What kinds of services are running on Windows XP?

Since there are many services are running on Windows XP. We can group them into different categories:

1. Services hosted by "svchost.exe" - Those services are system programs written in DLL files and loaded to shared "svchost.exe" processes running in CPU. Each shared "svchost.exe" process can host multiple DLL services to save process resource.

For example, "RpcSc - Remote Procedure Call (RPC)" and "PrcEptMapper - PRC Endpoint Mapper" are 2 DLL services hosted by 1 shared "svchost.exe" process, named as "rpcss" group.

2. Services hosted by "lsass.exe" - Those services are system programs written in DLL files and loaded to a single shared "lsass.exe" process running in CPU.

For example, "SamSs - Security Account Manager" and "EFS - Encrypting File System" are 2 DLL services hosted by the shared "lsass.exe" process.

3. System services running directly - Those services are system programs written in EXE files and loaded to run directly. Each of them is a single process running in CPU.

For example, "Fax" and "spooler - Print Spooler" are 2 EXE system services running directly as 2 processes.

4. Application services - Those services are application programs written in EXE files and loaded to run directly. Each of them is a single process running in CPU.

For example, "btwdins - Bluetooth Service" and "McAfeeFramework - McAfee Framework Service" are 2 EXE applicatoin services running directly as 2 processes.

⇒Introduction of Services on Windows XP

⇒⇒Windows XP Services Tutorials