Windows 8 Bible

Services Snap-In

Windows 8 includes a system management framework tool called the Microsoft Management Console (MMC). The MMC provides access to various snap-ins, with each snap-in providing options for different configurations or an interface to manage items such as policies, accounts, and so on. One of these snap-ins is named Services.msc. It’s not a user-friendly program; rather, it is designed for professionals. Beginners and casual users are better off sticking with the Startup folders to work with auto start programs. Even so, beginners can start to understand how some of the underlying pieces of Windows work by looking through the Services console and checking out what some of the services do.

Note

If you want to make any changes in the Services snap-in, log out of any standard accounts and in to an account that has administrative privileges. Or, right-click Services and choose Run As Administrator.

To start the Services snap-in, press Windows+X on the desktop, click Run, and type SERVICES.MSC. Click OK. When the Services snap-in is open, use the View menu options to choose how you want to view icons. Figure 15.11 shows how things are displayed in the Detail view. The toolbar contains a couple of buttons for showing and hiding optional Console Tree and Action panes. (Both are shown in Figure 15.11.) Extended and Standard tabs are near the bottom of the window. The figure shows how things look in the Extended tab.

FIGURE 15.11 Services snap-in

Tip

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