Changing service description in Services.msc

  • Thread starter Thread starter Reed57
  • Start date Start date
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Reed57

In Winxp is there any easy way to change the "description" field in the
services.msc like there was in Win2k?
Matt
 
A couple of ways. sc.exe service controller tool or edit the registry.

sc.exe description myservice "My service description"

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect
 
Not to forget the obvious but Start|Run|services.msc then properties for the
service.

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect
 
Thanks David,
SC works, but is very time consuming. Since I just want to append a
character to the description rather than rewrite the whole description. But
it might be able to automate it with a little work.

The direct method does not work in XP, Server2003 or Vista.

Even starting services.msc -a (authoring mode) I can not directly change the
description.

Thanks.

Matt
 
Thanks Dave.

SC works but is very time consuming since I just want to add a character to
the description not just totally rewrite it.

The direct mode does not work in WinXP, Vista, or Server 2003 even in
authoring mode (-a).

Thanks

Matt
 
Navigate to the service here using the Service Name not the Display Name..
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services

With the Service Name,,,
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Alerter
Value Name: Description
Data Type: REG_SZ
Value Data: Notifies selected Mickey Mouse Club Members and computers of
administrative alerts. If the service is stopped, programs that use
administrative alerts will not receive them. If this service is disabled,
any services that explicitly depend on it will fail to start.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
Reed57 said:
Thanks Dave.

SC works but is very time consuming since I just want to add a character
to the description not just totally rewrite it.

The direct mode does not work in WinXP, Vista, or Server 2003 even in
authoring mode (-a).

Thanks

Matt
Dave Patrick said:
Not to forget the obvious but Start|Run|services.msc then properties for
the service.

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
It works fine here in Vista and server 2003 (don't have an XP machine handy)
Author mode is for edit the snap-in only.

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect
 
Hello Dave, I see what you mean about Author mode, being to edit the Snap-In
only.

Do you know of a way to change the description field in Services.msc,
besides using SC.exe?

I worked out a VBS to do it, but it is not to clean. Trying to find a better
approach.

Thanks

Matt

Dave Patrick said:
It works fine here in Vista and server 2003 (don't have an XP machine
handy) Author mode is for edit the snap-in only.

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

Reed57 said:
Thanks David,
SC works, but is very time consuming. Since I just want to append a
character to the description rather than rewrite the whole description.
But it might be able to automate it with a little work.

The direct method does not work in XP, Server2003 or Vista.

Even starting services.msc -a (authoring mode) I can not directly change
the description.

Thanks.

Matt
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Hello Wesley.

In some cases what is in that registry key and what is listed in
services.msc is not the same.
It looks like some text in the registry tells the services.msc where to go
to find the info.
example
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Hidserv
Value Name: Description
Data Type: REG_SZ

ValueData:

But in the Services.msc the description for "Human Interface Device Access"
is"
"Enables generic input access....."

Any idea about how I can add a character to the front of
"@%SystemRoot%\System32\hidserv.dll, -102" to get it to appear in services
as:
"*Enables generic input access....."

I could find no reference to the ValueData field format in MSDN.

Tried "*" & "@%SystemRoot%\System32\hidserv.dll, -102" but it did not
work.

Thanks

Matt

Wesley Vogel said:
Navigate to the service here using the Service Name not the Display Name..
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services

With the Service Name,,,
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Alerter
Value Name: Description
Data Type: REG_SZ
Value Data: Notifies selected Mickey Mouse Club Members and computers of
administrative alerts. If the service is stopped, programs that use
administrative alerts will not receive them. If this service is disabled,
any services that explicitly depend on it will fail to start.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
Reed57 said:
Thanks Dave.

SC works but is very time consuming since I just want to add a character
to the description not just totally rewrite it.

The direct mode does not work in WinXP, Vista, or Server 2003 even in
authoring mode (-a).

Thanks

Matt
Dave Patrick said:
Not to forget the obvious but Start|Run|services.msc then properties for
the service.

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Hello Wesley.

In some cases what is in that registry key and what is listed in
services.msc is not the same.
It looks like some text in the registry tells the services.msc where to go
to find the info.
example
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Hidserv
Value Name: Description
Data Type: REG_SZ

ValueData:

But in the Services.msc the description for "Human Interface Device Access"
is"
"Enables generic input access....."

Any idea about how I can add a character to the front of
"@%SystemRoot%\System32\hidserv.dll, -102" to get it to appear in services
as:
"*Enables generic input access....."

I could find no reference to the ValueData field format in MSDN.

Tried "*" & "@%SystemRoot%\System32\hidserv.dll, -102" but it did not
work.

Thanks

Matt
 
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