Services.exe – File Information
Services.exe is an important component of the Windows operating system and provides loading capabilities, such as support for starting, stopping, and pausing system services.
By default, services.exe is located in the folder, C:\Windows\System32. The most common size of the services.exe file is 108,032 bytes. You may also find the services.exe file in 101,376, 108,544, 279,552, 110,080, 111,104, 104,448, 99,840, 279,040, 110,592, 103,936, and 101,888 bytes sizes.
Is it safe to terminate services.exe?
Services.exe is required by key Windows functions to work properly. It is recommended that you do not terminate this process.
Services.exe error 1
On a Microsoft Windows XP computer, you may encounter an error similar to the one displayed below:
“An access violation has occurred in Services.exe.â€
The computer restarts automatically when you click OK.
Resolution Method
Microsoft provides a hotfix for the above Services.exe error. Please note that you must apply the hotfix only when you are facing this specific issue. You can download the hotfix from the Microsoft Website.
Note: To apply the hotfix, you need to have Windows XP SP2 installed on your computer. If you do not have Windows XP SP2 but are facing the above issue, first install the latest XP service pack from the Microsoft Website.
You will need to restart your Windows computer after you apply the hotfix.
Services.exe is using excessive memory resources (50% to 70%)
To check the amount of system resources services.exe is consuming, perform the following steps:
- Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to open the Windows Task Manager window.
- Click the Processes tab.
A list of currently running process and the amount of resources they are consuming will appear. Go through the list to verify how much resources services.exe is consuming.
If services.exe is shown to be consuming excessive memory resources then you are having the diagnostic problem. This generally occurs when your computer reboots due to power failure or an application error.
To fix the problem, perform the following steps:
- Open Control Panel and double-click Administrative tools.
- Next, double-click Event Viewer to open its corresponding window.
- Right-click Application in the left-pane and click Clear All Events.
- Click No when prompted to save the log.
- Repeat steps 3 and 4 for Security and System.
Is services.exe and service.exe the same process?
Do not get confused between services.exe and service.exe. Services.exe is a Microsoft signed file, whereas the latter may be a malware related file masquerading as a genuine Windows process.
Services.exe – Is it a safe file?
The genuine services.exe is a safe file. However, malware versions of services.exe are also known to exist.
If you are concerned that illegitimate services.exe processes may be present on your computer, run a malware scan using advanced protective tools, such as STOPzilla Antivirus and Spyware Cease.
Services.exe error 2
When you restart your Windows computer after performing a malware scan, you may receive the following error:
“Windows cannot find ‘C:\WINDOWS\services.exe’. Make sure you typed the name correctly, and they try again. To search for a file, click the Start button and then click Search.â€
Cause of the Error
Typically, the above error occurs when a malicious services.exe was present on your computer. When you run a malware scan the false services.exe is removed but the program entry in the RUN keys is not removed. The genuine services.exe is not launched from the RUN key.
Resolution Steps
To resolve the error, manually delete the entry for services.exe from the following location:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run &
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Warning: Only edit the registry if you are comfortable in working with it. Also, as a precaution, make a registry backup before editing the registry. This will allow you to restore the registry to its previous working state if any complications occur. To make a registry backup, you may use a reliable registry cleaning tool, such as RegServe to back up the registry.