Differences Between a Service and a Device Driver

Last reviewed: February 17, 1998
Article ID: Q101501

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows NT operating system, version 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server, version 3.1

In the Windows NT operating system, a service and a device driver have different functions. A service is a user-mode process that implements the Service Controller Specification. A device driver is a portion of kernel-mode code that implements the Windows NT Driver Model Specification.

There are some similarities between services and device drivers. The Service Controller is the component of the system that controls starting, pausing, stopping, and continuing services in the system. It also starts and stops (loads and unloads) device drivers. The Service Controller provides a common user interface and application programming interface (API) for services and device drivers.

In some cases, a service is implemented as a front end for a driver. The Workstation service, for example, is implemented as a service from the perspective of the Service Controller. However, the service controls the network redirector file system driver by translating the control codes from the Service Controller into FSCTL (file system control codes) and passing them to the redirector.

Note that the Service Controller can control services and device drivers and it provides an API through which applications can perform the same tasks.


Additional query words: prodnt
Keywords : ntdriver ntgeneral kbother
Version : 3.1
Platform : WINDOWS


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Last reviewed: February 17, 1998
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