Start windows service on install without setup project

Question

I have developed a windows service, but need it to start automatically on install. Problem is that every tutorial I found is showing me through the Setup Project. There is a fantastic 3 part tutorial HERE that I used to convert my app to a service, but I don't have the Setup Project in my other project types. Can I do this programatically or is there a way I can get the Setup Project project type?

Answer 1

In your Installer class, add a handler for the AfterInstall event. You can then call the ServiceController in the event handler to start the service.

public ServiceInstaller()
{
    //... Installer code here
    this.AfterInstall += new InstallEventHandler(ServiceInstaller_AfterInstall);
}

void ServiceInstaller_AfterInstall(object sender, InstallEventArgs e)
{
    using (ServiceController sc = new ServiceController(serviceInstaller.ServiceName))
    {
         sc.Start();
    }
}

Now when you run InstallUtil on your installer it will install and then start up the service.

MSDN link for more details

Answer 2

If you are targeting Windows 7 and up, Powershell is installed by default. One option is to run a simple powershell script which installs the service, starts it, and sets the service to start automatically if the machine is rebooted:

InstallUtil yourService.exe
Start-Service yourService
Set-Service yourService -startuptype "Automatic"

Answer 3

Best thing to do is to add on the Installer Projects Extension!

The Setup project type was deprecated after VS 2010, but following feedback Microsoft have brought back a new version for VS 2013.

Install the new Installer Projects Extension from Microsoft: https://visualstudiogallery.msdn.microsoft.com/9abe329c-9bba-44a1-be59-0fbf6151054d

This should work for any non-express version of Visual Studio 2013 (including the new free Community Edition SDK)

Then you can just follow the same instructions as for the VS 2010 setup projects :)

There isn't an easy option for VS2012 (you could try an installer with WiX I guess, but thats a lot to learn!) I'm not sure if InstallShield LE (free version for VS2012) would work for this situation, but you could give it a try.

You can always change the startup type of a service after installation remember. (Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services -> right click service -> Properties -> change "Startup Type" to "Automatic" )

Answer 4

I believe Topshelf project has built-in service Installer/Uninstaller. when integrated in the application, it can be installed as a service through simple command from application itself, for example we can easily install and start myService.exe with myService.exe install start command.

we can simply create a self installing service, here is an Example:

    public class ServiceClass
    {
        public ServiceClass()
        {
        }
        public void Start() {  }
        public void Stop() {  }
    }

public class Program
{
     public static void Main(string[] args)
     {
        //we can simply install our service by setting specific commands for same or install it directly from command line or from another process
        if (args.Length == 0)
        {
            var processName = Process.GetCurrentProcess().ProcessName + ".exe";
            var install = Process.Start(processName, "install start");
            install.WaitForExit();
            return;
        }

        HostFactory.Run(x =>          
        {
            x.Service<ServiceClass>(s =>            
            {
                s.ConstructUsing(name => new ServiceClass()); 
                s.WhenStarted(tc => tc.Start());        
                s.WhenStopped(tc => tc.Stop());         
            });
            x.RunAsLocalSystem();                     

            x.SetDescription("Topshelf Host");       
            x.SetDisplayName("TopShelf");               
            x.SetServiceName("TopShelf");                 
        });                                       
    }
}

you can get Topshelf through PM> Install-Package Topshelf Nuget command.