Remotely Set State and StartMode of a Service using PowerShell

Well as the name suggests this is a very simple and straightforward post.

Most of the PowerShell Geeks out there already know that we can do it in various ways:

1. Using Set-Service
2. Using PSRemoting
3. Using WMI (Win32_Service)

In our environment at office we don't have PSRemoting yet enabled, but it's okey we can come around that. In addition would like it to be PowerShell v2 compatible you never know who asks you for this Script running on v2.

We can use Set-Service which has -ComputerName parameter, in case you haven't checked. But it fails to start/ stop a remote service if there are dependent services.

C:\> gsv -Name bits -ComputerName DexterClient1

Status   Name               DisplayName
------   ----               -----------
Running  bits               Background Intelligent Transfer Ser...


C:\> Set-Service -Name BITS -Status Stopped -ComputerName DexterClient1 -Verbose
VERBOSE: Performing the operation "Set-Service" on target "Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS)".
Set-Service : Cannot stop service 'Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS)' because it has dependent services.
At line:1 char:1
+ Set-Service -Name BITS -Status Stopped -ComputerName DexterClient1 -Verbose
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController:ServiceController) [Set-Servi
   ce], ServiceCommandException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ServiceHasDependentServicesNoForce,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.SetServiceCommand

So it goes out of the window as there is no way to force it too (-Force switch missing)

So using WMI is a better option here.

This Script was inspired by :

1. Set-ServiceStartMode Script by Jason Morgan here 
2. Article by Sriram Pamarthi here 

I tweaked the Script by Jason Morgan to start/ stop the Service in addition to setting up the desired start mode and did use the pointers in Sriram's blog to get interpret the WMI Return codes properly when invoking the ChangeStartMode() and StartService() or StopService() method on the instance of Win32_Service WMI Class Object. He was kind enough to give a second opinion too. Thanks :)

The Script logs any offline machines or any Exceptions thrown and will display any warnings if it's not able to set State or StartMode. we can use re-direction probably to capture the Errors if any though or modify the Script to fit one's need.

I have uploaded the Script on Technet and POSHCode too:

http://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/Set-RemoteService-use-42539778

http://poshcode.org/5049

Give it a shot and let me know how I can improve this further. Below is the Gist:

	Function Set-RemoteService
	{
	<#
	.SYNOPSIS
	Sets the state and Start Mode for a Service on Remote Machine
	.DESCRIPTION
	Uses Win32_Service to set the state and Start Mode of the Service on Remote Machine.
	Correctly traps all the WMI Return Values and logs them in an Error File
	.PARAMETER ComputerName
	Enter a ComputerName accepts multiple ComputerNames
	.PARAMETER Name
	Enter the name of the Service (Will accept WQL Keywords)
	.PARAMETER DisplayName
	Enter the DisplayName of the target Service (Will accept WQL wildacard)
	.PARAMETER State
	Specify the State, the state of the service on the Targetmachine will be changed to this
	Valid Values Are: Running, Stopped
	.PARAMETER startupType
	Specify Service Startmode, the service on the target machine will have it's startmode changed to this.
	Valid Values are: Auto, Disabled, and Manual
	.PARAMETER ErrorFile
	Logs Error in the file specified.
	Default ErrorFile is ServiceError.txt at the Desktop of the User running Script.
	.EXAMPLE
	On the local machine set the
	PS C:\> Set-RemoteService -Name bits -state Running -startupType Auto
	ComputerName ServiceName StartMode State
	------------ ----------- --------- -----
	DexterPC2143 BITS Auto Running
	.EXAMPLE
	In the below example the WMI Return Code 21 (Device is not ready) is returned and that comes up as a warning
	PS C:\> Set-RemoteService -Name ccmexec -state Running -startupType Auto
	WARNING: DexterPC couldn't change state to Running
	WMI Call Returned : The device is not ready"
	ComputerName ServiceName StartMode State
	------------ ----------- --------- -----
	DexClient1 BITS Auto Stopped
	.EXAMPLE
	Set the bits service state & startmode on the remote machine , verbose swicth turned on
	PS C:\> Set-RemoteService -ComputerName DexClient2420 -Name bits -state Running -startupType Automatic -Verbose
	VERBOSE: Starting the Function...Checking if ErrorFile exists- C:\Users\ddha002\Desktop\ServiceError.txt
	VERBOSE: ErrorFile exists & logging time to it - C:\Users\ddha002\Desktop\ServiceError.txt
	VERBOSE: Checking if DexClient2420 is online
	VERBOSE: DexClient2420 is online
	ComputerName ServiceName StartMode State
	------------ ----------- --------- -----
	DexClient2420 BITS Auto Running
	VERBOSE: Stopping the Function
	.INPUTS
	System.String[]
	.OUTPUTS
	Selected.System.Management.ManagementObject[]
	.NOTES
	Reused Code from :
	Author - Jason Morgan
	Script - Set-ServiceStartMode [http://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/Set-ServiceStartMode-18a6e13d]
	Used the DisplayName parameter after seeing this Script
	Author - Sitaram Pamarthi
	URL - http://techibee.com/powershell/powershell-find-services-that-failed-to-start-after-server-reboot/2036
	Used Net helpmsg to interpret WMI Return codes after this article
	Written by - DexterPOSH
	Blog Url - http://dexterposgh.blogspot.com
	#>
	#requires -version 3.0
	[CmdletBinding(DefaultParameterSetName='Name')]
	[OutputType([PSObject])]
	param(
	[Parameter(Position=0, Mandatory=$false,
	helpmessage="Enter the ComputerNames to Chec & Fix Services on",
	ValueFromPipeline=$true,
	ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName=$true
	)]
	#[ValidateScript({try{[system.net.dns]::Resolve("$_")|out-null; return $true} catch { throw "could not resolve the machine name"}})]
	[String[]]
	$ComputerName=$env:COMPUTERNAME,
	[Parameter(Mandatory=$true,
	ParameterSetName="Name",
	helpmessage="Enter the Service Name (Accepts WQL wildacard)")]
	[string]$Name,
	[Parameter(Mandatory=$True,
	ParameterSetName="DisplayName",
	HelpMessage="Enter the DisplayName of the target Service(Accepts WQL wildacard)" )]
	[String]$DisplayName,
	[Parameter(Mandatory=$true,helpmessage="Enter the state of the Service to be set")]
	[ValidateSet("Running","Stopped")]
	[string]$state,
	[Parameter(Mandatory=$true,helpmessage="Enter the Startup Type of the Service to be set")]
	[ValidateSet("Automatic","Manual","Disabled")]
	[string]$startupType,
	[Parameter(Mandatory=$false,helpmessage="Enter the Startup Type of the Service to be set")]
	[string]$ErrorFile="$([System.Environment]::GetFolderPath("Desktop"))\ServiceError.txt"
	)
	BEGIN
	{
	Write-Verbose -Message "Starting the Function...Checking if ErrorFile exists- $ErrorFile"
	#CReate the Errofile ...it will log Offline machines, Machines with issues
	if (!(Test-Path -Path $ErrorFile -PathType Leaf))
	{
	Write-Verbose -Message "Creating ErrorFile & logging time to it - $ErrorFile"
	New-Item -Path $ErrorFile -ItemType file
	Add-Content -Value "$("#"*40)$(Get-Date)$("#"*40)" -Path $ErrorFile
	}
	else
	{
	Write-Verbose -Message " ErrorFile exists & logging time to it - $ErrorFile"
	Add-Content -Value "$("#"*40)$(Get-Date)$("#"*40)" -Path $ErrorFile
	}
	}
	PROCESS
	{
	foreach ($computer in $computername )
	{
	Write-Verbose -Message "Checking if $Computer is online"
	if (Test-Connection -ComputerName $Computer -Count 2 -Quiet)
	{
	Write-Verbose -message "$Computer is online"
	#region try to set the required state and StartupType of the Service
	try
	{
	#based on the Parameter Set used create the Filter
	Switch -Exact ($PSCmdlet.ParameterSetName)
	{
	"Name" {$Filter = "Name LIKE '$Name'" ; break}
	"DisplayName"{$Filter = "Name LIKE '$DisplayName'"}
	}
	$service = Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Service -ComputerName $Computer -Filter $Filter -ErrorAction Stop
	#Check the State and set it
	if ( $service.State -ne "$state")
	{
	#Set the State of the Remtoe Service
	switch -exact ($state)
	{
	'Running'
	{
	$changestateaction = $service.startService()
	Start-Sleep -Seconds 2 #it will require some time to process action
	if ($changestateaction.ReturnValue -ne 0 )
	{
	$err = Invoke-Expression "net helpmsg $($changestateaction.ReturnValue)"
	Write-Warning -message "$Computer couldn't change state to $state `nWMI Call Returned :$err"
	}
	break
	}
	'Stopped'
	{
	$changestateaction = $service.stopService()
	Start-Sleep -Seconds 2
	if ($changestateaction.ReturnValue -ne 0 )
	{
	$err = Invoke-Expression "net helpmsg $($changestateaction.ReturnValue)"
	Write-Warning -message "$Computer couldn't change state to $state `nWMI Call Returned :$err"
	}
	break
	}
	} #end switch
	} #end if
	#Check the StartMode and set it
	if ($service.startMode -ne $startupType)
	{
	#set the Start Mode of the Remote Service
	$changemodeaction = $service.ChangeStartMode("$startupType")
	Start-Sleep -Seconds 2
	if ($changemodeaction.ReturnValue -ne 0 )
	{
	$err = Invoke-Expression "net helpmsg $($changemodeaction.ReturnValue)"
	Write-Warning -message "$Computer couldn't change startmode to $startupType `nWMI Call Returned :$err"
	}
	} #end if
	#Write the Object to the Pipeline
	Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Service -ComputerName $Computer -Filter "Name='$name'" -ErrorAction Stop | Select-Object -Property @{Label="ComputerName";Expression={"$($_.__SERVER)"}},@{Label="ServiceName";Expression={$_.Name}},StartMode,State
	}#end try
	catch
	{
	Write-Warning -Message "$Computer :: $_.exception...logging"
	Add-Content -Value "$computer :: $_.exception" -Path $ErrorFile
	} #end catch
	#endregion try to set the required state and StartupType of the Service
	}
	else
	{
	Write-Verbose -Message "$Computer is Offline..Logging"
	Add-Content -Value "$computer :: Offline" -Path $ErrorFile
	}
	} #end foreach ($computer in $Computername)
	}#end PROCESS
	END
	{
	Write-Verbose -Message "Stopping the Function"
	$ErrorActionPreference = 'Continue' #Setting it back, Just in case someone is running this from ISE
	}
	}

view raw Set-RemoteService.ps1 hosted with ❤ by GitHub