Win2k: Services (and Controller app).exe - what is it?

[Praetor]

This question was posted a while back, but no answer was ever found. So, I'll ask it again.

I'm running ZoneAlarm Pro (really worth getting), and there is always a background app called "Services and Controller App" running as a server. It seems to be required to do anything on the 'net at all. If I should deny it access, I can no longer connect to any site via http, ftp, telnet, smtp, nntp... you get the point. (I haven't tried fingering though....)

The file itself is called c:\winnt\system32\services.exe. I have yet to find anything in Microsoft's KB about it, but I'm still searching.

What does this little guy do? Is he phoning home to Microsoft? Is it a mini-proxy for my computer? What?

 

[Maximus96]

i got the same thing running in my zonealarm...at first i didn't know what it was and disabled it...then i couldn't go online and didn't know whats wrong...end up reinstalling win2k...second time around, i let the thing run and all is fine...still no clue what the hell it is...somebody tell us please?

 

[The Stigenator]

humm...let me check and see if its there before Zonealarm was installed.. if so its a microsoft app, else a Zonealarm app.

What it does.. well that is to be seen.

 

[jaywallen]

Hi,

Services.exe is part of NT / W2K, and I think it does a bunch of stuff, some of it requiring access to anything anything you're going to connect to, networking-wise. It provides the Alerter, Computer Browser, DHCP Client, Event Log, Messenger, Lan Manager Security Support Provider, Plug and Play, Server, TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper and Workstation services. And probably more. ZoneAlarm has to give it access to your intranet and Internet/WWW connections or you can't be connected.

Just do a search for "services.exe" at the MSKB, and you'll learn more about it than you ever wanted to know!

Regards,
Jim

 

[Praetor]

Wa-hah. So, deleting it would be a "bad" thing, right?

wtf though, I did a search of it on the kb and got nothing. argh!

Thanks for the info!

 

[jaywallen]

Praetor,

Nothing about services.exe at the MSKB??? Yikes! You do have to hold your tongue just right when you're entering the search terms if you wish to get the best results from the MSKB.

I just did a search and found this Technote which may actually be more informative than any single MSKB article. (Just in case you're interested.)

But, yes, it would probably be counterproductive to delete the file. Or to tell ZoneAlarm not to let it have access to the Internet.

Regards,
Jim

 

[jacobnero6918]

Deleting it would be VERY bad. You would NOT be able to run a network or connect to the internet. If you have ZoneAlarm it will need permission to connect otherwise your connection WONT work. The return is not neccesary though I found. If it asks weather to accept connections from the internet I always click NO. So far I haven't had any problem getting my programs such AIM or ICQ to work.

 

[jaywallen]

Hi,

Got an email from Gibson Research Corp. this AM. Thought personal firewall users might be interested in this info, though it may well already be known to you.

http://grc.com/su-leaktest.htm

Regards,
Jim

 

[Praetor]

Okay, I was kidding jacobnero6918. See the " "? Joke! Yikes.

And I'm off to click the link...