{ Thanks to Andrea Canu for pointing out a problem in this code (fixed now). }
 
 program test;
 
 uses
   WinSvc;
 
 {sc-----------------------------------------------------------------------
   ServiceStart
 
   sMachine:
      machine name, ie: \\SERVER
      empty = local machine
 
   Purpose:
      start service
      return TRUE if successful
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------sc}
 function ServiceStart(sMachine, sService: String) : Boolean;
 var
   schm,
   schs: SC_Handle;
   ss: TServiceStatus;
   psTemp: PChar;
   dwChkP: DWord;
 begin
   ss.dwCurrentState := 1; // originally -1, corrected by Henk Mulder
   schm := OpenSCManager(PChar(sMachine), nil, SC_MANAGER_CONNECT);
   if (schm>0) then
   begin
     schs := OpenService(schm, PChar(sService), SERVICE_START or
       SERVICE_QUERY_STATUS);
     if (schs>0) then
     begin
       psTemp := nil;
       if (StartService(schs, 0, psTemp)) then
         if (QueryServiceStatus(schs, ss)) then
           while (SERVICE_RUNNING<>ss.dwCurrentState) do
           begin
             dwChkP := ss.dwCheckPoint;
             Sleep(ss.dwWaitHint);
             if (not QueryServiceStatus(schs, ss)) then
               Break;
             if (ss.dwCheckPoint < dwChkP) then
               Break;
           end;
       CloseServiceHandle(schs);
     end;
     CloseServiceHandle(schm);
   end;
   Result := SERVICE_RUNNING=ss.dwCurrentState;
 end;
 
 
 {sc-----------------------------------------------------------------------
   ServiceStop
 
   Purpose:
    stop a service, parameters as in ServiceStart
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------sc}
 function ServiceStop(sMachine, sService: String) : Boolean;
 var
   schm,
   schs: SC_Handle;
   ss: TServiceStatus;
   dwChkP: DWord;
 begin
   schm := OpenSCManager(PChar(sMachine), nil, SC_MANAGER_CONNECT);
   if (schm>0) then
   begin
     schs := OpenService(schm, PChar(sService), SERVICE_STOP or
       SERVICE_QUERY_STATUS);
     if (schs>0) then
     begin
       if (ControlService(schs, SERVICE_CONTROL_STOP, ss)) then
         if (QueryServiceStatus(schs, ss)) then
           while (SERVICE_STOPPED<>ss.dwCurrentState) do
           begin
             dwChkP := ss.dwCheckPoint;
             Sleep(ss.dwWaitHint);
             if (not QueryServiceStatus(schs, ss)) then
               Break;
             if (ss.dwCheckPoint < dwChkP) then
               Break;
           end;
       CloseServiceHandle(schs);
     end;
     CloseServiceHandle(schm);
   end;
   Result := SERVICE_STOPPED=ss.dwCurrentState;
 end;
 
 
 begin
   if (ServiceStart('\\ComputerName', 'alerter')) then
   begin
 
     // ..
   end;
   if (ServiceStop('', 'alerter')) then
   begin
 
     // ..
   end;
 end.