Using the registry editor to change the service state

Start the Registry Editor by pressing the Start-button and Run... this command:
Regedit
Browse through the left tree to where Services are found:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \System \CurrentControlSet \Services]
Within the Services-key find go to the short-name of the wanted service (Here RpcSS aka. Remote Procedure Call (RPC)):

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \System \CurrentControlSet \Services \RpcSS]
Double-Click the Start-value in the list to the right.
Change Value data: to the wanted state:
- 0 = Boot
- 1 = System
- 2 = Automatic
- 3 = Manual
- 4 = Disabled
Press Ok and exit the Registry Editor.
If setting a service to Disabled or Manual, then execute this command to stop the service:
Net Stop RpcSS
If setting the service to Automatic, then execute this command to start the service:
Net Start RpcSS

Note in this guide the short-name of a service is shown just in parenthesis next to the "Process Name".

Note the "Automatic" startup mode was extended with "Automatic (Delayed Start)" with Windows Vista/2008. It specifies that the service startup can be delayed until after having performed user logon. It can be activated with the following DWORD registry setting:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \System \CurrentControlSet \Services \BITS]
DelayedAutoStart = 1
Start = 2

Note the "Manual" startup mode was extended with "Manual (Trigger Start)" with Windows 7/2008 R2. It specifies that the service startup can be delayed until a certain event occurs (or be stopped). See what service trigger events that are configured for a service with this command:

sc qtriggerinfo w32time

More Info MS KB103000
More Info MS KB271362
More Info MS KB838428 (About hardware profiles)

Arun says:

20 September 2008 at 10:52

nice

IT Admin says:

15 January 2010 at 22:29

Hey I just wanted to say thanks alot for posting this. It is exactly the info I was looking for to help with a problem at work that I was having. Thanks again.

Nold says:

18 June 2010 at 2:59

It helped me a lot.. :) nice dude.!!!

rajwan says:

20 August 2010 at 6:42

thanks alot very useful content related to os services.

henry says:

1 November 2010 at 22:32

i get permissions error:

cannot edit start error writing the value's new contents

i set the permissions for my user but still nothing. any ideas?

midmorog says:

20 January 2011 at 18:01

Great info and very well laid out! Thanks

Sharon Thobois says:

25 March 2011 at 5:51

I feel like a idiot because I am trying how to stop simple errors from happening but using the basic resources to track them but just keep getting deeper & deeper into things I know nothing about yet and here you are. You are giving me a way to discover how to control things which I have not been able to control in a long time. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.
SRJT.