What does the /s switch after services.msc do?

[Mothra]

The shortcut for services shows the following target:

"%SystemRoot%\system32\services.msc /s"

And in this article:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;316434

.... it specifies a '/s' flag after many of the .msc files.

But I can start the windows services manager from the command line
without the /s at the end and it seems to make no difference whatsoever.

So what does the /s flag do?

 

[Guest]

Well, the /s command stands for system file. But it also
stands for sub directories. For example, If you go to
MSDOS prompt and type C: ENTER, then DIR/s you will get
the file directory listing for all directories, AND all
subdirectories. Now what I mean by system file, for
example, Windows Versions up to 98SE, in order to format
the C: drive you would have to type FORMAT C:/s meaning
format c drive and all system files. With windows ME and
up (not sure about 2000), you do not need the /s command,
and in some cases, it is not supported. Hope this
answeres your question.

 

[Jeanie Decker \(MS\)]

Microsoft Management Console used to open with a splash screen. Using /s
would suppress it. Since the splash screen is gone now, no need for the
switch. (After spending hours trying to track that down, I found out the
answer from the MCT newsgroup)

 

[David Candy]

Good detective work. Help lists the available switches

/32
/64
/a

and then again as

/32
/64
/a
/?

but /? doesn't work.

 

[Mothra]

Microsoft Management Console used to open with a splash screen. Using /s
would suppress it. Since the splash screen is gone now, no need for the
switch. (After spending hours trying to track that down, I found out the
answer from the MCT newsgroup)

Thanks! I spent hours searching the web, Microsoft support pages etc.,
and came up with nothing. Part of the problem is that Google strips
non-alphanumeric characters out of your search, so it doesn't properly
recognise that you're looking for articles specifically about the /s.

It's amazing that so many sites still use this redundant switch, such as
the numerous sites that publicised the remedy for the MS Blaster Worm.

Perhaps you could tell me which MCT newsgroup you used though, as the
one I found (microsoft.public.cert.mct) is mostly full of porn?

 

[Jeanie Decker \(MS\)]

I probably just duplicated your search efforts (although I did spend quite a
bit of time in the software developer's kit for Microsoft Management
Console, thinking it might be hiding in a console event or something). I
have to wonder why it's still included in so many instructions too...seems
like somebody along the way would have questioned the /s!

The MCTs have a private website to which only they (and Microsoft) have
access. After I gave up on the /s search, I popped over to catch up on their
newsgroups and one of the trainers had posted the same question you had. So
I grabbed the answer from the thread and brought it back here.