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How do I start a service with certain parameters? In another question I have found 

net start servicename blah

but if I try this, net throws a syntax error at me.

What am I doing wrong?

Edit: To clarify net start servicename works just fine, but I need to pass parameters to the service. I can do this manually in services.msc by filling in a start parameter before starting the service. But how can I do this from a script?

Another edit: Sorry, but my question was misleading. In my tests, I had many more parameters and it's not the /blah net start complains about. In fact, anything starting with a slash is fine. So net start servicename /blah works, net start servicename blah doesn't work. Since I need net start servicename /foo bar, it's the bar that is the problem.

Community
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sbi
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6 Answers6

32
sc start fooservice arg1 arg2 ...
user1686
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  • I have no idea how I managed to miss your answer back then, but I'm certainly very glad I found it now (by accident). This works like a charm - even with parameters that don't start with `/`. Thanks a lot! – sbi Jun 02 '10 at 15:43
  • It's 2018 and neither "sc start ..." nor "net start ..." seems to work in Windows 10. Editing the registry does work https://serverfault.com/questions/507561/in-a-windows-service-will-the-start-parameters-be-preserved-if-the-start-is-of – MarcH Jun 23 '18 at 03:22
8

NET START won't allow you to pass arbitrary parameters as far as I know (it appears they have to be prefixed with a /), I believe the correct way is to modify the appropriate registry key and stop/start the service. Assuming your custom service is called MyService:

[HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MyService]
"ImagePath":C:\Projects\MyService\bin\MyService.exe Parameter1 Parameter2

Really though, a better way is to store your configuration somewhere the service knows about, like perhaps the registry or file system, and read whatever values you need. As you can see customizing the command line is a bit more painful than it should be.

If this is by chance a .NET developed service, you could create n copies of the executable on your file system, and have each automatically get the parameters from the appropriate app.config file.

It sounds like you may have stepped too far outside the Win32 box. Since this sounds like custom development any of the other offered solutions, while perhaps not your ideal, will work correctly and are a safer way to go.

Goyuix
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  • Ugh. The service takes a configuration file. It either uses a default file name or one passed to it. Since I need two different instances of the service running, I need to point them at different configuration files. Having to fiddle with the registry seems a very ugly hack. Is there really no other way than that (and the GUI)? – sbi May 19 '10 at 14:03
  • Goyuix, see my edited question. `net start` __does__ accept parameters, but only those starting with a `/`. – sbi May 19 '10 at 14:43
  • Goyuix, I now use `sc.exe`. See grawity's answer (which I somehow managed to miss back then). – sbi Jun 02 '10 at 15:45
5

net start servicename /foo for a single argument

net start servicename /"foo bar" for a string or list of args

Note: This question is 8 years old but I don't have the reputation to comment on the accepted answer and this is still a top google result in 2018 so I wanted to clarify what was working now in regards to the questions final edit.

MissingL_tter
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  • Note: I gave you an upvote, so now your answer is on 4th position, and you got some rep bump. Have fun here! `:-)` – sbi Dec 12 '18 at 19:39
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You need a slash before each parameter when using net start. Also make sure to quote parameters that have spaces.

net start servicename /param0 /"param1 with spaces" /"/param2_has_slash"
Even Mien
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You need to use the actual service name as it appears in control panel, services. If it contains spaces, you must put quotes around the service name.

To get the actual service name just type in net start without any parameters on the command prompt. It should give you a list of all the running services so you can get the actual service name. Then just use net start <servicename>

Robert Williams
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  • Robert, it's a service of mine which I install and then start in a script. I do `net start "my-service-name"` just fine. It's `net start "my-service-name" /blah` which gives me an error message. I've also tried `net start "my-service-name" -blah` and this, too, is a syntax error. – sbi May 19 '10 at 13:35
0

Could InstSrv and SrvAny assist in this? Guide and Links

Dave M
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  • I have looked at it briefly and I don't think so. (Please correct me if I'm wrong.) I have a real service executable up and running just fine. It's just that (for tests) I need to install and start it from a script, and I need to pass parameters to the service. – sbi May 19 '10 at 13:59