Start/Stop NT Service

shell to "net stop DNS" might work!

If will work, but only for local services (on the PC/Server the app runs)
If you want to do this on a remote PC/Server, you may use NETSVC.EXE instead of NET USE (included in NT resource kit), and call this within a shell.
In every case, check if permissions are given.

Thanks. Can one of you provide source code? The execute method should be in-process, that means, no extra window.

simply to in VB
SHELL "NET START DNS",vbHide
or
SHELL "NETSVC DNS \\servername /start", vbHide

it won't be inprocess, but not extra window will be shown (vbHide)

I'm a dummy, not to tell exactly what I need. So:

Indeed, I want to stop and start the Domain Name Service of another server.

NETSVC shouldn't be so great because
- it is not free
- it does not return process info, so I might try to restart the service when it did not stop, yet. In the end, my app doesn't know if the action was successful.

Is there another tool, or any way to administer a service by API calls?

Some additional code I happened to run across:

http://home.earthlink.net/~butlerbob/vb/winnt/srvctrl.htm

I posted my comment to this similiar question. You can see my answer from
https://www.experts-exchange.com/bin/Q.10278003



From the web:
Put the following code in the module:

'API Constants
Public Const SERVICES_ACTIVE_DATABASE = "ServicesActive"
' Service Control
Public Const SERVICE_CONTROL_STOP = &H1
Public Const SERVICE_CONTROL_PAUSE = &H2
' Service State - for CurrentState
Public Const SERVICE_STOPPED = &H1
Public Const SERVICE_START_PENDING = &H2
Public Const SERVICE_STOP_PENDING = &H3
Public Const SERVICE_RUNNING = &H4
Public Const SERVICE_CONTINUE_PENDING = &H5
Public Const SERVICE_PAUSE_PENDING = &H6
Public Const SERVICE_PAUSED = &H7
'Service Control Manager object specific access types
Public Const STANDARD_RIGHTS_REQUIRED = &HF0000
Public Const SC_MANAGER_CONNECT = &H1
Public Const SC_MANAGER_CREATE_SERVICE = &H2
Public Const SC_MANAGER_ENUMERATE_SERVICE = &H4
Public Const SC_MANAGER_LOCK = &H8
Public Const SC_MANAGER_QUERY_LOCK_STATUS = &H10
Public Const SC_MANAGER_MODIFY_BOOT_CONFIG = &H20
Public Const SC_MANAGER_ALL_ACCESS = (STANDARD_RIGHTS_REQUIRED Or SC_MANAGER_CONNECT Or
SC_MANAGER_CREATE_SERVICE Or SC_MANAGER_ENUMERATE_SERVICE Or SC_MANAGER_LOCK Or
SC_MANAGER_QUERY_LOCK_STATUS Or SC_MANAGER_MODIFY_BOOT_CONFIG)
'Service object specific access types
Public Const SERVICE_QUERY_CONFIG = &H1
Public Const SERVICE_CHANGE_CONFIG = &H2
Public Const SERVICE_QUERY_STATUS = &H4
Public Const SERVICE_ENUMERATE_DEPENDENTS = &H8
Public Const SERVICE_START = &H10
Public Const SERVICE_STOP = &H20
Public Const SERVICE_PAUSE_CONTINUE = &H40
Public Const SERVICE_INTERROGATE = &H80
Public Const SERVICE_USER_DEFINED_CONTROL = &H100
Public Const SERVICE_ALL_ACCESS = (STANDARD_RIGHTS_REQUIRED Or SERVICE_QUERY_CONFIG Or
SERVICE_CHANGE_CONFIG Or SERVICE_QUERY_STATUS Or SERVICE_ENUMERATE_DEPENDENTS Or
SERVICE_START Or SERVICE_STOP Or SERVICE_PAUSE_CONTINUE Or SERVICE_INTERROGATE Or
SERVICE_USER_DEFINED_CONTROL)

Type SERVICE_STATUS
    dwServiceType As Long
    dwCurrentState As Long
    dwControlsAccepted As Long
    dwWin32ExitCode As Long
    dwServiceSpecificExitCode As Long
    dwCheckPoint As Long
    dwWaitHint As Long
End Type

Declare Function CloseServiceHandle Lib "advapi32.dll" (ByVal hSCObject As Long) As Long
Declare Function ControlService Lib "advapi32.dll" (ByVal hService As Long, ByVal dwControl As Long,
lpServiceStatus As SERVICE_STATUS) As Long
Declare Function OpenSCManager Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "OpenSCManagerA" (ByVal lpMachineName As
String, ByVal lpDatabaseName As String, ByVal dwDesiredAccess As Long) As Long
Declare Function OpenService Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "OpenServiceA" (ByVal hSCManager As Long, ByVal
lpServiceName As String, ByVal dwDesiredAccess As Long) As Long
Declare Function QueryServiceStatus Lib "advapi32.dll" (ByVal hService As Long, lpServiceStatus As
SERVICE_STATUS) As Long
Declare Function StartService Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "StartServiceA" (ByVal hService As Long, ByVal
dwNumServiceArgs As Long, ByVal lpServiceArgVectors As Long) As Long

Public Function ServiceStatus(ComputerName As String, ServiceName As String) As String
    Dim ServiceStat As SERVICE_STATUS
    Dim hSManager As Long
    Dim hService As Long
    Dim hServiceStatus As Long

    ServiceStatus = "" 
    hSManager = OpenSCManager(ComputerName, SERVICES_ACTIVE_DATABASE,
SC_MANAGER_ALL_ACCESS)
    If hSManager <> 0 Then
        hService = OpenService(hSManager, ServiceName, SERVICE_ALL_ACCESS)
        If hService <> 0 Then
            hServiceStatus = QueryServiceStatus(hService, ServiceStat)
            If hServiceStatus <> 0 Then
                Select Case ServiceStat.dwCurrentState
                Case SERVICE_STOPPED
                    ServiceStatus = "Stopped"
                Case SERVICE_START_PENDING
                    ServiceStatus = "Start Pending"
                Case SERVICE_STOP_PENDING
                    ServiceStatus = "Stop Pending"
                Case SERVICE_RUNNING
                    ServiceStatus = "Running"
                Case SERVICE_CONTINUE_PENDING
                    ServiceStatus = "Coninue Pending"
                Case SERVICE_PAUSE_PENDING
                    ServiceStatus = "Pause Pending"
                Case SERVICE_PAUSED
                    ServiceStatus = "Paused"
                End Select
            End If
            CloseServiceHandle hService
        End If
        CloseServiceHandle hSManager
    End If
End Function

Public Sub ServicePause(ComputerName As String, ServiceName As String)
    Dim ServiceStatus As SERVICE_STATUS
    Dim hSManager As Long
    Dim hService As Long
    Dim res As Long

    hSManager = OpenSCManager(ComputerName, SERVICES_ACTIVE_DATABASE,
SC_MANAGER_ALL_ACCESS)
    If hSManager <> 0 Then
        hService = OpenService(hSManager, ServiceName, SERVICE_ALL_ACCESS)
        If hService <> 0 Then
            res = ControlService(hService, SERVICE_CONTROL_PAUSE, ServiceStatus)
            CloseServiceHandle hService
        End If
        CloseServiceHandle hSManager
    End If
End Sub

Public Sub ServiceStart(ComputerName As String, ServiceName As String)
    Dim ServiceStatus As SERVICE_STATUS
    Dim hSManager As Long
    Dim hService As Long
    Dim res As Long

    hSManager = OpenSCManager(ComputerName, SERVICES_ACTIVE_DATABASE,
SC_MANAGER_ALL_ACCESS)
    If hSManager <> 0 Then
        hService = OpenService(hSManager, ServiceName, SERVICE_ALL_ACCESS)
        If hService <> 0 Then
            res = StartService(hService, 0, 0)
            CloseServiceHandle hService
        End If
        CloseServiceHandle hSManager
    End If
End Sub

Public Sub ServiceStop(ComputerName As String, ServiceName As String)
    Dim ServiceStatus As SERVICE_STATUS
    Dim hSManager As Long
    Dim hService As Long
    Dim res As Long

    hSManager = OpenSCManager(ComputerName, SERVICES_ACTIVE_DATABASE,
SC_MANAGER_ALL_ACCESS)
    If hSManager <> 0 Then
        hService = OpenService(hSManager, ServiceName, SERVICE_ALL_ACCESS)
        If hService <> 0 Then
            res = ControlService(hService, SERVICE_CONTROL_STOP, ServiceStatus)
            CloseServiceHandle hService
        End If
        CloseServiceHandle hSManager
    End If
End Sub



Put the following code in the form:

'Usage: the first parameter is the remote computer name, if it is "" the computer is the local
computer, the second is the service name.
Private Sub Command1_Click()
    ServiceStop "", "Schedule"
End Sub

Private Sub Command2_Click()
    ServiceStart "", "Schedule"
End Sub

Private Sub Command3_Click()
    ServicePause "", "Schedule"
End Sub

Private Sub Command4_Click()
    MsgBox ServiceStatus("", "Schedule")
End Sub

Thanks, cquinn and especially angelIII and, sorry that I didn't tell what I need exactly, initially.

pclement, this is a nice little source. I found a VB project with lots of API calls, resulting in 4 VB functions: start, stop, pause, status. One can specify the machine name, too. That's exactly what I wanted.

Found a task scheduler, too and, other code samples. N'ice!
That's the way I like it!

Ruchi, thank you very much. Your code is much like the one pclement linked me to. Saw your answer (the same as this one - whatfor the 10 points?), the development of comments was the same as in this question: Net Start..., then API. Thanks.

No problem, Robbert. ;-)

Tip: Use :-) for being happy and, ;-) for being ironical.
:-)

Okay.. Thanks. :-)

robbert:

Excellent! Glad it works for you.