Install windows service without InstallUtil exe

Question

I m trying to deploy a windows service but not quite sure how to do it right  I built it as a console app to start with  I ve now turned it into a windows service project and just call my class from the OnStart method in the service   I now need to install this on a server which doesn t have Visual Studio on it  which if I ve understood it correctly means I can t use the InstallUtil exe and have to create an installer class instead  Is this correct   I did have a look at a previous question  Install a  NET windows service without InstallUtil exe  but I just want to make sure I ve understood it correctly   If I create the class that question s accepted answer links to  what is the next step  Upload MyService exe and MyService exe config to the server  double click the exe file and Bob s my uncle   The service will only ever be installed on one server

User · Answer

Why not just create a setup project  It s really easy     Add a service installer to the service  you do it on the seemingly useless service  design  surface   Create a setup project and add the Service output to the setup app folder Most importantly add the Service project output to all the custom actions   Voila  and you re done   See here for more  http   www codeproject com KB dotnet simplewindowsservice aspx  There is also a way to prompt the user for credentials  or supply your own

User · Answer

I know it is a very old question  but better update it with new information   You can install service by using sc command   InstallService bat    echo OFF echo Stopping old service version    net stop   YOUR SERVICE NAME   echo Uninstalling old service version    sc delete   YOUR SERVICE NAME    echo Installing service    rem DO NOT remove the space after  binpath    sc create   YOUR SERVICE NAME   binpath    PATH TO YOUR SERVICE EXE   start  auto echo Starting server complete pause   With SC  you can do a lot more things as well  uninstalling the old service  if you already installed it before   checking if service with same name exists    even set your service to autostart   One of many references  creating a service with sc exe  how to pass in context parameters  I have done by both this way  amp  InstallUtil  Personally I feel that using SC is cleaner and better for your health

User · Answer

This Problem is due to Security  Better open Developer Command prompt for VS 2012 in RUN AS ADMINISTRATOR and install your Service  it fix your problem surely

User · Answer

Not double click  you run it with the correct command line parameters  so type something like MyService -i and then MyService -u to uninstall it    You could otherwise use sc exe to install and uninstall it  or copy along InstallUtil exe

User · Answer

The InstallUtil exe tool is simply a wrapper around some reflection calls against the installer component s  in your service   As such  it really doesn t do much but exercise the functionality these installer components provide   Marc Gravell s solution simply provides a means to do this from the command line so that you no longer have to rely on having InstallUtil exe on the target machine   Here s my step-by-step that based on Marc Gravell s solution   How to make a  NET Windows Service start right after the installation

User · Answer

Topshelf is an OSS project which was started after this question was answered and it makes Windows service much  MUCH easier I highly recommend looking into it   http   topshelf-project com

User · Answer

This is a base service class  ServiceBase subclass  that can be subclassed to build a windows service that can be easily installed from the command line  without installutil exe  This solution is derived from How to make a  NET Windows Service start right after the installation   adding some code to get the service Type using the calling StackFrame   public abstract class InstallableServiceBase ServiceBase             lt summary gt          returns Type of the calling service  subclass of InstallableServiceBase           lt  summary gt           lt returns gt  lt  returns gt      protected static Type getMyType                 Type t   typeof InstallableServiceBase           MethodBase ret   MethodBase GetCurrentMethod            Type retType   null          try                       StackFrame   frames   new StackTrace   GetFrames                foreach  StackFrame x in frames                                ret   x GetMethod                     Type t1   ret DeclaringType                   if  t1    null  amp  amp   t1 Equals t   amp  amp     t1 IsSubclassOf t                                           break                                    retType   t1                                  catch                              return retType                 lt summary gt          returns AssemblyInstaller for the calling service  subclass of InstallableServiceBase           lt  summary gt           lt returns gt  lt  returns gt      protected static AssemblyInstaller GetInstaller                 Type t   getMyType            AssemblyInstaller installer   new AssemblyInstaller              t Assembly  null           installer UseNewContext   true          return installer             private bool IsInstalled                 using  ServiceController controller               new ServiceController this ServiceName                         try                               ServiceControllerStatus status   controller Status                            catch                               return false                            return true                       private bool IsRunning                 using  ServiceController controller               new ServiceController this ServiceName                         if   this IsInstalled    return false              return  controller Status    ServiceControllerStatus Running                            lt summary gt          protected method to be called by a public method within the real service         ie  in the real service            new internal  void InstallService                               base InstallService                          lt  summary gt      protected void InstallService                 if  this IsInstalled    return           try                       using  AssemblyInstaller installer   GetInstaller                                   IDictionary state   new Hashtable                    try                                       installer Install state                       installer Commit state                                     catch                                       try                                               installer Rollback state                                             catch                         throw                                                    catch                       throw                           lt summary gt          protected method to be called by a public method within the real service         ie  in the real service            new internal  void UninstallService                               base UninstallService                          lt  summary gt      protected void UninstallService                 if   this IsInstalled    return           if  this IsRunning                  this StopService                      try                       using  AssemblyInstaller installer   GetInstaller                                  IDictionary state   new Hashtable                    try                                       installer Uninstall state                                     catch                                       throw                                                    catch                       throw                       private void StartService                 if   this IsInstalled    return           using  ServiceController controller               new ServiceController this ServiceName                         try                               if  controller Status    ServiceControllerStatus Running                                        controller Start                        controller WaitForStatus ServiceControllerStatus Running                          TimeSpan FromSeconds 10                                                catch                               throw                                     private void StopService                 if   this IsInstalled    return          using  ServiceController controller               new ServiceController this ServiceName                         try                               if  controller Status    ServiceControllerStatus Stopped                                        controller Stop                        controller WaitForStatus ServiceControllerStatus Stopped                           TimeSpan FromSeconds 10                                                catch                               throw                                    All you have to do is to implement two public internal methods in your real service       new internal  void InstallService                 base InstallService              new internal void UninstallService                 base UninstallService            and then call them when you want to install the service       static void Main string   args                if  Environment UserInteractive                        MyService s1   new MyService                if  args Length    1                                switch  args 0                                         case  -install                           s1 InstallService                             break                      case  -uninstall                            s1 UninstallService                            break                      default                          throw new NotImplementedException                                                        else               ServiceBase   ServicesToRun              ServicesToRun   new ServiceBase                                   new MyService                               ServiceBase Run MyService

User · Answer

You can still use installutil without visual studio  it is included with the  net framework  On your server  open a command prompt as administrator then   CD C  Windows Microsoft NET Framework v4 0 version  insert your version   installutil  C  Program Files YourWindowsService YourWindowsService exe   insert your service name location    To uninstall   installutil  u  C  Program Files YourWindowsService YourWindowsService exe   insert your service name location

[c#] Install windows service without InstallUtil.exe

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