In my current project, we have a windows service that we are developing and debugging, which involves a lot of installing/uninstalling the service. One common problem when uninstalling a service is that while the uninstallation is successful, you still see the service listed in the Services console(services.msc). If you try to start it, stop it or uninstall it again (using installutil.exe or sc delete) you get an uninformative "This service has been marked for deletion".

The KB article about this problem suggests you restart the computer, which is pretty much overkill. Sure, it'll work, but you'll never find out what caused it in the first place. Turns out it's a pretty simple affair: just make sure you close the Services console, which apparently holds a handle of some sort to it. You don't have to do it before you uninstall. The minute you close the console, all services marked for deletion will be deleted, and all will be well.

When doing it on a server, it's important to make sure you've closed all Services consoles on all active sessions. I've seen this error happen when no console was open, and it was fixed by running Task Manager and killing all instances of mmc.exe. I could have logged on to the other sessions and closed it gracefully, but I was lazy. Did the trick.

33 Comments

• THANK YOU! said Wednesday, April 16, 2008 10:26:52 PM

  This was driving me crazy. I am working on a service and have to uninstall/reinstall it repeatedly, but sometimes I accidentally uninstall twice in a row and this happens. Hurray for internet search :)

• martin r davissr said Wednesday, April 23, 2008 1:16:26 AM

  the window service.msc for deletion error pleae rover this my desk top I RUN windows XP ON MY DESKTOP

• rpgivpgmr said Wednesday, April 23, 2008 12:31:39 PM

  Thank you Avner. Looks like Microsoft Needs You!

• Justin said Tuesday, July 15, 2008 5:38:24 PM

  Just what I needed to know!

• Salman said Monday, August 25, 2008 12:39:27 AM

  what r the services that run when MOM is running.

• ctupper said Tuesday, September 23, 2008 6:42:32 PM

  Thanks much!!! I hate rebooting.

• KVK Consultancy said Thursday, October 9, 2008 12:39:41 PM

  Good Article. Know exactly how you felt.

• Very Greatfull!!!!! said Friday, November 7, 2008 9:41:13 PM

  Thank you! Some shameless plugs: without reboot delete services without reboot nt services wont remove windows services wont remove "This Service is marked for deletion"

• Colby said Friday, November 14, 2008 9:53:03 PM

  THANK YOU VERY MUCH

• Anand Muddi said Monday, December 15, 2008 10:37:11 AM

  Thanks!! This really helped.

• kaushalparik27 said Monday, March 2, 2009 8:53:48 AM

  Thanks!! This really helped.

• PeterBrunone said Sunday, April 12, 2009 7:29:18 AM

  Wow. I can't believe I had to google for a blog post to get an answer for this. Thank you for writing this up so I didn't have to keep restarting my computer all night.

• Rohonesh Kar said Wednesday, May 27, 2009 10:43:47 AM

  Thanks so much for this.. this restarting or logging off the system was driving me crazy.. Actually felt foolish on realizing that the solution was so simple..

• Ajay Kewale said Monday, June 22, 2009 2:48:28 PM

  That's what I wanted..Thanks!!!

• yayai said Friday, June 26, 2009 9:50:22 AM

  OMG me life saver!

• Miahoo said Wednesday, September 23, 2009 9:21:19 AM

  Man, ty!! it just drive me crazy! and such a simple solution. i LOL`ed!

• ruben ruvalcaba said Monday, November 2, 2009 6:57:19 PM

  Wow! you're the man

• Wilson Edgar said Wednesday, November 25, 2009 10:57:55 AM

  I'll just add another (and much deserved) Thank you.

• Nic said Sunday, March 7, 2010 7:11:23 AM

  Unable to start http using net start http Driver is blocked

• Charles said Monday, June 14, 2010 7:36:14 PM

  Genius I had been staring at that stupid service for an hour should have known to close and open the window Cheers

• cn_kevin said Friday, December 3, 2010 9:34:11 AM

  I find no active sessions, no instances of mmc.exe. but it doesn't work well. so I'am delete it twice,.

• remo said Sunday, January 23, 2011 9:54:58 AM

  Thanks! google + you = FTW

• Chris said Tuesday, February 15, 2011 8:33:32 PM

  Thanks man, helped me too!

• Neleus said Wednesday, March 2, 2011 10:28:13 AM

  I was uninstalling MySQL server and faced with the same problem. I killed all mmc processes and then reopened Services to see how it helped but the service was there still. I guessed that msiexec process could also hold that service. And after restarting uninstall it helped. Thanks!

• weblogs.asp.net said Saturday, April 2, 2011 10:21:05 AM

  Windows services services msc and the quot this service is marked for deletion quot error.. Awful :)

• b_man said Saturday, September 3, 2011 10:20:22 PM

  Thanks! This got me pointed in the right direction, but it wasn't any MMC causing my grief -- It seems that Process Explorer from SysInternals/MS can also keep open handles to services.

• Tommy said Friday, October 7, 2011 6:29:49 AM

  Thx, solved another similar problem for me!

• Fred said Thursday, March 8, 2012 1:33:26 PM

  I confirm that also Process Explorer from Sysinternals seems to keep some handles. Closing that the solution works fine! bye and thank you Valerio

• Nah said Saturday, March 17, 2012 11:21:30 PM

  Simple and brilliant. Thanks

• Bunnynut said Thursday, August 2, 2012 7:30:04 AM

  This really cracked me up. I have had this problem for a couple of times and decided to restart the develop server (I should apply for a job at MS), which works obviously. I cant believe the solution is this simple, thanks for posting this.

• B Jansen said Monday, October 22, 2012 1:35:37 PM

  Thanks, this saved me a lot of reboots!

• Gabrielle said Monday, October 29, 2012 11:17:55 PM

  brillant. this just saved me.

• Waldo said Friday, January 4, 2013 2:55:27 PM

  Thanks Man, this helped a lot