Confusion about installing windows service using command prompts

Question

Hi,

I have designed a simple windows service in .NET 2.0.

I am trying to deploy it on my local machine. I have switched to design view, and setup ServiceInstaller and ServiceProcessInstaller objects. There is a Project Installer. I have also wrapped the Windows Service into a .NET setup project and install it, leaving an .exe in the specified directory.

I have fired up cmd and entered the path to installutil. This works fine, but then I typeinstallutil and the full path to the service, in Visual Studio command prompt, and this does not work (I've also tried installutil /i and all sorts of things out of desperation). The permissions are local system (extensive).

Any ideas what I am doing wrong? For those here who have installed Windows Services, what was your methodology to install the service?

Thanks

Answer 1

We actually create an installer built into our application. It's a console app that has a command line to install/uninstall the server as well as run as a service or in console mode.

See this article on a Self Installing Service for some details. I like this method as it provides flexibility.

Answer 2

DESCRIPTION:
        SC is a command line program used for communicating with the
        NT Service Controller and services.
USAGE:
        sc  [command] [service name]  ...

        The option  has the form "\\ServerName"
        Further help on commands can be obtained by typing: "sc [command]"
        Commands:
          query-----------Queries the status for a service, or
                          enumerates the status for types of services.
          queryex---------Queries the extended status for a service, or
                          enumerates the status for types of services.
          start-----------Starts a service.
          pause-----------Sends a PAUSE control request to a service.
          interrogate-----Sends an INTERROGATE control request to a service.
          continue--------Sends a CONTINUE control request to a service.
          stop------------Sends a STOP request to a service.
          config----------Changes the configuration of a service (persistant).
          description-----Changes the description of a service.
          failure---------Changes the actions taken by a service upon failure.
          qc--------------Queries the configuration information for a service.
          qdescription----Queries the description for a service.
          qfailure--------Queries the actions taken by a service upon failure.
          delete----------Deletes a service (from the registry).
          create----------Creates a service. (adds it to the registry).
          control---------Sends a control to a service.
          sdshow----------Displays a service's security descriptor.
          sdset-----------Sets a service's security descriptor.
          GetDisplayName--Gets the DisplayName for a service.
          GetKeyName------Gets the ServiceKeyName for a service.
          EnumDepend------Enumerates Service Dependencies.

        The following commands don't require a service name:
        sc   
          boot------------(ok | bad) Indicates whether the last boot should
                          be saved as the last-known-good boot configuration
          Lock------------Locks the Service Database
          QueryLock-------Queries the LockStatus for the SCManager Database
EXAMPLE:
        sc start MyService

Answer 3

Here's another reference specific to .NET services.

http://bytes.com/forum/thread739857.html

Answer 4

I'm calling installutil in my setup package and it works for me just fine.

That'd be great if you posted an error message that you're getting when running installutil.