Start-Service

Starts one or more stopped services.

Syntax

Description

The Start-Service cmdlet sends a start message to the Windows Service Controller for each of the specified services. If a service is already running, the message is ignored without error. You can specify the services by their service names or display names, or you can use the InputObject parameter to supply a service object that represents the services that you want to start.

Examples

Example 1: Start a service by using its name

This example starts the EventLog service on the local computer. The Name parameter identifies the service by its service name.

Example 2: Display information without starting a service

This example shows what would occur if you started the services that have a display name that includes «remote».

The DisplayName parameter identifies the services by their display name instead of their service name. The WhatIf parameter causes the cmdlet to display what would happen when you run the command but does not make changes.

Example 3: Start a service and record the action in a text file

This example starts the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) service on the computer and adds a record of the action to the services.txt file.

First we use Get-Service to get an object that represent the WMI service and store it in the $s variable. Next, we start the service. Without the PassThru parameter, Start-Service does not create any output. The pipeline operator (|) passes the object output by Start-Service to the Format-List cmdlet to format the object as a list of its properties. The append redirection operator (>>) redirects the output to the services.txt file. The output is added to the end of the existing file.

Example 4: Start a disabled service

This example shows how to start a service when the start type of the service is Disabled.

The first attempt to start the Telnet service (tlntsvr) fails. The Get-CimInstance command shows that the StartMode property of the Tlntsvr service is Disabled. The Set-Service cmdlet changes the start type to Manual. Now, we can resubmit the Start-Service command. This time, the command succeeds. To verify that the command succeeded, run Get-Service .

Parameters

Prompts you for confirmation before running the cmdlet.

Type:	SwitchParameter
Aliases:	cf
Position:	Named
Default value:	False
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

Specifies the display names of the services to start. Wildcard characters are permitted.

Type:	String [ ]
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	True

Specifies services that this cmdlet omits. The value of this parameter qualifies the Name parameter. Enter a name element or pattern, such as s* . Wildcard characters are permitted.

Type:	String [ ]
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	True

Specifies services that this cmdlet starts. The value of this parameter qualifies the Name parameter. Enter a name element or pattern, such as s* . Wildcard characters are permitted.

Type:	String [ ]
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	True

Specifies ServiceController objects representing the services to be started. Enter a variable that contains the objects, or type a command or expression that gets the objects.

Type:	ServiceController [ ]
Position:	0
Default value:	None
Accept pipeline input:	True
Accept wildcard characters:	False

Specifies the service names for the service to be started.

The parameter name is optional. You can use Name or its alias, ServiceName, or you can omit the parameter name.

Type:	String [ ]
Aliases:	ServiceName
Position:	0
Default value:	None
Accept pipeline input:	True
Accept wildcard characters:	False

Returns an object that represents the service. By default, this cmdlet does not generate any output.

Type:	SwitchParameter
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

Shows what would happen if the cmdlet runs. The cmdlet is not run.

Type:	SwitchParameter
Aliases:	wi
Position:	Named
Default value:	False
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

Inputs

System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController, System.String

You can pipe objects that represent the services or strings that contain the service names to this cmdlet.

Outputs

None, System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController

This cmdlet generates a System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController object that represents the service, if you specify PassThru. Otherwise, this cmdlet does not generate any output.

Notes

This cmdlet is only available on Windows platforms.

• You can also refer to Start-Service by its built-in alias, sasv . For more information, see about_Aliases.
• Start-Service can control services only if the current user has permission to do this. If a command does not work correctly, you might not have the required permissions.
• To find the service names and display names of the services on your system, type Get-Service . The service names appear in the Name column, and the display names appear in the DisplayName column.
• You can start only the services that have a start type of Manual, Automatic, or Automatic (Delayed Start). You cannot start the services that have a start type of Disabled. If a Start-Service command fails with the message Cannot start service \ on computer , use Get-CimInstance to find the start type of the service and, if you have to, use the Set-Service cmdlet to change the start type of the service.
• Some services, such as Performance Logs and Alerts (SysmonLog) stop automatically if they have no work to do. When PowerShell starts a service that stops itself almost immediately, it displays the following message: Service \ start failed.

How to start and stop services manually on Windows 10

Source: Windows Central

On Windows 10, services are programs that run in the background without a user interface and enable system features (such as printing, networking, remote access, File Explorer, Windows Search, updates, etc.) and apps to operate as intended.

Although the system does a pretty good job managing background services, sometimes, you may need to control them manually when a feature or app isn’t working correctly, or an app requires you to manage its services manually.

Whatever the case it might be, Windows 10 includes at least four methods to stop, start, disable, or enable services using the Services console, Task Manager, Command Prompt, and PowerShell.

In this Windows 10 guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to manage system and apps services on your computer.

How to manage services using Services console

Using the Services consoles is perhaps the simplest method to stop, start, disable, or enable one or multiple services on Windows 10.

Stop service

To stop a running service using Services, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Services and click the top result to open the console.
3. Double-click the service that you intend to stop.

Click the Stop button.

Source: Windows Central

Quick tip: You can also manage the state by right-clicking the service and selecting the option. Or you can select the service and then use the controls at the top to start, stop, pause, or restart.

Click the Apply button.

Click the OK button.

Once you complete the steps, the service will stop running on the device.

If you’re unable to stop a system service, consider that some services are required for the operation of Windows 10, and they can’t be stopped.

Start service

To start a service on Windows 10, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Services and click the top result to open the console.
3. Double-click the service that you intend to stop.

Click the Start button.

Source: Windows Central

Click the Apply button.

Click the OK button.

After you complete the steps, the service you specified will start for the current session.

Disable service

To set a service a disabled, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Services and click the top result to open the console.
3. Double-click the service that you intend to stop.
4. Click the Stop button.

Use the «Start type» drop-down menu and select the Disabled option.

Source: Windows Central

Click the Apply button.

Click the OK button.

Once you complete the steps, the service will no longer start automatically after restarting your device.

Enable service

To enable a specific service, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Services and click the top result to open the console.
3. Double-click the service that you intend to stop.
4. Click the Start button.

Use the «Start type» drop-down menu and select the Automatic option.

These are the Startup types on Windows 10:

• Automatic – service starts at boot.
• Automatic (Delayed Start) – service start after boot.
• Manual – starts service manually as needed.
• Disabled – stops service from running.

Source: Windows Central

Click the Apply button.

Click the OK button.

After you complete the steps, the Windows 10 or app service will enable, but if it was in a stopped state, you’d need to start it manually or restart the device for the service to run.

How to manage services using Task Manager

Task Manager also includes a section to quickly manage services for Windows 10 and apps.

To stop, start, or restart a service using Task Manager, use these steps:

Open Start.

Search for Task Manager and click the top result to open the app.

Quick tip: Windows 10 includes many other ways to open the experience, including right-clicking the taskbar and selecting the Task Manager option and using the Ctrl + Shift + ESC keyboard shortcut.

Right-click the service name, and select one of the options:

• Stop.
• Start.
• Restart.

Source: Windows Central

Quick note: Task Manager only displays the service name, not the display name. For example, if you’re using this method, you’ll the «Print Spooler» defined as «Spooler.»

Once you complete the steps, the service will respond to the option you selected.

How to manage services using PowerShell

You can also use PowerShell commands to manage background services for Windows 10 and apps.

Stop service

To stop a specific service with PowerShell, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

(Optional) Type the following command to view a list of all the services and press Enter:

Source: Windows Central

Type the following command to stop a service and press Enter:

Stop-Service -Name «SERVICE-NAME»

For example, this command stops the printer spooler service on Windows 10:

Stop-Service -Name «spooler»

Source: Windows Central

In the command, replace «SERVICE-NAME» for the name of the service that you intend to stop. If you want to use the display name, replace -Name for -DisplayName and then specify the display name of the service.

Alternatively, you can also use this variant of the command to stop the service:

Set-Service -Name «SERVICE-NAME» -Status stopped

Source: Windows Central

In the command, replace «SERVICE-NAME» for the name of the service that you intend to stop. If you want to use the display name, replace -Name for -DisplayName and then specify the display name of the service. You only need the quotation marks if there’s a space within the name.

Quick tip: If you’re getting a dependency error, you can append the -force option in either of the commands to stop the service. For example, Stop-Service -Name «SERVICE-NAME» -Force .

After you complete the steps, the PowerShell command will stop the service on your device.

Start service

To start a Windows 10 or app service with PowerShell, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

Type the following command to start a service and press Enter:

Start-Service -Name «SERVICE-NAME»

For example, this command starts the printer spooler service on Windows 10:

Start-Service -Name «spooler»

Source: Windows Central

In the command, replace «SERVICE-NAME» for the name of the service. Using the display name is supported, replacing -Name for -DisplayName and then specify the display name of the service.

Alternatively, you can also use this variant of the command to start a service:

Set-Service -Name «SERVICE-NAME» -Status running

Source: Windows Central

In the command, replace «SERVICE-NAME» for the name of the service. If you want to use the display name, replace -Name for -DisplayName and then specify the display name of the service.

Once you complete the steps, the service will start on your computer.

Disable service

To disable a service using a PowerShell command, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

Type the following command to disable a service and press Enter:

Set-Service -Name «SERVICE-NAME» -Status stopped -StartupType disabled

In the command, update «SERVICE-NAME» for the name of the service. If you want to use the display name of the service, then replace -Name for -DisplayName and specify the service name. If you want to disable the service without stopping it immediately, you can remove the -Status stopped portion of the command.

For example, this command disables the printer spooler service on Windows 10:

Set-Service -Name «spooler» -Status stopped -StartupType disabled

Source: Windows Central

After you complete the steps, the PowerShell command will disable the specified service.

Enable service

To enable a specific background service with PowerShell, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

Type the following command to enable a service and press Enter:

Set-Service -Name «SERVICE-NAME» -Status running -StartupType automatic

For example, this command enables the printer spooler service using PowerShell:

Set-Service -Name «spooler» -Status running -StartupType automatic

Source: Windows Central

Quick note: You may able to use the display -DisplayName option, but the command may also prompt you to supply the name of the service, adding an extra step to the process. If you want to enable the service without starting it immediately, you can remove the -Status running portion of the command.

Once you complete the steps, PowerShell will enable the service specified with the command.

How to manage services using Command Prompt

If you’re comfortable using the command line, Command Prompt offers the «net» command (older) to stop or start, or the «sc» command (newer) to stop, start, disable, or enable services on Windows 10.

Stop service

To stop a Windows 10 or app service with Command Prompt, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

(Optional) Type the following command to view a list of all the services and press Enter:

sc queryex state=all type=service

Source: Windows Central

Type the following command to stop a service and press Enter:

net stop «SERVICE-NAME»

In the command, replace «SERVICE-NAME» for the name or display name of the service. You only need the quotation marks if there’s a space within the name.

For example, this command stops the printer spooler using the service name:

net stop «spooler»

Source: Windows Central

Alternatively, you can also use the more advanced «sc» command:

sc stop «SERVICE-NAME»

For example, this command stops the printer spooler using the service name:

sc stop «spooler»

Source: Windows Central

After you complete the steps, the command will stop the specified service on Windows 10.

Start service

To start a service with the command line, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

Type the following command to start a service and press Enter:

net start «SERVICE-NAME»

In the command, replace «SERVICE-NAME» for the name or display name of the service. You only need the quotation marks if there’s a space within the name.

For example, this command starts the printer spooler using the service name:

net start «spooler»

Source: Windows Central

Alternatively, you can also use the «sc» command:

sc start «SERVICE-NAME»

For example, this command starts the printer spooler using the service name:

sc start «spooler»

Source: Windows Central

Once you complete the steps, the command will execute and start the service you specified.

Disable service

To disable a service with Command Prompt, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

Type the following command to disable a service and press Enter:

sc config «SERVICE-NAME» start=disabled

In the command, replace «SERVICE-NAME» for the name of the service that you want to disable.

For example, this command disables printer spooler using the service name:

sc config «spooler» start=disabled

Source: Windows Central

(Optional) Type the following command to stop the service and press Enter:

sc stop «SERVICE-NAME»

Quick note: When you disable a service, it doesn’t stop the current state of the service. You can either restart your computer or stop the service using the above command.

After you complete the steps, the sc command will run disabling the Windows 10 or app service you specified.

Enable service

To enable a service with a command, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

Type the following command to enable a service and press Enter:

sc config «SERVICE-NAME» start=auto

In the command, replace «SERVICE-NAME» for the name of the service that you want to enable.

For example, this command enables the printer spooler automatically using the service name:

sc config «spooler» start=auto

Source: Windows Central

These are alternative commands to enable a particular service:

• Manual: sc config «SERVICE-NAME» start=demand
• Automatic Delayed: sc config «SERVICE-NAME» start=delayed-auto

(Optional) Type the following command to start the service and press Enter:

sc start «SERVICE-NAME»

Once you complete the steps, the service will enable and start automatically on reboot according to the command you used.

You can only use the «net» command to start or stop services. The «sc» command allows you to perform more tasks, including start, stop, enable, or disable services, among other options. If you’re choosing to manage services with command lines, then, in either case, it’s best to use the service name instead of the display name.

Also, when using any of the methods outlined above, consider that making modifications to the default settings can alter the operation of one or more features that depend on that service negatively affecting the experience. Furthermore, if you restart a service, you might be required to start its dependencies manually as well to make the app or feature operational again.

We’re focusing this guide on Windows 10, but the ability to manage services has been available for several years, which means that you can refer to this guide if you’re still running Windows 8.1, Windows 7, and older versions.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

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