PWSH 7.2.1: Set-Service: Service * cannot be configured due to the following error: Access is denied.

Prerequisites

• Write a descriptive title.
• Make sure you are able to repro it on the latest released version
• Search the existing issues.
• Refer to the FAQ.
• Refer to Differences between Windows PowerShell 5.1 and PowerShell.

Steps to reproduce

Open PWSH as Adminstrator via Start > PowerShell > PowerShell 7 (x64) > Run as Administrator and run the below command. In Windows PowerShell 5.1.x it works fine. Hence, seems a regression. I haven’t tried the command in any prior PWSH version. Also, SCPolicySvc is not the only service set-service fails to set with the same error message. However, it doesn’t fail to set all services, just certain ones.

Expected behavior

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> set-service -name SCPolicySvc -startuptype disabled ; stop-service -name SCPolicySvc -force
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32>

Actual behavior

PS C:\Windows\System32> set-service -name SCPolicySvc -startuptype disabled ; stop-service -name SCPolicySvc -force
Set-Service: Service 'Smart Card Removal Policy (SCPolicySvc)' cannot be configured due to the following error: Access is denied.
PS C:\Windows\System32>

Error details

get-error

Exception             :
    Type           :
Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.ServiceCommandException
    ServiceName    : SCPolicySvc
    Message        : Service 'Smart Card Removal Policy
(SCPolicySvc)' cannot be configured due to the following error:
Access is denied.
    InnerException :
        Type            : System.ComponentModel.Win32Exception
        NativeErrorCode : 5
        ErrorCode       : -2147467259
        Message         : Access is denied.
        HResult         : -2147467259
    HResult        : -2146233087
TargetObject          : System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController
CategoryInfo          : PermissionDenied:
(System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController:ServiceController)
[Set-Service], ServiceCommandException
FullyQualifiedErrorId : CouldNotSetService,Microsoft.PowerSh
ell.Commands.SetServiceCommand
InvocationInfo        :
    MyCommand        : Set-Service
    ScriptLineNumber : 1
    OffsetInLine     : 1
    HistoryId        : 359
    Line             : set-service -name SCPolicySvc
-startuptype disabled ; stop-service -name SCPolicySvc -force
    PositionMessage  : At line:1 char:1
                       + set-service -name SCPolicySvc
-startuptype disabled ; stop-service -n …
                       +
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    InvocationName   : set-service
    CommandOrigin    : Internal
ScriptStackTrace      : at <ScriptBlock>, <No file>: line 1
PipelineIterationInfo :




PS C:\Windows\System32>

Environment data

$PSVersionTable

Name                           Value
----                           -----
PSVersion                      7.2.1
PSEdition                      Core
GitCommitId                    7.2.1
OS                             Microsoft Windows 10.0.19044
Platform                       Win32NT
PSCompatibleVersions           {1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0…}
PSRemotingProtocolVersion      2.3
SerializationVersion           1.1.0.1
WSManStackVersion              3.0

PS C:\Windows\System32>

Visuals

[kvprasoon]

@iSazonov , on it. Thanks for the mention 😀.

[iSazonov]

/cc @kvprasoon