Cry How To...


Delete a Service


Normally it should not be necessary to manually delete a service. Uninstalling an application should remove its associated service (if any).

However, should it be necessary to manually remove a service:

  1. Run Regedit or regedt32.
  2. Fnd the registry entry:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Services

  3. Find the service there and delete it.
    You may wish to look at the keys and see what files the service was using and perhaps delete them also.

Note:

  • You will have to reboot before the list gets updated in server manager.
  • I have had it pointed out that some programs are cunning and prevent you from removing their service easily. (For example the spyware\malware called ‘Command Service’ - "cmdService".) These change the permissions to make it more difficult for you to delete them. For these you will have to right click on the ‘service’ in regedit (regedt32), go to permissions and grant the administrator full control before the service can be deleted.

These notes have been tested with Windows NT 4, Windows 2000 and Windows XP



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