Display name Service key name Description Introduced Active Directory Service NTDS Network Authentication Management Windows 2000 Server Alerter service Alerter Sends administrative alerts over the network to client computers, administrators and users. Windows NT Application Layer
Gateway service ALG Provides support for plugins that allow network protocols to pass through Windows Firewall and work behind Internet Connection Sharing. Windows 2000 Application Management AppMgmt Processes requests to enumerate, install, and remove applications that are installed on the computer or deployed through an organization’s network. Windows 2000 Background Intelligent
Transfer Service BITS Transfers files between machines using idle network bandwidth. Used by Windows Update, Windows Server Update Services, and Systems Management Server to deliver software updates to clients, as well as by Windows Messenger. Windows XP Computer Browser Browser Crawls neighboring computers on the network and locates shared resources. One of the computers acts as the Master Browser and supplies this information to other computers designated as browsers.[1] Windows for Workgroups Distributed Link Tracking TrkWks, TrkSrv Used to track links to files on NTFS volumes. Windows uses these services to find linked files if they are renamed or moved (locally or to another machine).[2] Windows 2000 Distributed Transaction
Coordinator MSDTC Allows transactional components to be configured through COM+ by coordinating transactions that are distributed across multiple computers and/or resource managers, such as databases, message queues, file systems, and other transaction–based resource managers.[3] Windows 2000 and later NT-based DNS Client and Server DNSCache/DNS The client service resolves and caches DNS names. The DNS server performs DNS name resolution. Client in Windows 2000 and later NT-based,
Server in Windows NT 4.0 and later NT-based Event Log EventLog Stores and retrieves events that can be viewed in the event viewer. Part of services.exe.[4] Windows NT Extensible Authentication Protocol EAPHost Provides EAP authentication to connecting clients Windows 2000 Indexing Service CISVC Indexes contents and properties of files on local and remote computers; provides rapid access to files through flexible querying language.[5] Windows 2000 and later NT-based Network Location Awareness NLA Manages network configurations and information, and notifies applications of changes. Windows XP NTLM Security Support Provider NTLMSSP Uses the NTLM MS-CHAP protocol to encapsulate and negotiate options in order to provide signed and sealed communication. Deprecated now in favor of Kerberos authentication. Windows NT PNRP PNRPSvc Resolves domain names using PNRP. Windows XP Plug and Play PlugPlay Enables autodetection and configuration of hardware. Windows 2000 Print Spooler Spooler Manages printer devices and moves files into memory for printing. Windows 95, Windows NT Secondary Logon (Run As...) SecLogon Allows users to run programs with a different account than the one they logged in with. Allows non-administrative accounts to perform administrative tasks.[6] Security Account Manager SamSs Manages user account security information. Windows NT family System Event Notification SENS Monitors system events, such as network, power, logon, logoff, terminal services session connection and disconnection, and delivers these to applications and other system components.[7] Windows 2000 Task Scheduler Schedule Lets users setup and schedule automated tasks. Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95 TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper LmHosts Enables support for NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT) service and NetBIOS name resolution. Windows NT family Windows Audio AudioSrv Manages audio devices for Windows-based programs. Controls all audio functions. Windows XP Windows Error Reporting WERSvc Generates error logs and reports errors. On Windows Vista and later, it notifies of solutions. Windows XP Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) STISvc Handles scanner and camera inputs. Windows Me Windows Time W32Time Synchronizes the system time with external time servers. From Windows Server 2003 forward, full and compliant NTP support is provided.[8] Windows 2000 Windows Update WUAUServ Provides updates for the operating system and its installed components. Windows XP Wireless Zero Configuration WZCSvc (XP), WLANSvc Configures and manages 802.11 wireless adapters. Windows XP, Server 2003 only Messenger service Messenger Allows users to send pop-up messages to other computers over the network. Windows NT family MSRPC RpcSs Provides Remote Procedure Call (RPC) technique via remotely accessible Named Pipes. Windows NT family Volume Shadow Copy Service VSS Create multiple versions of files that change. Gained ability to store persistent snapshots in Windows Server 2003.[9] Windows XP WebClient[10] Enables Windows-based programs to create and interact with Internet-based files. Windows XP Windows Firewall/
Internet Connection Sharing SharedAccess Internet Connection Sharing (Firewall) Windows 2000
Gateway service ALG Provides support for plugins that allow network protocols to pass through Windows Firewall and work behind Internet Connection Sharing. Windows 2000 Application Management AppMgmt Processes requests to enumerate, install, and remove applications that are installed on the computer or deployed through an organization’s network. Windows 2000 Background Intelligent
Transfer Service BITS Transfers files between machines using idle network bandwidth. Used by Windows Update, Windows Server Update Services, and Systems Management Server to deliver software updates to clients, as well as by Windows Messenger. Windows XP Computer Browser Browser Crawls neighboring computers on the network and locates shared resources. One of the computers acts as the Master Browser and supplies this information to other computers designated as browsers.[1] Windows for Workgroups Distributed Link Tracking TrkWks, TrkSrv Used to track links to files on NTFS volumes. Windows uses these services to find linked files if they are renamed or moved (locally or to another machine).[2] Windows 2000 Distributed Transaction
Coordinator MSDTC Allows transactional components to be configured through COM+ by coordinating transactions that are distributed across multiple computers and/or resource managers, such as databases, message queues, file systems, and other transaction–based resource managers.[3] Windows 2000 and later NT-based DNS Client and Server DNSCache/DNS The client service resolves and caches DNS names. The DNS server performs DNS name resolution. Client in Windows 2000 and later NT-based,
Server in Windows NT 4.0 and later NT-based Event Log EventLog Stores and retrieves events that can be viewed in the event viewer. Part of services.exe.[4] Windows NT Extensible Authentication Protocol EAPHost Provides EAP authentication to connecting clients Windows 2000 Indexing Service CISVC Indexes contents and properties of files on local and remote computers; provides rapid access to files through flexible querying language.[5] Windows 2000 and later NT-based Network Location Awareness NLA Manages network configurations and information, and notifies applications of changes. Windows XP NTLM Security Support Provider NTLMSSP Uses the NTLM MS-CHAP protocol to encapsulate and negotiate options in order to provide signed and sealed communication. Deprecated now in favor of Kerberos authentication. Windows NT PNRP PNRPSvc Resolves domain names using PNRP. Windows XP Plug and Play PlugPlay Enables autodetection and configuration of hardware. Windows 2000 Print Spooler Spooler Manages printer devices and moves files into memory for printing. Windows 95, Windows NT Secondary Logon (Run As...) SecLogon Allows users to run programs with a different account than the one they logged in with. Allows non-administrative accounts to perform administrative tasks.[6] Security Account Manager SamSs Manages user account security information. Windows NT family System Event Notification SENS Monitors system events, such as network, power, logon, logoff, terminal services session connection and disconnection, and delivers these to applications and other system components.[7] Windows 2000 Task Scheduler Schedule Lets users setup and schedule automated tasks. Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95 TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper LmHosts Enables support for NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT) service and NetBIOS name resolution. Windows NT family Windows Audio AudioSrv Manages audio devices for Windows-based programs. Controls all audio functions. Windows XP Windows Error Reporting WERSvc Generates error logs and reports errors. On Windows Vista and later, it notifies of solutions. Windows XP Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) STISvc Handles scanner and camera inputs. Windows Me Windows Time W32Time Synchronizes the system time with external time servers. From Windows Server 2003 forward, full and compliant NTP support is provided.[8] Windows 2000 Windows Update WUAUServ Provides updates for the operating system and its installed components. Windows XP Wireless Zero Configuration WZCSvc (XP), WLANSvc Configures and manages 802.11 wireless adapters. Windows XP, Server 2003 only Messenger service Messenger Allows users to send pop-up messages to other computers over the network. Windows NT family MSRPC RpcSs Provides Remote Procedure Call (RPC) technique via remotely accessible Named Pipes. Windows NT family Volume Shadow Copy Service VSS Create multiple versions of files that change. Gained ability to store persistent snapshots in Windows Server 2003.[9] Windows XP WebClient[10] Enables Windows-based programs to create and interact with Internet-based files. Windows XP Windows Firewall/
Internet Connection Sharing SharedAccess Internet Connection Sharing (Firewall) Windows 2000