Question

When I create a new Windows Service in Visual Studio 2010, I get the message stating to use InstallUtil and net start to run the service.

I have tried the following steps:

1. Create new project File -> New -> Project -> Windows Service
2. Project Name: TestService
3. Build project as is (Service1 constructor, OnStart, OnStop)
4. Open command prompt, run “C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\InstallUtil.exe” TestService.exe
5. Run net start TestService.

Output of step 4

Running a transacted installation.

Beginning the Install phase of the installation.

See the contents of the log file for the
C:\Users\myusername\Documents\Visual Studio
2010\Projects\TestService\TestService\obj\x86\Debug\TestService.exe
assembly’s progress.

The file is located at C:\Users\myusername\Documents\Visual Studio
2010\Projects\Tes
tService\TestService\obj\x86\Debug\TestService.InstallLog.

Installing assembly ‘C:\Users\myusername\Documents\Visual Studio
2010\Projects\TestS ervice\TestService\obj\x86\Debug\TestService.exe’.

Affected parameters are:

logtoconsole =

logfile = C:\Users\myusername\Documents\Visual Studio
2010\Projects\TestService\T
estService\obj\x86\Debug\TestService.InstallLog

assemblypath = C:\Users\myusername\Documents\Visual Studio
2010\Projects\TestServ ice\TestService\obj\x86\Debug\TestService.exe

No public installers with the RunInstallerAttribute.Yes attribute
could be found in the C:\Users\myusername\Documents\Visual Studio
2010\Projects\TestService\TestSe rvice\obj\x86\Debug\TestService.exe
assembly.

The Install phase completed successfully, and the Commit phase is
beginning.

See the contents of the log file for the
C:\Users\myusername\Documents\Visual Studio
2010\Projects\TestService\TestService\obj\x86\Debug\TestService.exe
assembly’s progress.

The file is located at C:\Users\myusername\Documents\Visual Studio
2010\Projects\Tes
tService\TestService\obj\x86\Debug\TestService.InstallLog.

Committing assembly ‘C:\Users\myusername\Documents\Visual Studio
2010\Projects\TestS ervice\TestService\obj\x86\Debug\TestService.exe’.

Affected parameters are:

logtoconsole =

logfile = C:\Users\myusername\Documents\Visual Studio
2010\Projects\TestService\T
estService\obj\x86\Debug\TestService.InstallLog

assemblypath = C:\Users\myusername\Documents\Visual Studio
2010\Projects\TestServ ice\TestService\obj\x86\Debug\TestService.exe

No public installers with the RunInstallerAttribute.Yes attribute
could be found in the C:\Users\myusername\Documents\Visual Studio
2010\Projects\TestService\TestSe rvice\obj\x86\Debug\TestService.exe
assembly.

Remove InstallState file because there are no installers.

The Commit phase completed successfully.

The transacted install has completed.

Output of step 5

The service name is invalid.

More help is available by typing NET HELPMSG 2185.

Answer 1

You need to open the Service.cs file in the designer, right click it and choose the menu-option “Add Installer”.

It won’t install right out of the box… you need to create the installer class first.

Some reference on service installer:

How to: Add Installers to Your Service Application

Quite old… but this is what I am talking about:

Windows Services in C#: Adding the Installer (part 3)

By doing this, a ProjectInstaller.cs will be automaticaly created. Then you can double click this, enter the designer, and configure the components:

• serviceInstaller1 has the properties of the service itself: Description, DisplayName, ServiceName and StartType are the most important.

• serviceProcessInstaller1 has this important property: Account that is the account in which the service will run.

For example:

this.serviceProcessInstaller1.Account = ServiceAccount.LocalSystem;