S3cap Service Defaults in Windows 11
Default Settings
| Startup type: | Manual |
| Display name: | S3cap |
| Service name: | s3cap |
| Service type: | kernel |
| Error control: | normal |
| Group: | Video |
| Path: | %SystemRoot%\System32\drivers\vms3cap.sys |
| Registry key: | HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\s3cap |
Default Behavior
S3cap is a kernel driver. In Windows 11 it starts only if the user, an application or another service starts it. If S3cap fails to start, the failure details will be recorded into Event Log. Then Windows 11 should boot up and notify the user about the s3cap service startup failure.
Restore Default Startup Configuration of S3cap
1. Run the Command Prompt as an administrator.
2. Copy the command below, paste it into the command window and press ENTER:
sc config s3cap start= demand
3. Close the command window and restart the computer.
The s3cap service is using the vms3cap.sys file that is located in the C:\Windows\System32\drivers directory. If the file is removed or corrupted, read this article to restore its original version from Windows 11 installation media.