (UserDataSvc and UnistoreSvc).
- Web Threat Defense User Service: Strengthens protection against web threats.
- Windows Push Notification User Service (WpnUserService): Manages local and push notifications.
The list is extensive and may vary depending on the version of the operating system. It is essential to review the dependencies before modifying or disabling any, since many applications depend on the functioning of these services.
How to view services by user
- They are shown in services.msc with an expanded name (example:
Sync Host_443f50). - With PowerShell You can list them by filtering by type of service:
Get-Service | Where-Object { ($_.ServiceType -band 64) -eq 64 } | Format-Table DisplayName, Name, StartType, ServiceType - From the command line using
sc qcto query templates and user instances.
Methods to start, stop, pause, restart, and kill services
From services.msc
- Right-click on a service to view the context menu: Start, Stop, Pause, Resume, and Restart.
- It only affects the current system session. Upon restart, the service returns to its default state unless you change the Start type in Properties.
Types of service start
- Automatic: starts with the system.
- Automatic (delayed start): starts after Boot the system, useful for urgent non-essential services.
- Manual: requires intervention to start.
- Disabled: will never start until enabled again.
Advanced management from PowerShell
- List services:
Get-Service - Filter services:
Get-Service -displayname "Nombre*" - Start:
Start-Service -Name NombreServicio - Stop:
Stop-Service -Name NombreServicio - Pause:
Suspend-Service -Name NombreServicio - Restart:
Restart-Service -Name NombreServicio - To disable:
Set-Service -Name NombreServicio -StartupType Disabled - Enable:
Set-Service -Name NombreServicio -StartupType Automatic
These commands can be combined and adapted to your needs. For automated scripts, it's essential to run them as an administrator.
Management from CMD (net and sc)
- Starting a service:
net start NombreServicio - Stop a service:
net stop NombreServicio - Pause:
net pause NombreServicio - Resume:
net continue NombreServicio - Advanced management with
sc: allows you to query, start, stop, pause, delete and create local and remote services. - Eliminate:
sc delete NombreServicio
Advanced Automation and Administration: Group and Log Templates
If you manage multiple computers or want to apply settings centrally, there are advanced methods:
Group Policy and Security Templates
- It allows you to automate the management of specific services (especially some per-user services) using policies in the corporate environment.
- Allows you to change the startup state of services by adding the desired configuration to the security template.
Direct modification of the registry
- Services, and especially their templates, are stored in
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services. - To disable a service directly, modify the value Start in the sub-registry corresponding to 4 (disabled).
Example with PowerShell or CMD:
REG.EXE ADD HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\NombreServicio /v Start /t REG_DWORD /d 4 /f
Passionate writer about the world of bytes and technology in general. I love sharing my knowledge through writing, and that's what I'll do on this blog, show you all the most interesting things about gadgets, software, hardware, tech trends, and more. My goal is to help you navigate the digital world in a simple and entertaining way.