How to manage system services on Windows 11
You can control services on Windows 11, and in this guide, I’ll show you four ways to complete this task.
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OnWindows 11, services are usually referred to as essential programs running in the background to allow the system and apps to operate as intended with corresponding features (such as printing, networking, authentication, and many more).
Although the operating system manages services automatically, sometimes, you may have to manually control one or more services to troubleshoot problems with an app or Windows features or when a program requires managing services manually.
Regardless of the reason, Windows 11 includes multiple ways to start, stop, enable, or disable services using the Services app, Task Manager, PowerShell, and Command Prompt.
In thishow-to guide, I will explain the different ways to start, stop, disable, or enable services on Windows 11.
How to manage services using Services on Windows 11
The easiest way to stop, start, disable, or enable a service on Windows 11 is to use the “Services” app available on Windows 11 and previous versions.
Stop a service
To stop a service on Windows 11, use these steps:
Once you complete the steps, the system will terminate the service. If the service doesn’t stop running, you may be trying to stop a critical service required for the system to operate correctly.
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Start a service
To start a service on Windows 11, use these steps:
After you complete the steps, the service should start immediately on Windows 11.
Disable a service
To disable a service on Windows 11, use these steps:
Once you complete the steps, the service will no longer run on the device after restarting the system. If you click the"Stop"button, the service will stop immediately without the need for restarting.
Enable a service
To enable a service on Windows 11 using the Services app, use these steps:
After you complete the steps, the service will be enabled after restarting the computer. If you want to run the service immediately, you also need to click the"Start"button.
You can also right-click the service and select the state. You can also choose the service and the action (start, stop, pause, or restart) from the command bar at the top of the app.
How to manage services using Task Manager on Windows 11
On Windows 11, Task Manager includes the “Services” tab that allows you to manage services.
To stop or restart a service through Task Manager, use these steps:
Once you complete the steps, the service will start, stop, or restart, depending on your selected option.
When using Task Manager, consider that you can’t disable or configure the service to start automatically on Windows 11. This is something you have to do through the Services app or using commands.
How to manage services using Command Prompt on Windows 11
You can also use Command Prompt with the “net” (legacy) and “sc” (modern) command to disable, enable, stop, or start services on your computer.
Stop a service
To stop a service with Command Prompt, use these steps:
In the command, replace"SERVICE-NAME"for the name of the service. The quotation marks are only needed if there’s a space within the name. This example stops the printer spooler from using the service name on Windows 11:net stop “spooler”
After you complete the steps, the Command Prompt command will stop the Windows 11 or app service.
Start a service
To use Command Prompt to start a service, use these steps:
In the command, replace"SERVICE-NAME"with the name of the service. This example starts the printer spooler using the service name on Windows 11:net start “spooler”
After you complete the steps, the command will start the service on your computer.
Disable a service
To disable a service on Windows 11 with commands, use these steps:
In the command, replace"SERVICE-NAME"for the name of the service. The quotation marks are only needed if there’s a space within the name.This example disables the printer spooler using the service name on Windows 11:sc config “spooler” start=disabled
Once you complete the steps, the Command Prompt command will be disabled on Windows 11.
Enable a service
To enable a service with Command Prompt, use these steps:
In the command, replace"SERVICE-NAME"with the name of the service. This example enables the printer spooler:sc config “spooler” start=auto
After you complete the steps, the service will start immediately.
How to manage services using PowerShell on Windows 11
If you need to create a script or use commands, PowerShell also lets you manage system and app services.
Stop a service
To stop a service with PowerShell, use these steps:
In the command, change"SERVICE-NAME"with the name of the service to stop. If you want to use the service’s display name, then replace"-Name"for"-DisplayName"and specify the service name. This example stops the printer spooler on Windows 11:Stop-Service -Name “spooler”
In the command, change"SERVICE-NAME"with the name of the service to stop.
Once you complete the steps, the PowerShell command will stop the Windows 11 or app service.
Start a service
To start a service on Windows 11 with PowerShell, use these steps:
In the command, change"SERVICE-NAME"with the name of the service to start.This command starts the printer spooler service on Windows 11:Start-Service -Name “spooler”
In the command, change"SERVICE-NAME"with the name of the service to start.
After you complete the steps, the command will start the service immediately.
Disable a service
To disable a service with PowerShell commands, use these steps:
In the command, change"SERVICE-NAME"with the name of the service to stop. If you want to use the service’s display name, then replace"-Name"for"-DisplayName"and specify the service name.This example stops the printer spooler on Windows 11:Stop-Service -Name “spooler”
In the command, change"SERVICE-NAME"with the name of the service to disable. You can also use the"-DisplayName"option instead of"-Name"to use the service’s display name. This example disables the printer spooler service:Set-Service -Name “spooler” -Status stopped -StartupType disabled
Once you complete the steps, PowerShell will disable the service you specified.
Enable a service
To enable a service with PowerShell on Windows 11, use these steps:
In the command, change"SERVICE-NAME"with the name of the service to enable. You can also use the"-DisplayName"option instead of"-Name"to use the service’s display name. In this case, you may be able to use the display"-DisplayName"option. However, the command may prompt you to enter the name of the service, adding an extra step to the overall process. This example enables the printer spooler service:Set-Service -Name “spooler” -Status running -StartupType automatic
After you complete the steps, the PowerShell command will enable the service on Windows 11.
More resources
For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10 and Windows 11, visit the following resources:
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.
