ChangeServiceConfigA function (winsvc.h)
Changes the configuration parameters of a service.
To change the optional configuration parameters, use the ChangeServiceConfig2 function.
Syntax
BOOL ChangeServiceConfigA(
[in] SC_HANDLE hService,
[in] DWORD dwServiceType,
[in] DWORD dwStartType,
[in] DWORD dwErrorControl,
[in, optional] LPCSTR lpBinaryPathName,
[in, optional] LPCSTR lpLoadOrderGroup,
[out, optional] LPDWORD lpdwTagId,
[in, optional] LPCSTR lpDependencies,
[in, optional] LPCSTR lpServiceStartName,
[in, optional] LPCSTR lpPassword,
[in, optional] LPCSTR lpDisplayName
);
Parameters
[in] hService
A handle to the service. This handle is returned by the OpenService or CreateService function and must have the SERVICE_CHANGE_CONFIG access right. For more information, see Service Security and Access Rights.
[in] dwServiceType
The type of service. Specify SERVICE_NO_CHANGE if you are not changing the existing service type; otherwise, specify one of the following service types.
If you specify either SERVICE_WIN32_OWN_PROCESS or SERVICE_WIN32_SHARE_PROCESS, and the service is running in the context of the LocalSystem account, you can also specify the following type.
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
|
The service can interact with the desktop.
For more information, see Interactive Services. |
[in] dwStartType
The service start options. Specify SERVICE_NO_CHANGE if you are not changing the existing start type; otherwise, specify one of the following values.
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
|
A service started automatically by the service control manager during system startup. |
|
A device driver started by the system loader. This value is valid only for driver services. |
|
A service started by the service control manager when a process calls the StartService function. |
|
A service that cannot be started. Attempts to start the service result in the error code ERROR_SERVICE_DISABLED. |
|
A device driver started by the IoInitSystem function. This value is valid only for driver services. |
[in] dwErrorControl
The severity of the error, and action taken, if this service fails to start. Specify SERVICE_NO_CHANGE if you are not changing the existing error control; otherwise, specify one of the following values.
[in, optional] lpBinaryPathName
The fully qualified path to the service binary file. Specify NULL if you are not changing the existing path. If the path contains a space, it must be quoted so that it is correctly interpreted. For example, "d:\my share\myservice.exe" should be specified as ""d:\my share\myservice.exe"".
The path can also include arguments for an auto-start service. For example, "d:\myshare\myservice.exe arg1 arg2". These arguments are passed to the service entry point (typically the main function).
If you specify a path on another computer, the share must be accessible by the computer account of the local computer because this is the security context used in the remote call. However, this requirement allows any potential vulnerabilities in the remote computer to affect the local computer. Therefore, it is best to use a local file.
[in, optional] lpLoadOrderGroup
The name of the load ordering group of which this service is a member. Specify NULL if you are not changing the existing group. Specify an empty string if the service does not belong to a group.
The startup program uses load ordering groups to load groups of services in a specified order with respect to the other groups. The list of load ordering groups is contained in the ServiceGroupOrder value of the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control
[out, optional] lpdwTagId
A pointer to a variable that receives a tag value that is unique in the group specified in the lpLoadOrderGroup parameter. Specify NULL if you are not changing the existing tag.
You can use a tag for ordering service startup within a load ordering group by specifying a tag order vector in the GroupOrderList value of the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control
Tags are only evaluated for driver services that have SERVICE_BOOT_START or SERVICE_SYSTEM_START start types.
[in, optional] lpDependencies
A pointer to a double null-terminated array of null-separated names of services or load ordering groups that the system must start before this service can be started. (Dependency on a group means that this service can run if at least one member of the group is running after an attempt to start all members of the group.) Specify NULL if you are not changing the existing dependencies. Specify an empty string if the service has no dependencies.
You must prefix group names with SC_GROUP_IDENTIFIER so that they can be distinguished from a service name, because services and service groups share the same name space.
[in, optional] lpServiceStartName
The name of the account under which the service should run. Specify NULL if you are not changing the existing account name. If the service type is SERVICE_WIN32_OWN_PROCESS, use an account name in the form DomainName\UserName. The service process will be logged on as this user. If the account belongs to the built-in domain, you can specify .\UserName (note that the corresponding C/C++ string is ".\\UserName"). For more information, see Service User Accounts and the warning in the Remarks section.
A shared process can run as any user.
If the service type is SERVICE_KERNEL_DRIVER or SERVICE_FILE_SYSTEM_DRIVER, the name is the driver object name that the system uses to load the device driver. Specify NULL if the driver is to use a default object name created by the I/O system.
A service can be configured to use a managed account or a virtual account. If the service is configured to use a managed service account, the name is the managed service account name. If the service is configured to use a virtual account, specify the name as NT SERVICE\ServiceName. For more information about managed service accounts and virtual accounts, see the Service Accounts Step-by-Step Guide.
Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP: Managed service accounts and virtual accounts are not supported until Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2.
[in, optional] lpPassword
The password to the account name specified by the lpServiceStartName parameter. Specify NULL if you are not changing the existing password. Specify an empty string if the account has no password or if the service runs in the LocalService, NetworkService, or LocalSystem account. For more information, see Service Record List.
If the account name specified by the lpServiceStartName parameter is the name of a managed service account or virtual account name, the lpPassword parameter must be NULL.
Passwords are ignored for driver services.
[in, optional] lpDisplayName
The display name to be used by applications to identify the service for its users. Specify NULL if you are not changing the existing display name; otherwise, this string has a maximum length of 256 characters. The name is case-preserved in the service control manager. Display name comparisons are always case-insensitive.
This parameter can specify a localized string using the following format:
@[path]dllname,-strID
The string with identifier strID is loaded from dllname; the path is optional. For more information, see RegLoadMUIString.
Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP: Localized strings are not supported until Windows Vista.
Return value
If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.
If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call GetLastError.
The following error codes may be set by the service control manager. Other error codes may be set by the registry functions that are called by the service control manager.
| Return code | Description |
|---|---|
|
The handle does not have the SERVICE_CHANGE_CONFIG access right. |
|
A circular service dependency was specified. |
|
The display name already exists in the service controller manager database, either as a service name or as another display name. |
|
The specified handle is invalid. |
|
A parameter that was specified is invalid. |
|
The account name does not exist, or a service is specified to share the same binary file as an already installed service but with an account name that is not the same as the installed service. |
|
The service has been marked for deletion. |
Remarks
The ChangeServiceConfig function changes the configuration information for the specified service in the service control manager database. You can obtain the current configuration information by using the QueryServiceConfig function.
If the configuration is changed for a service that is running, with the exception of lpDisplayName, the changes do not take effect until the service is stopped. To update the credentials without having to restart the service, use the LsaCallAuthenticationPackage function.
Security Remarks
Setting the lpServiceStartName parameter changes the logon account of the service. This can cause problems. If you have registered a service principal name (SPN), it would now be registered on the wrong account. Similarly, if you have used an ACE to grant access to a service, it would now grant access to the wrong account.Examples
For an example, see Changing a Service's Configuration.
Requirements
| Requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| Minimum supported client | Windows XP [desktop apps only] |
| Minimum supported server | Windows Server 2003 [desktop apps only] |
| Target Platform | Windows |
| Header | winsvc.h (include Windows.h) |
| Library | Advapi32.lib |
| DLL | Advapi32.dll |
See also
QueryServiceDynamicInformation