Please, do me a disservice...

[Shades]

In Windows it is possible to install/register your own service that in turn are added to the (already extensive) list of Windows services
(something like: blahblahserver /install,  NET START blahblahserver).

Reversing these steps also lets you unregister/uninstall services (something like: NET STOP blahblahserver, blahblahserver /uninstall)

Normally I use batch script for both steps.

Over time the batch scripts do their work without reporting an error. Taking a look with Sysinternal's Process Explorer also shows that the services are available when they need to be an not. But when I take a look at the Windows service list, the service(s) are still there. 

My question is this: does anybody here know some software to remove those 'orphan' services from the Windows service list?

[Grorgy]

I got rid of one doing
Start, Run and type cmd and hit ok.
then type:
sc delete "<service name>"

And its gone on my xp home system.  I'd already disabled it.

[Shades]

Unfortunately the sc command I tried already, it's error says:
"The specified service does not exist as an installed service."

I should have told that my system runs on Windows XP Professional (SP1).

Removing them manually with regedit does not work either. 

[Carol Haynes]

Just do

SC STOP servicename
SC DELETE servicename

you don't need the uninstall step

[Shades]

Sorry Carol, that doesn't do the trick either. However, it now showed a reference code so I'll guess Googling will do me some good.

[PhilB66]

Look @ HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services is the service listed there?

[Shades]

The service is located in the following locations:
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet002\Services
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet003\Enum\Root\LEGACY_(blahblahservice)
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet003\Services
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet004\Enum\Root\LEGACY_(blahblahservice)
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet004\Services
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\Root\LEGACY_(blahblahservice)
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services

Even after granting myself the correct permissions to remove every registry entry from the list above...the "orphans" do not want to leave my "castle".  Even mr. Restart cannot drive them away

[PhilB66]

How about removing the driver from system32 folder and then deleting the registry keys?

[iphigenie]

I have often been unable to remove #_LEGACY keys when I tried, so it might need the right registry editor or to be done while booted off a CD.

I usually have given up and just made sure they were disabled but left them in, so I would be curious as to what the solution is

[Carol Haynes]

If it won't delete try setting the permissions on the key in RegEdit to give you full access.

[Shades]

Thanks Carol, but that was tried as well...I'm really on the brink of joining iphigenie and handing in the towel on this one

[Shades]

Ha!


Good news (for me that is)...doing the manual deleting from registry does work when logged in with the default Administrator account and the help of mr. Restart.

First I tried with a user account that had administrator rights assigned, but it seems there is still a (small) difference between those types of users.

Kinda silly from me to not to try this before, but I was under the impression that with Administrator rights assigned there are no differences.

Ah well, live and learn...

Many thanks to everybody who pointed me in the right direction 

[PhilB66]

Good to hear and thanks for reporting back.