sc

Service Control - Manage Windows Services

What Does It Do?

The sc command (Service Control) is a command-line utility that communicates with the Service Control Manager and services. It's used to query, start, stop, configure, and manage Windows services.

Services are background processes that run without user interaction. The sc command provides administrators with powerful control over these services, making it essential for system administration and troubleshooting.

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When Should I Use It?

Service Troubleshooting

Diagnose and fix issues with Windows services that won't start.

Configure Startup Types

Set services to start automatically, manually, or be disabled.

Automation & Scripting

Automate service management tasks in batch scripts or PowerShell.

Remote Management

Manage services on remote computers across your network.

Common Commands

sc query

Display status of all services or query a specific service.

sc query Spooler

Check the current status of the Print Spooler service.

sc qc Spooler

Query the configuration details of the Print Spooler service.

sc start Spooler

Start the Print Spooler service.

sc stop Spooler

Stop the Print Spooler service.

sc config Spooler start= auto

Set the Print Spooler to start automatically at boot.

Pro Tip: Space After Equals Sign

Note the space after the equals sign in sc commands! For example:

sc config Spooler start= auto

This is required syntax for the sc command. Without the space, the command will fail. Also useful: use sc query state= all to list all services regardless of their state.

Try It Yourself

Practice sc commands in the interactive terminal below: