C# Signature:

    [DllImport("advapi32.dll", EntryPoint="OpenSCManagerW", ExactSpelling=true, CharSet=CharSet.Unicode, SetLastError=true)]
    public static extern IntPtr OpenSCManager(string machineName, string databaseName, uint dwAccess);

VB Signature:

    <DllImport("advapi32.dll", CharSet:=CharSet.Auto, SetLastError:=True)> _
    Private Shared Function OpenSCManager(ByVal machineName As String, ByVal databaseName As String, ByVal desiredAccess As Int32) As IntPtr
    End Function

VB .NET Signature:

    Declare Function OpenSCManager Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "OpenSCManagerA" (ByVal lpMachineName As String, ByVal lpDatabaseName As String, ByVal dwDesiredAccess As Integer) As Integer

User-Defined Types:

None.

C# User-Defined Types:

   [Flags]
    public enum SCM_ACCESS : uint
    {
    /// <summary>
    /// Required to connect to the service control manager.
    /// </summary>
    SC_MANAGER_CONNECT = 0x00001,

    /// <summary>
    /// Required to call the CreateService function to create a service
    /// object and add it to the database.
    /// </summary>
    SC_MANAGER_CREATE_SERVICE = 0x00002,

    /// <summary>
    /// Required to call the EnumServicesStatusEx function to list the
    /// services that are in the database.
    /// </summary>
    SC_MANAGER_ENUMERATE_SERVICE = 0x00004,

    /// <summary>
    /// Required to call the LockServiceDatabase function to acquire a
    /// lock on the database.
    /// </summary>
    SC_MANAGER_LOCK = 0x00008,

    /// <summary>
    /// Required to call the QueryServiceLockStatus function to retrieve
    /// the lock status information for the database.
    /// </summary>
    SC_MANAGER_QUERY_LOCK_STATUS = 0x00010,

    /// <summary>
    /// Required to call the NotifyBootConfigStatus function.
    /// </summary>
    SC_MANAGER_MODIFY_BOOT_CONFIG = 0x00020,

    /// <summary>
    /// Includes STANDARD_RIGHTS_REQUIRED, in addition to all access
    /// rights in this table.
    /// </summary>
    SC_MANAGER_ALL_ACCESS = ACCESS_MASK.STANDARD_RIGHTS_REQUIRED |
        SC_MANAGER_CONNECT |
        SC_MANAGER_CREATE_SERVICE |
        SC_MANAGER_ENUMERATE_SERVICE |
        SC_MANAGER_LOCK |
        SC_MANAGER_QUERY_LOCK_STATUS |
        SC_MANAGER_MODIFY_BOOT_CONFIG,

    GENERIC_READ = ACCESS_MASK.STANDARD_RIGHTS_READ |
        SC_MANAGER_ENUMERATE_SERVICE |
        SC_MANAGER_QUERY_LOCK_STATUS,

    GENERIC_WRITE = ACCESS_MASK.STANDARD_RIGHTS_WRITE |
        SC_MANAGER_CREATE_SERVICE |
        SC_MANAGER_MODIFY_BOOT_CONFIG,

    GENERIC_EXECUTE = ACCESS_MASK.STANDARD_RIGHTS_EXECUTE |
        SC_MANAGER_CONNECT | SC_MANAGER_LOCK,

    GENERIC_ALL = SC_MANAGER_ALL_ACCESS,

    /// <summary>
    /// Required to call the QueryServiceObjectSecurity or
    /// SetServiceObjectSecurity function to access the SACL. The proper
    /// way to obtain this access is to enable the SE_SECURITY_NAME
    /// privilege in the caller's current access token, open the handle
    /// for ACCESS_SYSTEM_SECURITY access, and then disable the privilege.
    /// </summary>
    ACCESS_SYSTEM_SECURITY = ACCESS_MASK.ACCESS_SYSTEM_SECURITY,

    /// <summary>
    /// Required to call the DeleteService function to delete the service.
    /// </summary>
    DELETE = ACCESS_MASK.DELETE,

    /// <summary>
    /// Required to call the QueryServiceObjectSecurity function to query
    /// the security descriptor of the service object.
    /// </summary>
    READ_CONTROL = ACCESS_MASK.READ_CONTROL,

    /// <summary>
    /// Required to call the SetServiceObjectSecurity function to modify
    /// the Dacl member of the service object's security descriptor.
    /// </summary>
    WRITE_DAC = ACCESS_MASK.WRITE_DAC,

    /// <summary>
    /// Required to call the SetServiceObjectSecurity function to modify
    /// the Owner and Group members of the service object's security
    /// descriptor.
    /// </summary>
    WRITE_OWNER = ACCESS_MASK.WRITE_OWNER,
    }

Notes:

Tips & Tricks:

Pass in Null/Nothing for MachineName to use the local machine.

Pass in Null/nothing as the database name to use the default SERVICES_ACTIVE_DATABASE

Sample Code:

VB:
Const STANDARD_RIGHTS_REQUIRED As Int32 = &HF0000

    Const SC_MANAGER_CONNECT As Int32 = &H1
    Const SC_MANAGER_CREATE_SERVICE As Int32 = &H2
    Const SC_MANAGER_ENUMERATE_SERVICE As Int32 = &H4
    Const SC_MANAGER_LOCK As Int32 = &H8
    Const SC_MANAGER_QUERY_LOCK_STATUS As Int32 = &H10
    Const SC_MANAGER_MODIFY_BOOT_CONFIG As Int32 = &H20

    Const SC_MANAGER_ALL_ACCESS As Int32 = STANDARD_RIGHTS_REQUIRED Or _
                        SC_MANAGER_CONNECT Or _
                        SC_MANAGER_CREATE_SERVICE Or _
                        SC_MANAGER_ENUMERATE_SERVICE Or _
                        SC_MANAGER_LOCK Or _
                        SC_MANAGER_QUERY_LOCK_STATUS Or _
                        SC_MANAGER_MODIFY_BOOT_CONFIG

    Dim scHandle As IntPtr = OpenSCManager(Nothing, Nothing, SC_MANAGER_ALL_ACCESS )
    MsgBox(scHandle.ToString)
    CloseServiceHandle(scHandle)
C#:
    IntPtr handle = OpenSCManager( null, null, SCM_ACCESS.SC_MANAGER_ALL_ACCESS );
    if ( handle != IntPtr.Zero )
    {
        CloseServiceHandle( handle );
    }

Alternative Managed API:

Do you know one? Please contribute it!

Please edit this page!

Do you have...

• helpful tips or sample code to share for using this API in managed code?
• corrections to the existing content?
• variations of the signature you want to share?
• additional languages you want to include?

Select "Edit This Page" on the right hand toolbar and edit it! Or add new pages containing supporting types needed for this API (structures, delegates, and more).