OpenSCManager function

Reference: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms684323(v=vs.85).aspx

Example Reference: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms682006(v=vs.85).aspx

Establishes a connection to the service control manager on the specified computer and opens the specified service control manager database.

Syntax

SC_HANDLE WINAPI OpenSCManager(
  __in_opt  LPCTSTR lpMachineName,
  __in_opt  LPCTSTR lpDatabaseName,
  __in      DWORD dwDesiredAccess
);

Parameters

lpMachineName [in, optional]

The name of the target computer. If the pointer is NULL or points to an empty string, the function connects to the service control manager on the local computer.

lpDatabaseName [in, optional]

The name of the service control manager database. This parameter should be set to SERVICES_ACTIVE_DATABASE. If it is NULL, the SERVICES_ACTIVE_DATABASE database is opened by default.

dwDesiredAccess [in]

The access to the service control manager. For a list of access rights, see Service Security and Access Rights.

Before granting the requested access rights, the system checks the access token of the calling process against the discretionary access-control list of the security descriptor associated with the service control manager.

The SC_MANAGER_CONNECT access right is implicitly specified by calling this function.

Return value

If the function succeeds, the return value is a handle to the specified service control manager database.

If the function fails, the return value is NULL. To get extended error information, call GetLastError.

The following error codes can be set by the SCM. Other error codes can be set by the registry functions that are called by the SCM.

Remarks

When a process uses the OpenSCManager function to open a handle to a service control manager database, the system performs a security check before granting the requested access. For more information, see Service Security and Access Rights.

If the current user does not have proper access when connecting to a service on another computer, the  OpenSCManager function call fails. To connect to a service remotely, call the LogonUser function with LOGON32_LOGON_NEW_CREDENTIALS and then call ImpersonateLoggedOnUser before calling OpenSCManager. For more information about connecting to services remotely, see Services and RPC/TCP.

Only processes with Administrator privileges are able to open a database handle that can be used by the CreateService function.

The returned handle is only valid for the process that called the OpenSCManager function. It can be closed by calling the CloseServiceHandle function.

Examples

For an example, see Changing a Service's Configuration.

Following is Changing a Service's Configuration example:

A service configuration program uses the ChangeServiceConfig and ChangeServiceConfig2 functions to change the configuration parameters of an installed service. The program opens a handle to the service object, modifies its configuration, and then closes the service object handle.

In the following example, the DoDisableSvc function uses ChangeServiceConfig to change the service start type to "Disabled", the DoEnableSvc function uses ChangeServiceConfig to change the service start type to "Enabled", and the DoUpdateSvcDesc function uses ChangeServiceConfig2 to set the service description to "This is a test description". The szSvcName variable is a global variable that contains the name of the service. For the complete example that sets this variable, see SvcConfig.cpp.

//
// Purpose: 
//   Disables the service.
//
// Parameters:
//   None
// 
// Return value:
//   None
//
VOID __stdcall DoDisableSvc()
{
    SC_HANDLE schSCManager;
    SC_HANDLE schService;

    // Get a handle to the SCM database. 
 
    schSCManager = OpenSCManager( 
        NULL,                    // local computer
        NULL,                    // ServicesActive database 
        SC_MANAGER_ALL_ACCESS);  // full access rights 
 
    if (NULL == schSCManager) 
    {
        printf("OpenSCManager failed (%d)\n", GetLastError());
        return;
    }

    // Get a handle to the service.

    schService = OpenService( 
        schSCManager,            // SCM database 
        szSvcName,               // name of service 
        SERVICE_CHANGE_CONFIG);  // need change config access 
 
    if (schService == NULL)
    { 
        printf("OpenService failed (%d)\n", GetLastError()); 
        CloseServiceHandle(schSCManager);
        return;
    }    

    // Change the service start type.

    if (! ChangeServiceConfig( 
        schService,        // handle of service 
        SERVICE_NO_CHANGE, // service type: no change 
        SERVICE_DISABLED,  // service start type 
        SERVICE_NO_CHANGE, // error control: no change 
        NULL,              // binary path: no change 
        NULL,              // load order group: no change 
        NULL,              // tag ID: no change 
        NULL,              // dependencies: no change 
        NULL,              // account name: no change 
        NULL,              // password: no change 
        NULL) )            // display name: no change
    {
        printf("ChangeServiceConfig failed (%d)\n", GetLastError()); 
    }
    else printf("Service disabled successfully.\n"); 

    CloseServiceHandle(schService); 
    CloseServiceHandle(schSCManager);
}

//
// Purpose: 
//   Enables the service.
//
// Parameters:
//   None
// 
// Return value:
//   None
//
VOID __stdcall DoEnableSvc()
{
    SC_HANDLE schSCManager;
    SC_HANDLE schService;

    // Get a handle to the SCM database. 
 
    schSCManager = OpenSCManager( 
        NULL,                    // local computer
        NULL,                    // ServicesActive database 
        SC_MANAGER_ALL_ACCESS);  // full access rights 
 
    if (NULL == schSCManager) 
    {
        printf("OpenSCManager failed (%d)\n", GetLastError());
        return;
    }

    // Get a handle to the service.

    schService = OpenService( 
        schSCManager,            // SCM database 
        szSvcName,               // name of service 
        SERVICE_CHANGE_CONFIG);  // need change config access 
 
    if (schService == NULL)
    { 
        printf("OpenService failed (%d)\n", GetLastError()); 
        CloseServiceHandle(schSCManager);
        return;
    }    

    // Change the service start type.

    if (! ChangeServiceConfig( 
        schService,            // handle of service 
        SERVICE_NO_CHANGE,     // service type: no change 
        SERVICE_DEMAND_START,  // service start type 
        SERVICE_NO_CHANGE,     // error control: no change 
        NULL,                  // binary path: no change 
        NULL,                  // load order group: no change 
        NULL,                  // tag ID: no change 
        NULL,                  // dependencies: no change 
        NULL,                  // account name: no change 
        NULL,                  // password: no change 
        NULL) )                // display name: no change
    {
        printf("ChangeServiceConfig failed (%d)\n", GetLastError()); 
    }
    else printf("Service enabled successfully.\n"); 

    CloseServiceHandle(schService); 
    CloseServiceHandle(schSCManager);
}

//
// Purpose: 
//   Updates the service description to "This is a test description".
//
// Parameters:
//   None
// 
// Return value:
//   None
//
VOID __stdcall DoUpdateSvcDesc()
{
    SC_HANDLE schSCManager;
    SC_HANDLE schService;
    SERVICE_DESCRIPTION sd;
    LPTSTR szDesc = TEXT("This is a test description");

    // Get a handle to the SCM database. 
 
    schSCManager = OpenSCManager( 
        NULL,                    // local computer
        NULL,                    // ServicesActive database 
        SC_MANAGER_ALL_ACCESS);  // full access rights 
 
    if (NULL == schSCManager) 
    {
        printf("OpenSCManager failed (%d)\n", GetLastError());
        return;
    }

    // Get a handle to the service.

    schService = OpenService( 
        schSCManager,            // SCM database 
        szSvcName,               // name of service 
        SERVICE_CHANGE_CONFIG);  // need change config access 
 
    if (schService == NULL)
    { 
        printf("OpenService failed (%d)\n", GetLastError()); 
        CloseServiceHandle(schSCManager);
        return;
    }    

    // Change the service description.

    sd.lpDescription = szDesc;

    if( !ChangeServiceConfig2(
        schService,                 // handle to service
        SERVICE_CONFIG_DESCRIPTION, // change: description
        &sd) )                      // new description
    {
        printf("ChangeServiceConfig2 failed\n");
    }
    else printf("Service description updated successfully.\n");

    CloseServiceHandle(schService); 
    CloseServiceHandle(schSCManager);
}