AUWENFIELD NOTES
JOHNNY AUWENFORGE
LUMEN Galleries ↗
← Command indexPowerShell / service

Get-Service

Inspect Windows service state without starting or stopping anything.

Before running this

This is a reference for PowerShell; commands do not run on this page. Use the matching shell on your own computer. Read the example, expected result and notes before trying it. New to terminals? Start with the shell basics.

Syntax

UPPERCASE words are placeholders to replace. Brackets in the syntax line describe optional arguments; do not type those brackets literally.

Get-Service [-Name NAME] [-RequiredServices | -DependentServices]

Example

Get-Service -Name W32Time | Select-Object Name, Status, DisplayName
Get-Service -Name W32Time -RequiredServices

Expected result

A service object for Windows Time and any services it requires. Running or Stopped depends on this machine's configuration; an empty dependency result can be valid.

Notes and traps

Windows only. Name is the service's internal name, not necessarily its display name. RequiredServices points to prerequisites; DependentServices points to consumers. Running is not a complete health check, and startup type is distinct from current state.

Try it

Compare RequiredServices and DependentServices for one installed service. Why should you inspect these before considering a restart?

Answer and reasoning

They show opposite dependency directions. Restarting a prerequisite can interrupt its consumers. Record the current state and dependency names; inspect logs and the application before making changes. This entry performs inspection only.

Study the related guide →

Related commands

Related tasks may need different flags and have different semantics. Check the entry before translating a command between shells.

Official reference ↗

Updated 14 September 2026. Reviewed against PowerShell 7.5 documentation on 14 September 2026. Windows/PowerShell execution was unavailable.