What the difference between a Windows service and a Windows process?

Question

What is the difference between a Windows service and a Windows process?

Weep

A service is always a process (or maybe even more than one process), but a process does not necessarily run as a service. – Saul

You can have a look at this post. – Udall

this sounds like more of a superuser question – Gleaning

Answer 1

Microsoft Windows services, formerly known as NT services, enable you to create long-running executable applications that run in their own Windows sessions. These services can be automatically started when the computer boots, can be paused and restarted, and do not show any user interface. These features make services ideal for use on a server or whenever you need long-running functionality that does not interfere with other users who are working on the same computer. You can also run services in the security context of a specific user account that is different from the logged-on user or the default computer account. For more information about services and Windows sessions, see the Windows SDK documentation.

You can easily create services by creating an application that is installed as a service. For example, suppose you want to monitor performance counter data and react to threshold values. You could write a Windows Service application that listens to the performance counter data, deploy the application, and begin collecting and analyzing data.

A process is a software program that is currently running in Windows. Every process has an ID, a number that identifies it.

Weep

Answer 2

A service is a true-blooded Windows process, no difference there. The only thing that's special about a service is that it is started by the operating system and runs in a separate session. An isolated one that keeps it from interfering with the desktop session. Traditionally named a daemon.

Samons

But isn't a process without UI considered a daemon too? Let's take Apache web server as an example, does running Apache as a windows service provide more "running power" than running Apache by calling bin\httpd.exe directly? – Zulmazulu

Sure, Apache doesn't quit running when the user logs out. – Samons

What about running it using runas, vs running it using windows service? Is there a difference in "running power", or are they actually different ways to do an identical thing? – Zulmazulu

That just changes the user account for the process, not the session that it runs in. Click the Ask Question button to ask questions please. – Samons

Answer 3

A service is a process without user interface. You can call service as a subset of process.

Tartrazine

Answer 4

Windows services are essentially long-running executable applications that run in their own windows sessions and do not possess any user interface. These can be automatically started when the computer boots up and can be paused and restarted.

Encroachment

Answer 5

A process is an instance of a particular executable running.

A service is a process designed for background tasks and does not interact with the desktop.

All services are processes, but all processes are not services.

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Heathenism