Windows XP Pro Service runs using User logon, not using Local System

Question

I wrote a Windows Service using VS 2005 and C# on WinXP Pro SP3. It starts another program which runs to completion and then exits.

The service is installed using installutil and serviceInstaller. It is built release and put into the C:\Program Files\MyService directory. The serviceProcessInstaller Account is set to LocalSystem in it's Properties.

If I set the Log On to Local system I get an 'Access Denied' error (using a try-catch block), but if I set the Log On to my account with the correct password, it runs perfectly.

What am I doing wrong? Any suggestions will be very welcome.

Answer 1

It will be useful to know where the access denied error comes from. Since you say it is from a try/catch block, I assume it is your code that handles it. That would mean that your service is starting just fine, but has problems doing its job.

It could be environment related problem, since the environment for LocalSystem is different than your user account. Also, it could be that the program it starts is not executing properly and it is returning the error.

Without more info, it is just speculation. What is that other program doing? Where is the error occurring? Why don't you debug it and find which part returns the access denied error?

Answer 2

Agreed, it should be on SO. That aside, check your file/folder permission sand ensure System does in fact have the necessary rights. Do the same for the registry keys. The System event log should give you some clues.

Answer 3

Both answers: thanks for the help.

The error orrurs at the Process.Start() call.

The file and directory security shows Everyone has full access to the directories and the executable.

FOUND IT! I had added a user name and password to the ProcessStartInfo object, thinking that it would be useful when the target program tries to get to the database. Oops! When I took that stuff out, the target runs jult like it should.

Thanks again to all who replied. Mea Culpa!