How do you clean out services in task manager?

In the windows task manager there is a tab called services. It is filled with a whole lot of things that I have uninstalled, yet they are still there. How do I remove them?

 

you can switch off some services in the control panel -> administrative tools.

the startup-services that were installed with other software you can disable with the msconfig tool.

just type in msconfig.exe ( in vista) or use the run command and type in msconfig.exe also under win xp

 

or you could type services.msc
there are tons of guides out there telling you what services to disable - just search

 

I have done that, but it doesn't remove them, they are cluttering up the space.

 

well, if you are sure you have unistalled the software and the services are still left (??? never heard of such a windows "bug"). you still can write down the names of the services that should not be there, search for the files / folders and finally delete them.

but i can not imagine that services are left after the software is uninstalled. your " windows-installer" might be broke ( ? can that happen ? ) or you are seeing services that are installed and used by software that is still installed ?

 

Ok something that will definately work:
download tune up utilities from : http://www.tune-up.com/download/
(the trial version is fully functional) and install.
Run:
1-click maintenance
Registry cleaner
Free up disk space
Drive defrag
Followed by a registry defrag

If you do this all the junk in your registry (including service entries left behind) should be gone.

Another tool you could use is ccleaner

 

What the Op is saying is like the start-up options, those you have deactivated, they remain there with an unchecked box, so I think the OP's question is how to remove even those boxes and the application description, which is an excellent question BTW because I have the same concern and situation.

 

I just uninstalled that program yesterday, and it is one of the programs left in services, along with Bit Defender trial, Google updater, Flexnet licensing Service.

 

msconfig should be used to stop startup programs. Services.msc along with a guide such as BlackViper's (there are others; I prefer this one) should help stop the processes which you don't want running in the background.

Once you've finished, a reboot should clear the Task Manager.

 

That is not the problem. I have all these things set to not start up (they shouldn't anyway since they are uninstalled!). I was just wondering if there was a way to get them out the task manager since they shouldn't be there if they are uninstalled from the computer. I used Revo uninstaller to remove the programs, then manually searched folders for left over pieces, yet they still show up in task manager. Why do these programs have an option to start or stop them if they aren't even installed anymore?

 

I got google updater from installing Picasa 2. The command line worked for google updater, but is not working for anything else since they were uninstalled. In services, it says the locations of the service is in a folder, but I can never find it because they are already deleted!

I read that Bit Defender leaves stuff behind after uninstalling its trial to make sure you don't try to reinstall it after your 30 days are over??

 

do those services show up in services.msc..??
if not upload a screenshot of those services or give me the names of those services....

 

Yes they were before. After using the Bit Defenders uninstaller, I was able to remove their stuff. Now that and Google updater are gone (thanks to command line removal) I just have the Bit defender uninstaller tool, the Tuneup stuff (from http://www.tune-up.com), Mcafee uninstaller application setup, and Flexnet licensing service.

 

do you want to remove those as well..??

 

Yes. Right now I just tried the Norton removal tool and am trying the Mcaffe cleanup, will see if it removes their remaining traces.

 

If you had uninstalled programs properly, none of their services should be left behind.

 

What do you mean? I used Revo uninstaller to uninstall things. Along with uninstalling, Revo also cleans the registry and finds folders left behind. It doesn't always delete everything, so I then delete folders myself and use a registry cleaner. How is that not uninstalling things properly?

Want me to post my services to show what is left?

 

Well it is always best to uninstall through the control panel....but uninstalling doesnt necessarily deletes the services....!! Some are left behind, as you may check in the program files, the software that are uninstalled, their folders with a few files in 'em are still left behind or they may have some files left in the Common Files folder....!! and sometimes if a service has been stopped or deactivated, it doesnt get removed....!! But there is always a workaround for such things..!! I experienced this with McAfee, because I had stopped and unchecked the service prior to the uninstallation....which left the service behind (still unchecked) and also the entry in the Startup tab.. which compelled me to hunt for this workaround..

 

Revo uninstall uses the same method as the control panel, its just that after the program is uninstalled, Revo can clean the registry and delete folders left over that the control panel doesn't get.

 

Aaahh....never tried Revo though..
Any success in removing those traces..??

 

I might just forget it, I am planning to reinstall vista using an 875mb iso vlited. This all happened due to me wanting to try out lots of different paid antiviruses, and most of them I didn't like. I tried Bitdefender, Ca, Panda, Norton, Mcafee, Trend Micro, Windows Live Onecare. Have left to try Webroot and Nod32 (already tried Kaspersky and like it). Stupid antiviruses leave too much junk behind!

I hope Windows 7 makes it easier to deal with this mess.

 

Try this at a command prompt:

set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1
start devmgmt.msc

DO NOT CLOSE THE COMMAND PROMPT WINDOW OR YOU WILL LOOSE YOUR SET OF THE ENVIRONMENT VARIABLE
then, in Device Manager, Select VIEW, then SHOW HIDDEN DEVICES
then look under the NON PLUG AND PLAY DRIVERS (that is usually where they are).

BE CAREFUL!

After closing out of Device Manager you may EXIT the command prompt window.

 

Cool, found left overs from Panda antivirus, Bitdefender, Norton and Tuneup utilities. Thanks!

Question: are all the things with the faded symbol safe to delete or just the stuff with names I recognize?

 

You are welcome.

The shaded things could be leftovers or they could be associated with software not running, devices not plugged in, etc. I have some that only show up as not shaded out when a scanner is plugged in or when a USB card reader is plugged in.

I found it tedious to type all that, so I saved it into a command file I named HD.CMD that looks like this:


@echo off

set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1
start devmgmt.msc
pause
exit

 

You can use CCleaner to delete the entries.

 

CCleaner will not always find these.

 

start\run\regedit\enter\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

you'll find all start up services here...if you see any from uninstalled software...delete the string on the right hand panel...before you delete the string back it up to a folder...just in case

 

This does not show what the OP was looking for.

 

Dunno where did my last post go..?!?!
here goes again..:tongue:

Services are added from the Command Prompt. You need to know the actual service name as opposed to what Microsoft calls the Display Name. For example, if you wanted to create or delete the Help and Support service, the name used at the Command Prompt would be "helpsvc" rather than the Display Name of "Help and Support". The actual service name can be obtained by typing services.msc in Run on the Start Menu and then double clicking the Display Name of the service. Once you know the name;

To Delete A Service
1. Start | Run and type cmd in the Open: line. Click OK.
2. Type: sc delete helpsvc <~~(service name)
3. Reboot the system

If you prefer to work in the registry rather than through the command prompt to delete services;

1. Click Start | Run and type regedit in the Open: line. Click OK.
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services
3. Scroll down the left pane, locate the service name, right click it and select Delete.
4. Reboot the system
If one doesnt know the name of the service, its best to go into the registry and find out the name of that service (minus .exe) and then do it in the cmd prompt..
View attachment 20229

 

if it's still in in task mgr. as a running service the path i posted is your start up services and should be there...if you can't delete them due to a re-boot replaces the key string...set the string permission deny to run...

 

This is only a subset, not even all services, none of the orphaned ones, only those initiated to start under HKLM:Run.

 

Doing the same in Environment Variables works too.

System Properties > Advanced > Environment Variables > System Variables > New

"devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices" is the Name
"1" is the Value.

Uhmmm, I should qualify XP here. I haven't grown up to Vista yet.

 

Setting it in the environment variables makes the variable permanent; doing it as a command in a command prompt window that goes away when closed makes the environment variable setting temporary. Both work. It depends on your preference.