Stop and Start a service via batch or cmd file?

Question

How can I script a bat or cmd to stop and start a service reliably with error checking (or let me know that it wasn't successful for whatever reason)?

Answer 1

Use the SC (service control) command, it gives you a lot more options than just start & stop.

   DESCRIPTION:           SC is a command line program used for communicating with the           NT Service Controller and services.   USAGE:       sc <server> [command] [service name]  ...        The option <server> has the form "\\ServerName"       Further help on commands can be obtained by typing: "sc [command]"       Commands:         query-----------Queries the status for a service, or                         enumerates the status for types of services.         queryex---------Queries the extended status for a service, or                         enumerates the status for types of services.         start-----------Starts a service.         pause-----------Sends a PAUSE control request to a service.         interrogate-----Sends an INTERROGATE control request to a service.         continue--------Sends a CONTINUE control request to a service.         stop------------Sends a STOP request to a service.         config----------Changes the configuration of a service (persistant).         description-----Changes the description of a service.         failure---------Changes the actions taken by a service upon failure.         qc--------------Queries the configuration information for a service.         qdescription----Queries the description for a service.         qfailure--------Queries the actions taken by a service upon failure.         delete----------Deletes a service (from the registry).         create----------Creates a service. (adds it to the registry).         control---------Sends a control to a service.         sdshow----------Displays a service's security descriptor.         sdset-----------Sets a service's security descriptor.         GetDisplayName--Gets the DisplayName for a service.         GetKeyName------Gets the ServiceKeyName for a service.         EnumDepend------Enumerates Service Dependencies.        The following commands don't require a service name:       sc <server> <command> <option>         boot------------(ok | bad) Indicates whether the last boot should                         be saved as the last-known-good boot configuration         Lock------------Locks the Service Database         QueryLock-------Queries the LockStatus for the SCManager Database   EXAMPLE:           sc start MyService 

Answer 2

net start [serviceName] 

and

net stop [serviceName] 

tell you whether they have succeeded or failed pretty clearly. For example

U:\>net stop alerter The Alerter service is not started.  More help is available by typing NET HELPMSG 3521. 

If running from a batch file, you have access to the ERRORLEVEL of the return code. 0 indicates success. Anything higher indicates failure.

As a bat file, error.bat:

@echo off net stop alerter if ERRORLEVEL 1 goto error exit :error echo There was a problem pause 

The output looks like this:

U:\>error.bat The Alerter service is not started.  More help is available by typing NET HELPMSG 3521.  There was a problem Press any key to continue . . . 

Return Codes

 - 0 = Success  - 1 = Not Supported  - 2 = Access Denied  - 3 = Dependent Services Running  - 4 = Invalid Service Control  - 5 = Service Cannot Accept Control  - 6 = Service Not Active  - 7 = Service Request Timeout  - 8 = Unknown Failure  - 9 = Path Not Found  - 10 = Service Already Running  - 11 = Service Database Locked  - 12 = Service Dependency Deleted  - 13 = Service Dependency Failure  - 14 = Service Disabled  - 15 = Service Logon Failure  - 16 = Service Marked For Deletion  - 17 = Service No Thread  - 18 = Status Circular Dependency  - 19 = Status Duplicate Name  - 20 = Status Invalid Name  - 21 = Status Invalid Parameter   - 22 = Status Invalid Service Account  - 23 = Status Service Exists  - 24 = Service Already Paused 

Edit 20.04.2015

Return Codes:

The NET command does not return the documented Win32_Service class return codes (Service Not Active,Service Request Timeout, etc) and for many errors will simply return Errorlevel 2.

Look here: http://ss64.com/nt/net_service.html