Nearly 3 years ago I wrote a blog post about the Windows Services changes between Windows Vista and Windows 7. Assuming that we won’t see any big changes with regard to Services when Windows 8 will be released I repeated the exercise by looking at what has changed between Windows 7 Enterprise and the Windows 8 Consumer Preview Build.
To obtain the services data from each system, i executed the following PowerShell command:
gwmi win32_service | select Displayname, Started, StartMode, State | format-table | out-file c:\data\services.txt
On Windows 7 we had approximately 146 Services and now on Windows 8 there are 161. But taking into account that Hyper-V already comes with 6 services there isn’t a huge increase. When looking at the below table it might appear that Windows 8 has some new services and some have been removed, but be careful here, I haven’t verified each individual service, but it appears that some Services just have been renamed. A good example is the Service called “Optimize drives” that appears to replace the Windows 7 Service called “Disk Defragmenter”.
Furthermore there are a number of Services where the Start mode has changed, however note that results can differ depending on the device you’re running. For this comparison I installed both Windows 7 and Windows 8 within a Virtual Machine.
For more details on Windows 8 Services I also recommend the following sources:
TechNet Wiki – Windows 8 Services (Developer preview state)
What’s New In Windows 8 Services by chentiangemalc
Windows blog - Reducing runtime memory in Windows 8 under “Service changes and reductions” (note that this article was written before Consumer Preview)
**Windows 8** ** ** **Windows 7** **Service** **StartMode** **Service** **StartMode** ActiveX Installer (AxInstSV) Manual ActiveX Installer (AxInstSV) Manual Adaptive Brightness Manual Application Experience Manual Application Experience Manual Application Identity Manual Application Identity Manual Application Information Manual Application Information Manual Application Layer Gateway ... Manual Application Layer Gateway ... Manual Application Management Manual Application Management Manual Background Intelligent Tra... Auto Background Intelligent Tra... Auto Base Filtering Engine Auto Base Filtering Engine Auto BitLocker Drive Encryption... Manual BitLocker Drive Encryption... Manual Block Level Backup Engine ... Manual Block Level Backup Engine ... Manual Bluetooth Support Service Manual Bluetooth Support Service Manual BranchCache Manual BranchCache Manual Broker Infrastructure Auto Certificate Propagation Manual Certificate Propagation Manual CNG Key Isolation Manual CNG Key Isolation Manual COM+ Event System Auto COM+ Event System Auto COM+ System Application Manual COM+ System Application Manual Computer Browser Manual Computer Browser Manual Credential Manager Manual Credential Manager Manual Cryptographic Services Auto Cryptographic Services Auto DCOM Server Process Launcher Auto DCOM Server Process Launcher Auto Desktop Window Manager Ses... Auto Device Association Service Manual Device Install Service Manual Device Setup Manager Manual DHCP Client Auto DHCP Client Auto Diagnostic Policy Service Auto Diagnostic Policy Service Auto Diagnostic Service Host Manual Diagnostic Service Host Manual Diagnostic System Host Manual Diagnostic System Host Manual Disk Defragmenter Manual Distributed Link Tracking ... Auto Distributed Link Tracking ... Auto Distributed Transaction Co... Manual Distributed Transaction Co... Manual DNS Client Auto DNS Client Auto Encrypting File System (EFS) Manual Encrypting File System (EFS) Manual Extensible Authentication ... Manual Extensible Authentication ... Manual Fax Manual Fax Manual File History Service Manual Function Discovery Provide... Manual Function Discovery Provide... Manual Function Discovery Resourc... Manual Function Discovery Resourc... Auto Group Policy Client Auto Group Policy Client Auto Health Key and Certificate... Manual Health Key and Certificate... Manual HomeGroup Provider Manual HomeGroup Provider Manual Human Interface Device Access Manual Human Interface Device Access Manual Hyper-V Data Exchange Service Manual Hyper-V Guest Shutdown Ser... Manual Hyper-V Heartbeat Service Manual Hyper-V Remote Desktop Vir... Manual Hyper-V Time Synchronizati... Manual Hyper-V Volume Shadow Copy... Manual IKE and AuthIP IPsec Keyin... Manual IKE and AuthIP IPsec Keyin... Manual Interactive Services Detec... Manual Interactive Services Detec... Manual Internet Connection Sharin... Disabled Internet Connection Sharin... Disabled IP Helper Auto IP Helper Auto IPsec Policy Agent Manual IPsec Policy Agent Manual KtmRm for Distributed Tran... Manual KtmRm for Distributed Tran... Manual Link-Layer Topology Discov... Manual Link-Layer Topology Discov... Manual Local Session Manager Auto Media Center Extender Service Disabled Media Center Extender Service Disabled Microsoft Account Sign-in ... Manual Microsoft .NET Framework N... Manual Microsoft iSCSI Initiator ... Manual Microsoft iSCSI Initiator ... Manual Microsoft Software Shadow ... Manual Microsoft Software Shadow ... Manual Multimedia Class Scheduler Auto Multimedia Class Scheduler Auto Net.Tcp Port Sharing Service Disabled Net.Tcp Port Sharing Service Disabled Netlogon Manual Netlogon Manual Network Access Protection ... Manual Network Access Protection ... Manual Network Connected Devices ... Manual Network Connections Manual Network Connections Manual Network Connectivity Assis... Manual Network List Service Manual Network List Service Manual Network Location Awareness Auto Network Location Awareness Auto Network Store Interface Se... Auto Network Store Interface Se... Auto Offline Files Manual Offline Files Auto Optimize drives Manual Parental Controls Manual Parental Controls Manual Peer Name Resolution Protocol Manual Peer Name Resolution Protocol Manual Peer Networking Grouping Manual Peer Networking Grouping Manual Peer Networking Identity M... Manual Peer Networking Identity M... Manual Performance Logs & Alerts Manual Performance Logs & Alerts Manual Plug and Play Manual Plug and Play Auto PnP-X IP Bus Enumerator Manual PNRP Machine Name Publicat... Manual PNRP Machine Name Publicat... Manual Portable Device Enumerator... Manual Portable Device Enumerator... Manual Power Auto Power Auto Print Spooler Auto Print Spooler Auto Printer Extensions and Not... Manual Problem Reports and Soluti... Manual Problem Reports and Soluti... Manual Program Compatibility Assi... Manual Program Compatibility Assi... Manual Protected Storage Manual Quality Windows Audio Vide... Manual Quality Windows Audio Vide... Manual Remote Access Auto Connect... Manual Remote Access Auto Connect... Manual Remote Access Connection M... Manual Remote Access Connection M... Manual Remote Desktop Configuration Manual Remote Desktop Configuration Manual Remote Desktop Services Manual Remote Desktop Services Manual Remote Desktop Services Us... Manual Remote Desktop Services Us... Manual Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Auto Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Auto Remote Procedure Call (RPC... Manual Remote Procedure Call (RPC... Manual Remote Registry Disabled Remote Registry Manual Routing and Remote Access Disabled Routing and Remote Access Disabled RPC Endpoint Mapper Auto RPC Endpoint Mapper Auto Secondary Logon Manual Secondary Logon Manual Secure Socket Tunneling Pr... Manual Secure Socket Tunneling Pr... Manual Security Accounts Manager Auto Security Accounts Manager Auto Security Center Auto Security Center Auto Sensor Monitoring Service Manual Server Auto Server Auto Shell Hardware Detection Auto Shell Hardware Detection Auto Smart Card Disabled Smart Card Manual Smart Card Removal Policy Manual Smart Card Removal Policy Manual SNMP Trap Manual SNMP Trap Manual Software Protection Auto Software Protection Auto SPP Notification Service Manual Spot Verifier Manual SSDP Discovery Manual SSDP Discovery Manual Still Image Acquisition Ev... Manual Storage Service Manual Storage Service Manual Superfetch Auto Superfetch Auto System Event Notification ... Auto System Event Notification ... Auto System Events Broker Manual Tablet PC Input Service Manual Task Scheduler Auto Task Scheduler Auto TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper Auto TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper Auto Telephony Manual Telephony Manual Themes Auto Themes Auto Thread Ordering Server Manual Thread Ordering Server Manual TPM Base Services Manual Time Broker Manual Touch Keyboard and Handwri... Manual UPnP Device Host Manual UPnP Device Host Manual User Profile Service Auto User Profile Service Auto Virtual Disk Manual Virtual Disk Manual Volume Shadow Copy Manual Volume Shadow Copy Manual WebClient Manual WebClient Manual Windows All-User Install A... Manual Windows Audio Auto Windows Audio Auto Windows Audio Endpoint Bui... Auto Windows Audio Endpoint Bui... Auto Windows Backup Manual Windows Backup Manual Windows Biometric Service Manual Windows Biometric Service Manual Windows Color System Manual Windows CardSpace Manual Windows Color System Manual Windows Connect Now - Conf... Manual Windows Connect Now - Conf... Manual Windows Connection Manager Auto Windows Defender Network I... Manual Windows Defender Service Auto Windows Defender Auto Windows Driver Foundation ... Manual Windows Driver Foundation ... Manual Windows Error Reporting Se... Manual Windows Error Reporting Se... Manual Windows Event Collector Manual Windows Event Collector Manual Windows Event Log Auto Windows Event Log Auto Windows Firewall Auto Windows Firewall Auto Windows Font Cache Service Auto Windows Font Cache Service Auto Windows Image Acquisition ... Manual Windows Image Acquisition ... Manual Windows Installer Manual Windows Installer Manual Windows Management Instrum... Auto Windows Management Instrum... Auto Windows Media Center Recei... Manual Windows Media Center Recei... Manual Windows Media Center Sched... Manual Windows Media Center Sched... Manual Windows Media Player Netwo... Auto Windows Media Player Netwo... Manual Windows Modules Installer Manual Windows Modules Installer Manual Windows Presentation Found... Manual Windows Remote Management ... Manual Windows Remote Management ... Manual Windows Search Auto Windows Search Auto Windows Store Service (WSS... Manual Windows Time Manual Windows Time Manual Windows Update Manual Windows Update Auto WinHTTP Web Proxy Auto-Dis... Manual WinHTTP Web Proxy Auto-Dis... Manual Wired AutoConfig Manual Wired AutoConfig Manual WLAN AutoConfig Manual WLAN AutoConfig Manual WMI Performance Adapter Manual WMI Performance Adapter Manual Workstation Auto Workstation Auto WWAN AutoConfig Manual WWAN AutoConfig Manual …