Install windows service without InstallUtil.exe

Question

Hi,

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, http://stackoverflow.com/questions/255056/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.

Thanks,

Annelie

Answer 1

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).

Answer 2

Why not just create a setup project? It's really easy.

1. Add a service installer to the service (you do it on the seemingly useless service "design" surface)
2. Create a setup project and add the Service output to the setup app folder
3. 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).

Answer 3

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.

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1195478/how-to-make-a-net-windows-service-start-right-after-the-installation/1195621#1195621