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On a VM running Windows Server 2019 Standard, I see every hour the Network Setup Service (NetSetupSvc) starts and stops

Log Name:      System
Source:        Service Control Manager
Date:          3/2/2020 8:42:34 AM
Event ID:      7036
Task Category: None
Level:         Information
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:      x.y.z.local
Description:
The Network Setup Service service entered the running state.


Log Name:      System
Source:        Service Control Manager
Date:          3/2/2020 8:43:03 AM
Event ID:      7036
Task Category: None
Level:         Information
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:      x.y.z.local
Description:
The Network Setup Service service entered the stopped state.

The service is set to Manual (triggered) start up and is normally off.

I thought this service starts when network drivers are being installed or network configuration changes. Is this normal for it to be restarting every hour? How do I figure out why this service is starting?

On a similarly configured server we did see some network errors that correlated with this service starting. I'm trying to figure out how to troubleshoot this.

Michael Levy
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1 Answers1

3

The NetSetupSvc service's default startup type is "manual". That means it is 'triggered' to be started whenever an application needs it.

The Network Setup Service does a few things that are not needed continuously. Like the installation of network drivers, configuration of low-level network settings and/or updates. If this service is stopped, network driver installations that are in-progress are cancelled - and the other way round, a network driver update triggers it to be started.

It is pretty usual to see it starting and stopping somewhat often, depenting on what software is installed on your machine.

bjoster
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  • Yes, I think my hunt for this was a red herring.I was looking for the wrong problem. I believe in my case Symantec AntiVirus is causing the service to start every hour. Most importantly, this service has nothing to do with the network problem I was trying to troubleshoot. – Michael Levy Mar 03 '20 at 17:21
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    Yes, snakeoil is causing this very often, as it reloads it's network signature stuff regularly. – bjoster Mar 04 '20 at 11:21