What is the "services.exe" process on Windows 8? Is the "services.exe" process a virus? Can I terminate the "services.exe" process?

"services.exe - Services and Controller app" process is the Service Control Manager (SCM), which starts, stops and interacts with Windows service processes.

On the Processes tab of "Task Manager", "services.exe" process may be listed as:

Image Name    PID  User Name   Memory   Description

services.exe  592  SYSTEM      5,444 K  Services and Controller app

Additional information about "services.exe" process:

Command line:
   \Windows\System32\services.exe
   
Started by: wininit.exe

Files used:
   C:\Windows\System32
   
Registry keys:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\NetworkProvider\Order
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Nls\Language Groups
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Nls\Locale
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Nls\Locale\Alternate Sorts
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Nls\Sorting\Versions
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\ServiceGroupOrder
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Session Manager
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\services
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\services\WinSock2\Parameters\NameSpace_Catalog5
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\services\WinSock2\Parameters\Protocol_Catalog9
HKU\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\International
HKU\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion

"services.exe" process is not a virus. You should not terminate "services.exe" process.

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