How to List Windows Services Using PowerShell in Windows 11
Listing Windows services from PowerShell shows the background processes that run system and application functions, along with whether each is running or stopped. This is the command-line counterpart to the YYGACOR Resmi Services app and is useful for management and troubleshooting.
The Command
Get-Service
What It Does
`Get-Service` lists all services with their status (Running or Stopped), name, and display name. Services are background processes that handle everything from networking to updates. The output lets you see at a glance which services are active, making it a starting point for checking or managing the services on your system.
When You’d Use This
This is the command-line counterpart to the Services app, useful for checking whether a particular service is running, auditing services in a script, or troubleshooting a feature that depends on a background service. Filtering by name or status quickly narrows a long list to the services you care about, which is helpful when confirming that a needed service is active.
Useful Variations
To find a specific service, add its name or a pattern: `Get-Service -Name “wuauserv”` or `Get-Service -DisplayName “*update*”`. To list only running services, pipe to `Where-Object { $_.Status -eq ‘Running’ }`. To sort by status, add `Sort-Object Status`. These focus the list on exactly the services you care about.
If It Doesn’t Work
If you are unsure what a service does, its display name usually hints at its purpose, so identify that before making changes. A mix of running and stopped services is entirely normal, since many start only on demand. Avoid stopping services you do not recognize, as some are essential to Windows, and use the display name to understand a service before acting on it.
Good to Know
Many services are set to start automatically or on demand, so a mix of running and stopped services is entirely normal. Avoid stopping services you do not recognize, since some are essential to Windows functioning. Identifying a service’s display name helps clarify what it does before making any changes to it.
Putting It Together
Once you have run it once or twice, this becomes second nature. As part of keeping Windows healthy and automating upkeep, this command is part of the maintenance routine that resolves problems and prevents them. Combined with the related service and repair commands, it gives you direct control over the background machinery that keeps the system running well. Like anything in the terminal, the real value comes from trying it on your own system and adapting the variations above to what you actually need, so it is worth experimenting with in a safe, low-stakes situation before relying on it in a script or during troubleshooting. Keeping a note of the commands you find most useful, along with the variations that fit your workflow, turns scattered one-off tricks into a personal reference you can draw on whenever a similar task comes up again.