It exists to solve a permissions problem
TUN mode has to create a virtual adapter and rewrite the routing table, and both need administrator rights. Without Service Mode you would have to start the client as an administrator every single time, and launch at startup would be blocked by UAC.
Service Mode installs a small resident system service that performs the privileged operations on the client behalf. Once it is in place the client runs with normal user rights and TUN still works, including at startup.
You may not need it at all
Service Mode exists for TUN. If you only ever use system proxy mode, skip this guide entirely.
Install, failure, repair
- 1
A normal install
Open Service Mode in settings and press install. Accept the single UAC prompt. The status switches to running, and only then can the TUN toggle be enabled.
- 2
The two usual reasons it fails
First, an install path containing spaces or non-Latin characters; move the app to a plain path and try again. Second, security software treating service registration and the virtual adapter driver as suspicious. Pause it for the install and re-enable it afterwards.
- 3
Repair in the right order
Uninstall the service, restart the machine, then install it again. Windows keeps records for a service of the same name, and reinstalling without a reboot very often fails again. Do not skip the restart.
Confirm the service is really running
Press Win and R, run services.msc, and find the Clash Verge service. It should read running with startup type automatic. If it is stopped, start it manually once. If it errors immediately on start, look up the error code in Event Viewer rather than guessing from the client interface.
- The TUN toggle only becomes usable once the service is installed
- A major client upgrade may require reinstalling the service
- Remove the service before uninstalling the client, or you will leave an orphaned service entry
Common questions
It reports a service version mismatch.
The client and the service ship together. Upgrading the client without updating the service produces exactly this message. Uninstall and reinstall the service from that settings page; your configuration is untouched.
Does the service consume resources all the time?
The service itself is very light and idles at close to nothing. The core process handles traffic; the service only performs the operations that require administrator rights.