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Start-Service

  • Reference
Module:
Microsoft.PowerShell.Management

Starts one or more stopped services.

Syntax

Start-Service
     [-InputObject] <ServiceController[]>
     [-PassThru]
     [-Include <String[]>]
     [-Exclude <String[]>]
     [-WhatIf]
     [-Confirm]
     [<CommonParameters>]
Start-Service
     [-Name] <String[]>
     [-PassThru]
     [-Include <String[]>]
     [-Exclude <String[]>]
     [-WhatIf]
     [-Confirm]
     [<CommonParameters>]
Start-Service
     [-PassThru]
     -DisplayName <String[]>
     [-Include <String[]>]
     [-Exclude <String[]>]
     [-WhatIf]
     [-Confirm]
     [<CommonParameters>]

Description

The Start-Service cmdlet sends a start message to the Windows Service Controller for each of the specified services. If a service is already running, the message is ignored without error. You can specify the services by their service names or display names, or you can use the InputObject parameter to supply a service object that represents the services that you want to start.

Examples

Example 1: Start a service by using its name

This example starts the EventLog service on the local computer. The Name parameter identifies the service by its service name.

Start-Service -Name "eventlog"

Example 2: Display information without starting a service

This example shows what would occur if you started the services that have a display name that includes "remote".

Start-Service -DisplayName *remote* -WhatIf

The DisplayName parameter identifies the services by their display name instead of their service name. The WhatIf parameter causes the cmdlet to display what would happen when you run the command but does not make changes.

Example 3: Start a service and record the action in a text file

This example starts the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) service on the computer and adds a record of the action to the services.txt file.

$s = Get-Service wmi
Start-Service -InputObject $s -PassThru | Format-List >> services.txt

First we use Get-Service to get an object that represent the WMI service and store it in the $s variable. Next, we start the service. Without the PassThru parameter, Start-Service does not create any output. The pipeline operator (|) passes the object output by Start-Service to the Format-List cmdlet to format the object as a list of its properties. The append redirection operator (>>) redirects the output to the services.txt file. The output is added to the end of the existing file.

Example 4: Start a disabled service

This example shows how to start a service when the start type of the service is Disabled.

PS> Start-Service tlntsvr
Start-Service : Service 'Telnet (TlntSvr)' cannot be started due to the following error: Cannot start service TlntSvr on computer '.'.
At line:1 char:14
+ Start-Service  <<<< tlntsvr

PS> Get-CimInstance win32_service | Where-Object Name -eq "tlntsvr"
ExitCode  : 0
Name      : TlntSvr
ProcessId : 0
StartMode : Disabled
State     : Stopped
Status    : OK

PS> Set-Service tlntsvr -StartupType manual
PS> Start-Service tlntsvr

The first attempt to start the Telnet service (tlntsvr) fails. The Get-CimInstance command shows that the StartMode property of the Tlntsvr service is Disabled. The Set-Service cmdlet changes the start type to Manual. Now, we can resubmit the Start-Service command. This time, the command succeeds. To verify that the command succeeded, run Get-Service.

Parameters

-Confirm

Prompts you for confirmation before running the cmdlet.

Type:SwitchParameter
Aliases:cf
Position:Named
Default value:False
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-DisplayName

Specifies the display names of the services to start. Wildcard characters are permitted.

Type:String[]
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:True
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:True

-Exclude

Specifies services that this cmdlet omits. The value of this parameter qualifies the Name parameter. Enter a name element or pattern, such as s*. Wildcard characters are permitted.

Type:String[]
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:True

-Include

Specifies services that this cmdlet starts. The value of this parameter qualifies the Name parameter. Enter a name element or pattern, such as s*. Wildcard characters are permitted.

Type:String[]
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:True

-InputObject

Specifies ServiceController objects representing the services to be started. Enter a variable that contains the objects, or type a command or expression that gets the objects.

Type:ServiceController[]
Position:0
Default value:None
Required:True
Accept pipeline input:True
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Name

Specifies the service names for the service to be started.

The parameter name is optional. You can use Name or its alias, ServiceName, or you can omit the parameter name.

Type:String[]
Aliases:ServiceName
Position:0
Default value:None
Required:True
Accept pipeline input:True
Accept wildcard characters:False

-PassThru

Returns an object that represents the service. By default, this cmdlet does not generate any output.

Type:SwitchParameter
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-WhatIf

Shows what would happen if the cmdlet runs. The cmdlet is not run.

Type:SwitchParameter
Aliases:wi
Position:Named
Default value:False
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

Inputs

System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController, System.String

You can pipe objects that represent the services or strings that contain the service names to this cmdlet.

Outputs

None, System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController

This cmdlet generates a System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController object that represents the service, if you specify PassThru. Otherwise, this cmdlet does not generate any output.

Notes

  • You can also refer to Start-Service by its built-in alias, sasv. For more information, see about_Aliases.
  • Start-Service can control services only if the current user has permission to do this. If a command does not work correctly, you might not have the required permissions.
  • To find the service names and display names of the services on your system, type Get-Service. The service names appear in the Name column, and the display names appear in the DisplayName column.
  • You can start only the services that have a start type of Manual, Automatic, or Automatic (Delayed Start). You cannot start the services that have a start type of Disabled. If a Start-Service command fails with the message Cannot start service \<service-name\> on computer, use Get-CimInstance to find the start type of the service and, if you have to, use the Set-Service cmdlet to change the start type of the service.
  • Some services, such as Performance Logs and Alerts (SysmonLog) stop automatically if they have no work to do. When PowerShell starts a service that stops itself almost immediately, it displays the following message: Service \<display-name\> start failed.