What is the "services.exe" process on windows 7? Is the "services.exe" process a virus? Can I terminate the "services.exe" process?

"services.exe" process represents "Services and Controller app" program. "services.exe" is the Service Control Manager (SCM), which starts, stops and interacts with Windows service processes.

"services.exe" process is normally running under the parent process "wininit" as shown in the process tree below:

Boot
   wininit
      services

On the Processes tab of "Task Manager", "services.exe" process may be listed as:

Image Name                 Memory   Description
--------------------   ----------   -----------
services.exe             12,276 K   Services and Controller app

Additional information about "services.exe" process:

Command line:
   C:\windows\system32\services.exe

Programe file information:
   Name: services.exe
   Location: C:\windows\system32\services.exe
   Description: Services and Controller app
   Version: 6.1.7600.16385 (win7_rtm.090713-1255)
   Size: 328704 bytes
   Last modified: 4/12/2015 11:28:33 PM
   Company Name: Microsoft Corporation

Some data files used:
C:\Windows\System32
C:\Windows\System32\en-US\services.exe.mui

Some registry keys used:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Nls\Sorting\Versions
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\SESSION MANAGER
HKU\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\International
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Nls\Locale
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Nls\Locale\Alternate Sorts
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Nls\Language Groups
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\NetworkProvider\Order
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\ServiceGroupOrder
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\services

Some DLL libraries used:
C:\windows\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll
C:\windows\system32\kernel32.dll
C:\windows\system32\KERNELBASE.dll
C:\windows\system32\msvcrt.dll
C:\windows\system32\RPCRT4.dll
C:\windows\system32\SspiCli.dll
C:\windows\system32\profapi.dll
C:\windows\SYSTEM32\sechost.dll
C:\windows\system32\CRYPTBASE.dll
C:\windows\system32\scext.dll

"services.exe" process is not a virus. You should not terminate "services.exe" process.

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