you can use WMI and Win32_Service class, should find loads of examples on the site. i find ADSI more readable

Set objComputer = GetObject("WinNT://computername,computer")
objComputer.Filter = Array("Service")

For Each aService In objComputer
   Wscript.Echo aService.Name & "=" & aService.Status
Next

Have a look here:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/tools/scripto2.mspx

Hope This Helps, PH.
Want to get great answers to your Tek-Tips questions? Have a look at FAQ219-2884 or FAQ181-2886

Hi

Thanks PHV that is one of the best scripting tools ive ever seen.

Mrmovie how do I specify the service im interested in, in the following line
Set objComputer = GetObject("WinNT://computername,computer")
objComputer.Filter = Array("Service")

does "service"  represent the name of the service or the .exe that the service runs under.

for example, how would i specify the alerter service in this code.

cheers

Set objComputer = GetObject("WinNT://computername,computer")
objComputer.Filter = Array("Service")

strServiceName = "blaablaa"

For Each aService In objComputer
   If LCase(strServiceName) = LCase(aService.Name) Then
       Wscript.Echo aService.Name & "=" & aService.Status
   End If
Next


or to bind directly to a service

Set objComputer = GetObject("WinNT://computername,computer")
Set objService = objCOmputer.GetObject("service", "blaablaa")
Msgbox objService.Name & objService.Status

the .Filter can set set to any class the computer object contains

the second will throw an error if the service doesnt exist, so you can be defensive with the iteration (i.e. first example) or you can wrap in On Error Resume Next and trap the Err.Number

the .Filter is literally a 'Filter'.
you are filtering on "service"'s so after applying the 'Filter' on the Computer object it only contains service objects for the For Each to loop through

Sorry one last question what is //computername, computer mean

the "//" is just standard moniker string syntax and is always needed

"computername" needs to be replaved with the netbios name of the machine you want to question...so you might want something like

GetOBject("WinNT://" & strComputerName & ",computer")

the ",computer" is telling the WinNT provider that you are interested in a 'computer' object

"WinNT" is case-sensetive....i think

Thank you very much for all your help

the "//" is just standard moniker string syntax and is always needed

"computername" needs to be replaved with the netbios name of the machine you want to question...so you might want something like

GetOBject("WinNT://" & strComputerName & ",computer")

the ",computer" is telling the WinNT provider that you are interested in a 'computer' object

"WinNT" is case-sensetive....i think

Ok I have the following script defined which lists all the services and there status on the target computer

How can I modify this script to specify certain services.

On Error Resume Next

Const wbemFlagReturnImmediately = &h10
Const wbemFlagForwardOnly = &h20

arrComputers = Array("localhost")
For Each strComputer In arrComputers
   WScript.Echo
   WScript.Echo "=========================================="
   WScript.Echo "Computer: " & strComputer
   WScript.Echo "=========================================="

   Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:\\" & strComputer & "\root\CIMV2")
   Set colItems = objWMIService.ExecQuery("SELECT * FROM Win32_Service", "WQL", _
                                          wbemFlagReturnImmediately + wbemFlagForwardOnly)

   For Each objItem In colItems

       WScript.Echo "DisplayName: " & objItem.DisplayName
       WScript.Echo "State: " & objItem.State
      WScript.Echo "Status: " & objItem.Status
            WScript.Echo

   Next
Next


Function WMIDateStringToDate(dtmDate)
WScript.Echo dtm:
    WMIDateStringToDate = CDate(Mid(dtmDate, 5, 2) & "/" & _
    Mid(dtmDate, 7, 2) & "/" & Left(dtmDate, 4) _
    & " " & Mid (dtmDate, 9, 2) & ":" & Mid(dtmDate, 11, 2) & ":" & Mid(dtmDate,13, 2))
End Function


Cheers

total waste of time me posting on this subject it would appear.


Set objComputer = GetObject("WinNT://computername,computer")
objComputer.Filter = Array("Service")

strServiceName = "blaablaa"

For Each aService In objComputer
   If LCase(strServiceName) = LCase(aService.Name) Then
       Wscript.Echo aService.Name & "=" & aService.Status
   End If
Next


this does exactly what you want in about 8 lines of code compared to the WMI approach.

I do appreciate all the help you are giving me, I am just looking at a few options at the moment.

When I run your code, replacing blaablaa with alerter, I get the result alerter = 4

I need this to say running or stopped.

Are there any other variables i can put after the aservice, such as aservice.status to display the results i need.

Cheers

try a

Select Case aService.Status
   Case 4

   Case 1

     etc, etc,

reference MSDN for what all the integer codes mean, there are about

1 = stopped
2 = start pending
3 = stop pending
4 = running
5 = continue_poending
6 = pause_pending
7 = paused
8 = error

you can then do stuff like

If Service.Status = 4 Then
   Service.Stop
End If

Superb

Thank you again for all your help

Cheers

glad you have a resolution

This should work. Simply seperate the computer names you want to query by a comma where it says Array(".")
"." means the local computer. the same with the services you want to retrieve the status from.  As you can see, the code does not have to be long when using WMI.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/wmisdk/wmi/win32_service.asp

ArrComputer = Array(".")
ArrServices = Array("Alerter", "DHCP Client", "DNS Client")

For Each strComputer In ArrComputer
    For Each Service In ArrServices
        Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:\\" & strComputer & "\root\cimv2")
        Set colItems = objWMIService.ExecQuery("Select * from Win32_Service where DisplayName = '" & Service & "'")
        For Each objItem in colItems
            Wscript.echo "DisplayName: "  & objItem.DisplayName
            Wscript.echo "State: "  & objItem.State & VbCrLf
        Next
    Next
Next

unfortunately dm4ever i dont think you could have coded a service query using WMI in a more unefficient manor. for each service you which to query you create a new connection to WMI on a machine, this is not how you should have coded it.
you should have had one WMI query per machine, and you should have then nested your service array query match below that.

you might have less lines but it will take forever!!

Thanks mrmovie. I see your point. How about this then? One query per machine.

ArrComputer = Array(".")
ArrServices = Array("Alerter", "DHCP Client", "DNS Client")

For Each strComputer In ArrComputer
        Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:\\" & strComputer & "\root\cimv2")
        Set colItems = objWMIService.ExecQuery("Select * from Win32_Service")
        For Each objItem in colItems
            For Each Service In ArrServices
                If Service = objItem.DisplayName Then
                    Wscript.echo "DisplayName: "  & objItem.DisplayName
                    Wscript.echo "State: "  & objItem.State & VbCrLf
                End If
            Next
       Next
Next

yeap much better, in theory using a dictionary object (hashed array) with a "If dicServices.Exists(objItem.DisplayName)" will be even quicker than the "For Each Service In ArrServices" iteration as well



For error handlin i would also recommend
   
.....
   Set objWMIService = Nothing
   Set colItems = Nothing
Next

this may be another posibility. you limit what you want returned "DisplayName" and "Status" and you only query those services you want only once on the PC.


ArrComputer = Array(".")
ArrServices = Array("Alerter", "DHCP Client", "DNS Client")
i = 0

For Each strComputer In ArrComputer
        Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:\\" & strComputer & "\root\cimv2")
        For Each Service In ArrServices
            If i > 0 Then
                str = str & " or DisplayName = '" & Service & "'"
            Else
                str = "DisplayName = '" & Service & "'"
                i = i + 1
            End If
        Next
        Set colItems = objWMIService.ExecQuery("Select DisplayName, State from Win32_Service where " & str)
        For Each objItem in colItems
            Wscript.echo "DisplayName: "  & objItem.DisplayName
            Wscript.echo "State: "  & objItem.State & VbCrLf
       Next
Next