Services.msc: Step-by-Step Guide to Windows Services Management in 2026

Services.msc is the Windows Services console: press Windows key + R, type services.msc and select OK to open it on Windows 11 or Windows 10. From it you start, stop and restart every Windows service, change its startup type, and set its Log On account and recovery actions.

This guide covers what services.msc is used for, nine ways to open it, running it as admin, startup types and dependencies, which services are safe to disable, the Task Manager, Command Prompt and PowerShell equivalents, and fixes for services that will not start.

What is Services MSC used for?

services.msc is the Microsoft Management Console snap-in for the Service Control Manager, the part of Windows that starts and stops services. Microsoft's own troubleshooting articles call it the Services snap-in, the Services console or the Windows Services Manager.

A service is a program that runs in the background without a window, often before anyone signs in. Printing, Windows Update, Windows Search and the firewall all run as services.

Job	Where in Services.msc	Typical reason
Start, stop or restart a service	Right-click the service	A feature stopped working, or an app's support article tells you to restart its service
Change the startup type	Properties > Startup type	Make a service start with Windows, only on demand, or never
Change the account a service runs as	Properties > Log On tab	An app's service needs a specific account or a new password
Set what happens when a service crashes	Properties > Recovery tab	Restart a service automatically after a failure
Read a service's description and status	The service list itself	Find out what a background process is before touching it

For a quick list of running services without opening the console, you can get a list of the services running on your computer.

Most people open the console only when an app's support article says to restart its service, when a feature such as printing or Windows Update stops working, or when a program installed a background service they want to stop from starting with Windows.

How can I open services.msc (Windows Service Manager)?

Every route below opens the same console on Windows 11 and Windows 10. Use an administrator account if you plan to change anything.

1. How to open Services using Search

Select the search box on the taskbar, type Services or services.msc, and press Enter.

2. How to open Services from the Run window

Press Windows key + R, type services.msc in the Open box and select OK. This also works when Windows Search is broken.

3. How to open Services from CMD, PowerShell, or Windows Terminal

Type services.msc at any Command Prompt, PowerShell or Windows Terminal prompt and press Enter.

4. How to start Services from File Explorer (the location of services.msc)

The console file lives at C:\Windows\System32\services.msc. Type that path in the File Explorer address bar, or browse to System32 and double-click services.msc.

5. How to create a shortcut to Services in Windows

Right-click the desktop, select New > Shortcut, enter services.msc as the location, select Next, name it Services and select Finish.

6. How to open Services from the Start Menu

On Windows 11, open Start > All apps > Windows Tools and double-click Services. On Windows 10, select Start > Windows Administrative Tools > Services.

7. How to access Services using the Control Panel

Open Control Panel, set View by to Large icons, then open Windows Tools (Windows 11) or Administrative Tools (Windows 10) and double-click Services.

8. How to view your Windows services from Computer Management

Search for Computer Management, open it, expand Services and Applications and select Services. The same snap-in sits next to Event Viewer and Device Manager.

9. How to open Services using Task Manager

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, open the Services tab, and select Open Services. There are twelve shortcuts to open Task Manager if this is your usual route.

For a quick list of running services without opening the console, you can get a list of the services running on your computer.

How can I run services.msc as admin?

Changing a service needs administrator rights. If you are signed in with an administrator account, Windows asks for User Account Control approval when you apply a change. From a standard account, or to be sure the console runs elevated:

1. Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin) on Windows 11, or search for cmd and select Run as administrator.
2. Approve the User Account Control prompt, entering an administrator password if asked.
3. Type services.msc and press Enter. The console opens with the same administrator rights as the window you started it from.

Without admin rights, the console still opens and lists services, but changes fail with Access is denied.

If a broken service stops Windows from starting normally, you can boot to Safe Mode with the F8 key and open services.msc there to undo the change.

Windows service startup types

Each service has two separate settings. Status is what it is doing now, and Startup type is what Windows does with it at the next boot. A stopped service set to Automatic starts again after a restart.

Microsoft says it chose each default startup type to balance performance, functionality and security, so treat the default as the correct value unless you have a specific reason.

Setting	Value	What it means
Startup type	Automatic	Starts each time the computer restarts and runs even if no one signs in
Startup type	Automatic (Delayed Start)	Starts automatically a short time after the other automatic services. Windows Search uses it by default
Startup type	Manual	Starts only when a user, an app or another service asks for it. A Manual service can still be running
Startup type	Disabled	Cannot be started by a user or an app until you change the startup type
Status	Running / Stopped / Paused	The service is working, not running, or suspended
Status	Start pending / Stop pending	The service is in the middle of starting or stopping
Dependencies	Services it requires	Services that must start first. If an automatic service depends on a Manual one, Windows starts that one automatically too
Dependencies	Dependent services	Services that stop working if you stop or disable this one

To list dependencies exactly, run Get-Service -Name <name> -RequiredServices for the services a service needs, and Get-Service -Name <name> -DependentServices for the services that need it.

Manage Windows Services from Service Manager

Before changing anything, write down the current Startup type and Status. That note is your way back.

Change one service at a time and test after each change. Never disable a service that Microsoft marks as required (see the warning below).

1. Open Services with Windows key + R and services.msc.
2. To start a stopped service, right-click it and select Start.
3. To stop a running service, right-click it and select Stop. Check its dependent services first, because they stop working too.
4. To restart a service, stop it, wait until it no longer shows as running, then right-click it and select Start.
5. To enable or disable it, double-click the service and choose Automatic, Automatic (Delayed Start), Manual or Disabled in Startup type.
6. Select Apply, then OK.
7. Restart the PC if you changed the startup type and want to confirm it takes effect at boot.

Stopping a service lasts until the next restart or until something starts it again. Setting Disabled is the only change that keeps it off across restarts.

Is it safe to disable Windows services?

Microsoft publishes service-by-service guidance for only two scenarios: Windows Server 2016 with Desktop Experience and fixed-function Windows IoT Enterprise devices. Neither is a tuning list for a home Windows 11 PC.

Both pages sort services into Don't disable, OK to disable and No guidance. For services with no guidance, Microsoft says the effect of disabling them isn't fully evaluated, so leave the default configuration alone.

Do not disable Windows services to speed up a PC, and never disable one that Microsoft lists as Don't disable. Microsoft's own examples show the damage: stopping or disabling the Base Filtering Engine significantly reduces system security, and disabling the Time Broker service stops Task Scheduler from starting. Disable a service only when a Microsoft page or the software's own vendor tells you to, and record the original startup type first.

Change a service's Log On account, recovery actions and permissions

These three settings sit in each service's Properties dialog or in policy. Most Windows services never need them changed; they matter most for services that third-party apps install.

Setting	Where	What to know
Log On account	Properties > Log On tab. Select This account, then Browse to pick a user, and fill Password and Confirm Password	Every service runs as an account. LocalSystem has extensive privileges on the PC; LocalService and NetworkService have minimum privileges. Windows does not store service passwords for you, so an expired password makes the service fail to start
Recovery actions	Properties > Recovery tab	Sets what happens after the first, second and later failures: no action, restart the service, run a program, or restart the computer. A program run here runs under the service's account
Reset fail count after	Recovery tab	Days after which Windows forgets earlier failures. Microsoft suggests 1 day for a crashing service; with a reset period of 0 and a restart action, a crashing service restarts in a continuous loop
Service permissions	Set-Service -Name <name> -SecurityDescriptorSddl <SDDL> in an elevated PowerShell window	Changes who may start, stop or configure a service. The account running it needs WRITE_DAC and WRITE_OWNER rights. Leave Windows services at their defaults
Startup type by policy	Group Policy: Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > System Services	How organisations set startup types on many PCs.

Change a Log On account only when the software vendor documents it. After you change the account or password, restart the service so it signs in with the new credentials.

Manage Windows Services from Task Manager

Task Manager handles quick starts and stops but not startup types, Log On or recovery settings.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc and open the Services tab.
2. Find the service by its name or description; the Status column shows Running or Stopped.
3. Right-click it and select Start, Stop or Restart.
4. Select Open Services when you need the full properties dialog.

Manage Windows Services from Command Prompt

Open Command Prompt as administrator. sc.exe uses the service name, such as BITS or wuauserv, not the display name.

1. Check one service: sc.exe query BITS. The STATE line shows RUNNING or STOPPED.
2. List every service: sc.exe query state= all.
3. Start or stop it: sc.exe start BITS or sc.exe stop BITS. net start BITS and net stop BITS do the same.
4. Change the startup type: sc.exe config BITS start= delayed-auto. Other values are auto, demand (Manual) and disabled. Type the space after start=; without it the command fails.

Manage Windows Services from PowerShell

Open Windows PowerShell or Terminal with Run as administrator; there are four ways to run PowerShell as administrator if the right-click option is missing. Microsoft's reference states that Set-Service requires elevated permissions. Commands take the service name; run Get-Service to see names and display names together.

1. List every service with its status and startup type: Get-Service | Select-Object Name, DisplayName, Status, StartType.
2. Find a service by part of its display name: Get-Service -DisplayName "*network*".
3. Start, stop or restart it: Start-Service -Name BITS, Stop-Service -Name BITS, Restart-Service -Name BITS.
4. Stop a service that others depend on: Stop-Service -Name <name> -Force -Confirm. -Force also stops the dependent services.
5. Change the startup type: Set-Service -Name BITS -StartupType Manual. Accepted values in Windows PowerShell 5.1 are Automatic, Manual and Disabled; PowerShell 7 adds AutomaticDelayedStart.
6. Confirm the change: Get-Service -Name BITS | Select-Object Name, StartType, Status.

Type sc.exe with the extension inside PowerShell, as Microsoft's command reference does. Use -WhatIf with Set-Service to preview a change without applying it.

After any change, check it held:

1. Close Services.msc, open it again with services.msc, and read the status and startup type shown for the service.
2. In PowerShell, run Get-Service -Name <name> | Select-Object Name, StartType, Status. The output should show the values you set.
3. In Command Prompt, run sc.exe query <name>. The STATE line shows RUNNING or STOPPED.
4. If you changed the startup type, restart the PC and check again. An Automatic service should show Running after sign-in.
5. Test the feature that depends on the service, such as printing after starting Print Spooler.

How to undo a service change

1. Open services.msc, double-click the service and set Startup type back to the value you noted.
2. Select Apply, then right-click the service and select Start if it was running before.
3. If you do not know the original value, check Microsoft's documentation for that service rather than guessing. Microsoft's default settings are the baseline.
4. If you used a clean boot in System Configuration, run msconfig, choose Normal Startup on the General tab, clear Hide all Microsoft services on the Services tab, select Enable all and Apply, then restart.
5. If Windows no longer starts after a service change, let it enter the Windows Recovery Environment after a few failed starts and use its recovery options.

Windows service won't start: common errors and fixes

Check Event Viewer first. Microsoft points to the System and Application logs for service start failures, and to Event ID 1000 to find a crashing program.

"The service on Local Computer started and then stopped"

A service it needs is stopped or disabled. Microsoft's example: Task Scheduler shows this when the Time Broker service is disabled.

1. Run Get-Service -Name <name> -RequiredServices to list the services it needs.
2. In services.msc, set each required service back to its default startup type.
3. Start the required services, then start the original service.
4. Restart the PC and confirm both show Running.

Error 5: Access is denied

You are not running with administrator rights, or the service's account lacks a permission it needs.

1. Sign in with an administrator account, or open PowerShell with Run as administrator before running Set-Service.
2. On a work or school PC, ask your IT admin. Services there are often set by policy.
3. For Task Scheduler specifically, Microsoft traces this error to the SYSTEM account losing write access to the System event log; follow its Task Scheduler troubleshooting article.

Error 1079: the account differs from other services in the same process

The service was set to run as Local System instead of Local Service. Microsoft documents this for Windows Time, Windows Event Log and Windows Firewall.

1. Double-click the service in services.msc and select the Log On tab.
2. In This account, type NT AUTHORITY\LocalService.
3. Leave both password boxes blank, then select Apply and OK.
4. Repeat for services that depend on it, then restart both.

Error 126: The specified module could not be found

A system file the service loads is missing, or its registry configuration points to the wrong file.

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator.
2. Run sfc /scannow to repair missing or corrupted system files.
3. Restart the PC and start the service again.

The Startup type box is greyed out or will not change

The service is protected, or a Group Policy sets its startup type. Since Windows 10, the Application Identity service is protected and its startup type cannot be set to Automatic in the Services snap-in.

1. On a managed PC, ask IT; the value comes from System Services policy.
2. For a protected service that Microsoft documents, use an elevated prompt, for example sc.exe config appidsvc start= auto for Application Identity.
3. Back up the system first. Microsoft notes that Application Identity cannot be set back to Manual with sc.exe.

A service keeps crashing and restarting

A faulty service with a recovery action and a reset period of 0 restarts in a continuous loop.

1. Find the failing program under Event ID 1000 in Event Viewer.
2. Double-click the service in services.msc and open the Recovery tab.
3. Set Reset fail count after to 1 day, then select OK.
4. Update or reinstall the software that owns the service.

An app or game fails and you suspect a background service

A non-Microsoft service conflicts with it.

1. Run msconfig and open the Services tab.
2. Select Hide all Microsoft services, then Disable all, and select Apply.
3. Restart and test the app. If it works, re-enable half of the services at a time to find the one causing it.
4. When done, return to Normal Startup as described in the undo steps above.

The clean boot hides Microsoft services on purpose. Leave Load system services selected; Microsoft notes that clearing it also stops the Windows Installer service from starting.

Services.msc vs PowerShell, Task Manager, and Computer Management

All of these tools talk to the same Service Control Manager, so a change in one shows up in the others. Pick by the job, not by habit.

Your situation	Use this	Why
Change one service on this PC	Services.msc	Shows descriptions, startup type, Log On and Recovery in one dialog
Quickly start or stop a service	Task Manager > Services tab	Already open; no startup-type or recovery settings
Script a change or change several services	PowerShell: Get-Service, Set-Service, Restart-Service	Pipe several services to Set-Service in one line; works remotely through Invoke-Command
Set a delayed start in Windows PowerShell 5.1, or work from Command Prompt	sc.exe config	Supports delayed-auto, which Set-Service in 5.1 does not
Services plus logs and devices in one window	Computer Management	Contains the same Services snap-in next to Event Viewer
Isolate a conflicting third-party service	System Configuration (msconfig)	Hide all Microsoft services keeps Windows services out of the test
Enforce startup types on many PCs	Group Policy System Services	Applies the setting on every computer the policy covers

Services.msc FAQ

Bing autocomplete returned no questions for this query; these come from the questions the competing guide answers and from its section headings.

Is it safe to disable Windows services in Services.msc?

Usually not. Microsoft chose default startup types to balance performance, functionality and security, and it publishes disable guidance only for Windows Server 2016 and Windows IoT Enterprise devices. Disable a service only when Microsoft or the software vendor tells you to, and note the original setting first.

What is the difference between Manual, Automatic, and Automatic Delayed Start?

Automatic starts the service at every boot, even before anyone signs in. Automatic (Delayed Start) starts it a short time after the other automatic services. Manual starts it only when a user, an app or another service requests it.

What should I do if a service will not start?

Read the error first. "Started and then stopped" usually means a required service is disabled, so check it with Get-Service -RequiredServices. Error 5 means missing permissions, error 1079 means the wrong Log On account, and error 126 means a missing file that sfc /scannow can repair.

Do I need administrator rights to change services?

Yes. Changing a startup type, Log On account or recovery setting needs an administrator account. In PowerShell, Microsoft states that Set-Service requires elevated permissions, so open the window with Run as administrator. Use an elevated prompt for sc.exe config as well.

Should I use Services.msc or PowerShell to manage Windows services?

Use Services.msc for a one-off change, because it shows the description, startup type, Log On and Recovery settings in one place. Use PowerShell to script changes, change several services at once or manage a remote PC through Invoke-Command.

How do I see which services depend on a service?

Run Get-Service -Name followed by the service name and -DependentServices in PowerShell. Use -RequiredServices instead to see the services it needs. Stopping a service also affects every service that depends on it.

What is the difference between a service name and a display name?

The display name is the friendly label in Services.msc, such as Background Intelligent Transfer Service. The service name is the short registry name, such as BITS, which sc.exe and Set-Service expect. Run Get-Service to see both in the Name and DisplayName columns.