Plug and Play

General Information

None at this time

Windows 8

Default Description

Legacy Plug and Play Service.

Additional Information

None at this time.

Default Startup Type

Service Names

Service Name (registry): PlugPlay

Display Name: Plug and Play

Default Path and Command Line Options

C:\Windows\system32\svchost.exe -k DcomLaunch

Log On As

Account: Local System account (unchangeable)

Dependencies

Note: No dependencies are listed for any service in the WDP build I used to draft this information.

Windows 7

Default Description

Enables a computer to recognize and adapt to hardware changes with little or no user input. Stopping or disabling this service will result in system instability.

Additional Information

This service is the heart and soul of the Plug and Play environment. You cannot disable or stop this service using services.msc.

Take note: UPnP is not PnP. UPnP is for connectivity on networks via TCP/IP to devices, such as scanners or printers. Your sound card is PnP. Do not disable the Plug and Play service.

Default Startup Type

Service Names

Service Name (registry): PlugPlay

Display Name: Plug and Play

Default Path and Command Line Options

Account: Local System account (unchangeable)

Log On As

Account: Local System account

Dependencies

What service Plug and Play needs to function properly:

• None (S, HB, HP, P, U, E)

What other service require Plug and Play to function properly:

• Fax (S, HB, HP, P, U, E)
• Smart Card (S, HB, HP, P, U, E)
• Tablet PC Input Service (S, HB, HP, P, U, E)
• Telephony(S, HB, HP, P, U, E)
  • Fax (S, HB, HP, P, U, E)
  • Remote Access Auto Connection Manager (S, HB, HP, P, U, E)
  • Remote Access Connection Manager(S, HB, HP, P, U, E)
    • Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) (S, HB, HP, P, U, E)
    • Remote Access Auto Connection Manager (S, HB, HP, P, U, E)
    • Routing and Remote Access (S, HB, HP, P, U, E)
• Virtual Disk (S, HB, HP, P, U, E)
• Windows Audio Endpoint Builder(S, HB, HP, P, U, E)
  • Windows Audio (S, HB, HP, P, U, E)
• Windows Driver Foundation – User-mode Driver Framework(S, HB, HP, P, U, E)
  • Windows Biometric Service (S, HB, HP, P, U, E)
• WWAN AutoConfig (S, HB, HP, P, U, E)

Windows Vista

Default Description

(Retail and SP1) Stopping or disabling this service will result in system instability.

(SP2) Enables a computer to recognize and adapt to hardware changes with little or no user input. Stopping or disabling this service will result in system instability.

Additional Information

This service is the heart and soul of the Plug and Play environment. You cannot disable or stop this service using services.msc.

Take note: UPnP is not PnP. UPnP is for connectivity on networks via TCP/IP to devices, such as scanners or printers. Your sound card is PnP. Do not disable the Plug and Play service.

This service uses about 9MB of RAM while sharing the same svchost.exe process with the DCOM Server Process Launcher service.

Default Startup Type

Service Names

Service Name (registry): PlugPlay

Display Name: Plug and Play

Default Path and Command Line Options

C:\Windows\system32\svchost.exe -k DcomLaunch

Log On As

Account: Local System Account (unchangeable)

Dependencies

What service Plug and Play needs to function properly:

• None (HB, HP, B, U)

What other service require Plug and Play to function properly:

• Fax (B, U)
• Smart Card (HB, HP, B, U)
• Tablet PC Input Service (HB, HP, B, U)
• Telephony(HB, HP, B, U)
  • Fax (B, U)
  • Remote Access Auto Connection Manager (HB, HP, B, U)
• Remote Access Connection Manager(HB, HP, B, U)
  • • Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) (HB, HP, B, U)
    • Remote Access Auto Connection Manager (HB, HP, B, U)
    • Routing and Remote Access (HB, HP, B, U)
• Virtual Disk (HB, HP, B, U)
• Windows Audio Endpoint Builder(HB, HP, B, U)
  • Windows Audio (HB, HP, B, U)
• Windows Driver Foundation – User-mode Driver Framework (HB, HP, B, U)

Windows XP Pro x64

Default Description

Enables a computer to recognize and adapt to hardware changes with little or no user input.

Additional Information

This service is the heart and soul of the Plug and Play environment.

Take note: UPnP is not PnP. UPnP is for connectivity on networks via TCP/IP to devices, such as scanners or printers. Your sound card is PnP. Do not disable Plug and Play service.

Default Startup Type

Service Names

Service Name (registry): PlugPlay

Display Name: Plug and Play

Default Path and Command Line Options

C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe

Log On As

Account: Local System Account

Dependencies

What service Plug and Play needs to function properly:

• None

What other service require Plug and Play to function properly:

• Fax
• Logical Disk Manager
  • Logical Disk Manager Administrative Service
• Logical Disk Manager Administrative Service
• Messenger
• Smart Card
• Telephony
  • Fax
  • Remote Access Auto Connection Manager
  • Remote Access Connection Manager
    • Remote Access Auto Connection Manager
• Windows Audio

Windows XP

Default Description

Enables a computer to recognize and adapt to hardware changes with little or no user input.

Additional Information

This service is the heart and soul of the Plug and Play environment and this service cannot be stopped using the services control panel and should not be stopped by any other means.

Take note: UPnP is not PnP. UPnP is for connectivity on networks via TCP/IP to devices, such as scanners or printers. Your sound card is PnP. Do not disable Plug and Play service.

Default Startup Type

Service Names

Service Name (registry): PlugPlay

Display Name: Plug and Play

Default Path and Command Line Options

C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe

Log On As

Account: Local System Account

Dependencies

What service Plug and Play needs to function properly:

• None (H, M, P, T)

What other service require Plug and Play to function properly:

• Fax (H, M, P, T)
• Logical Disk Manager(H, M, P, T)
  • Logical Disk Manager Administrative Service (H, M, P, T)
• Logical Disk Manager Administrative Service (H, M, P, T)
• Messenger (H, M, P, T)
• Smart Card (H, M, P, T)
• Telephony(H, M, P, T)
  • Fax (H, M, P, T)
  • Remote Access Auto Connection Manager (H, M, P, T)
  • Remote Access Connection Manager(H, M, P, T)
    • Remote Access Auto Connection Manager (H, M, P, T)
• Windows Audio (H, M, P, T)

Additional Reading

• Plug and Play: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plug-and-play
• SSDP: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_Service_Discovery_Protocol
• UPnP: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Plug_and_Play
• WS Discovery: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WS-Discovery