How to start and stop services manually on Windows 10
Here are four ways to manage services on Windows 10.
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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, you may sometimes need to control them manually when a feature or app isn’t working correctly or requires you to manage its services manually.
Whatever the case might be,Windows 10includes at least four methods to stop, start, disable, or enable services using the Services console, Task Manager, Command Prompt, and PowerShell.
Thisguidewill walk you through the steps to manage system and app services on Windows 10.
How to manage services from 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:
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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:
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:
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:
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 from Task Manager
Task Manager also includes a section to manage services for Windows 10 and apps quickly.
To stop, start, or restart a service using Task Manager, use these steps:
Once you complete the steps, the service will respond to the option you selected.
How to manage services from 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:
For example, this command stops the printer spooler service on Windows 10:Stop-Service -Name “spooler”
In the command, replace"SERVICE-NAME"with the name of the service you intend to stop. If you want to use the display name, replace-Namewith-DisplayNameand then specify the service’s display name.
Alternatively, you can also use this variant of the command to stop the service:Set-Service -Name “SERVICE-NAME” -Status stopped
In the command, replace"SERVICE-NAME"with the name of the service you intend to stop. If you want to use the display name, replace-Namewith-DisplayNameand then specify the service’s display name. You only need quotation marks if there’s a space within the name.
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:
For example, this command starts the printer spooler service on Windows 10:Start-Service -Name “spooler”
In the command, replace"SERVICE-NAME"with the name of the service. Using the display name is supported, replacing-Namewith-DisplayNameand specifying the service’s display name.
Alternatively, you can also use this variant of the command to start a service:Set-Service -Name “SERVICE-NAME” -Status running
In the command, replace"SERVICE-NAME"with the name of the service. If you want to use the display name, replace-Namewith-DisplayNameand then specify the service’s display name.
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:
In the command, update"SERVICE-NAME"for the name of the service. If you want to use the service’s display name, replace-Namewith-DisplayNameand 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
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:
For example, this command enables the printer spooler service using PowerShell:Set-Service -Name “spooler” -Status running -StartupType automatic
Once you complete the steps, PowerShell will enable the service specified with the command.
How to manage services from 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:
In the command, replace"SERVICE-NAME"with the name or display the name of the service. You only need 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”
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”
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:
In the command, replace"SERVICE-NAME"with the name or display the name of the service. You only need 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”
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”
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:
In the command, replace"SERVICE-NAME"with the name of the service that you want to disable.
For example, this command disables the printer spooler using the service name:sc config “spooler” start=disabled
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:
In the command, replace"SERVICE-NAME"with 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
These are alternative commands to enable a particular service:
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 resources
For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10 and Windows 11, visit the following resources:
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Mauro Huculak has been a Windows How-To Expert contributor for WindowsCentral.com for nearly a decade and has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides. He also has an IT background and has achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and CompTIA. He has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years.
