Managing Windows Services with sc config in PowerShell and Batch Scripts

Introduction: Managing Windows services is an essential task for system administrators and engineers. It allows them to control the behavior and configuration of services running on a Windows operating system. In this article, we will explore how to use the "sc config" command in PowerShell and Batch scripts to manage Windows services effectively.

Examples:

1. Start/Stop a Service: To start a service named "MyService" using sc config in PowerShell, use the following command:

sc.exe start MyService

Similarly, to stop the service, use the following command:

sc.exe stop MyService

In Batch scripts, the commands are the same:

sc.exe start MyService
sc.exe stop MyService

2. Change Service Startup Type: You can also use sc config to change the startup type of a service. For example, to set the "MyService" to start automatically on system boot, use the following command in PowerShell:

sc.exe config MyService start=auto

In Batch scripts, use the same command:

sc.exe config MyService start=auto

3. Configure Service Dependencies: If you want to configure dependencies for a service, sc config can help you achieve that too. For example, to make "MyService" depend on "Service1" and "Service2", use the following command in PowerShell:

sc.exe config MyService depend= Service1/Service2

In Batch scripts, use the same command:

sc.exe config MyService depend= Service1/Service2

Conclusion: Managing Windows services is crucial for maintaining a stable and efficient operating system. The sc config command in PowerShell and Batch scripts provides a convenient way to control various aspects of Windows services. By using the examples provided in this article, system administrators and engineers can effectively manage services in their Windows environment.