Start-Service

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

PS C:\> Start-Service -Name "eventlog"

This command starts the EventLog service on the local computer. It uses the Name parameter to identify the service by its service name.

Example 2: Display information without starting a service

PS C:\> Start-Service -DisplayName *remote* -WhatIf

This command tells what would occur if you started the services that have a display name that includes remote. It uses the DisplayName parameter to specify the services by their display name instead of by their service name. And, the command uses the WhatIf parameter. That parameter means that this command displays what would occur if you run the command without making changes.

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

PS C:\> $s = Get-Service wmi

PS C:\> Start-Service -InputObject $s -PassThru | Format-List >> services.txt

These commands start the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) service on the computer and add a record of the action to the services.txt file. The first command uses Get-Service to get an object that represent the WMI service and store it in the $s variable.

The second command starts the WMI service. It identifies the service by using the InputObject parameter to pass the $s variable that contains the WMI service object to Start-Service . Then, it uses PassThru to create an object that represents the starting of the service. Without PassThru , Start-Service does not create any output.

The pipeline operator (|) passes the object that Start-Service creates to the Format-List cmdlet, which formats the object as a list of its properties. The append redirection operator (>>) redirects the output to the services.txt file, where it is added to the end of the existing file.

Example 4: Start a disabled service

PS C:\> 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 C:\> Get-WMIObject win32_service | Where-Object {$_.Name -eq "tlntsvr"}

ExitCode  : 0

Name      : TlntSvr

ProcessId : 0

StartMode : Disabled

State     : Stopped

Status    : OK PS C:\> Set-Service tlntsvr -StartupType manual PS C:\> start-service tlntsvr

This series of commands shows how to start a service when the start type of the service is Disabled. The first command, which attempts to start the Telnet service (tlntsvr), fails.

The second command uses Get-WmiObject to get the Tlntsvr service. This command retrieves an object that has the start type property in the StartMode field. The resulting display reveals that the start type of the Tlntsvr service is Disabled.

The next command uses Set-Service to change the start type of the Tlntsvr service to "Manual".

Now, we can resubmit the Start-Service command. This time, the command succeeds.

To verify that the command succeeded, run Get-Service .

Required Parameters

-DisplayName

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

Type: String[]
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False
-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: 1
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: True (ByValue)
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: 1
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: True (ByPropertyName, ByValue)
Accept wildcard characters: False

Optional Parameters

-Confirm

Prompts you for confirmation before running the cmdlet.

Type: SwitchParameter
Aliases: cf
Position: Named
Default value: False
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False
-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
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False
-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
Accept pipeline input: False
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
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
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 or Automatic. 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-WmiObject 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 Windows PowerShell starts a service that stops itself almost immediately, it displays the following message: Service \<display-name\> start failed.