Creating Needed Installers for Windows Services


This is not the Actual “Installer”. This is code needed for the Service to operate correctly.

We will get to Installing Later…

Add the Installer Code:

Create a new class file in your project and call it ProjectInstaller.

ServiceProjectInstallerStart

We wil replace the text in the ProjectInstaller class with the following code:

Version:0.9 StartHTML:0000000100 EndHTML:0000012095 StartFragment:0000000100 EndFragment:0000012095

1 Imports System.ComponentModel

2 Imports System.Configuration.Install

3

4 <RunInstaller(True)> Public Class ProjectInstaller

5 Inherits System.Configuration.Install.Installer

6 ‘Installer overrides dispose to clean up the component list.

7

8 <System.Diagnostics.DebuggerNonUserCode()> _

9 Protected Overrides Sub Dispose(ByVal disposing As Boolean)

10 Try

11 If disposing AndAlso components IsNot Nothing Then

12 components.Dispose()

13 End If

14 Finally

15 MyBase.Dispose(disposing)

16 End Try

17 End Sub

18

19 ‘Required by the Component Designer

20 Private components As System.ComponentModel.IContainer

21

22 ‘NOTE: The following procedure is required by the Component Designer

23 ‘It can be modified using the Component Designer.

24 ‘Do not modify it using the code editor.

25

26 <System.Diagnostics.DebuggerStepThrough()> _

27 Private Sub InitializeComponent()

28 Me.ServiceProcessInstaller1 = New System.ServiceProcess.ServiceProcessInstaller

29 Me.ServiceInstaller1 = New System.ServiceProcess.ServiceInstaller

30

31 ‘ServiceProcessInstaller1

32

33 Me.ServiceProcessInstaller1.Account = System.ServiceProcess.ServiceAccount.LocalSystem

34 Me.ServiceProcessInstaller1.Password = Nothing

35 Me.ServiceProcessInstaller1.Username = Nothing

36

37 ‘ServiceInstaller1

38

39 Me.ServiceInstaller1.ServiceName = “NewService1”

40 Me.ServiceInstaller1.StartType = System.ServiceProcess.ServiceStartMode.Automatic

41

42 ‘ProjectInstaller

43

44 Me.Installers.AddRange(New System.Configuration.Install.Installer() _

45 {Me.ServiceProcessInstaller1, Me.ServiceInstaller1})

46 End Sub

47

48 Friend WithEvents ServiceProcessInstaller1 As _

49 System.ServiceProcess.ServiceProcessInstaller

50

51 Friend WithEvents ServiceInstaller1 As _

52 System.ServiceProcess.ServiceInstaller

53

54 Public Sub New()

55 MyBase.New()

56

57 ‘This call is required by the Component Designer.

58 InitializeComponent()

59

60 ‘Add initialization code after the call to InitializeComponent

61

62 End Sub

63 End Class

 

This will create the ProjectInstaller class and insert 2 Objects in the designer:

 


ServiceInstaller1 – Settings: The Service Name, Display Name, description, StartType

ServiceProcessInstaller – Settings: The Account the service will run under

 

In this example, the settings are set as follows:

ServiceName: NewService1

DisplayName: {blank} 
Description: {blank} 
StartType: Automatic – (will auto start on reboot) 
Account: LocalSystem – (do not need user/password. This will run under System account)

ServiceGrayInstaller

Now we have to build the project.

Services Part 3:>  Build and Install your Service

 

Creating Services with VB Express

 

Visual Basic Express is a great, free tool from Microsoft.   You don’t get all that Visual Studio 2005 offers though.  One of the things VB Express does not have is templates to create a Windows Service.  

We can still make Services with VB 2005 Express.  All it takes is a little manual work.  I will walk you thru a example on how to make a service in Visual Basic Express.

 

Choose Console Application, and give it the name of NewService1.

ServiceStart

 

It will open in the designer with a module. Rename the module to NewService1.

Now we have to get some references for our Service. In the solution Explorer, double click on My Project and choose the References tab. 

We need to Add the following references: 

System.Configuration.Install 
System.ServiceProcess

Now back to the NewService1 Module. We will be replacing all the text in the module, thus turning it into a class. Replace all the text with the text below:

1 Imports System.ServiceProcess

2 Imports System.Configuration.Install

3

4 Public Class NewService1

5 Inherits System.ServiceProcess.ServiceBase

6 Friend WithEvents Timer1 As System.Timers.Timer

7

8 Public Sub New()

9 MyBase.New()

10 InitializeComponents()

11 ‘ TODO: Add any further initialization code

12 End Sub

13

14 Private Sub InitializeComponents()

15 Me.ServiceName = “NewService1”

16 Me.AutoLog = True

17 Me.CanStop = True

18 Me.Timer1 = New System.Timers.Timer()

19 Me.Timer1.Interval = 6000

20 Me.Timer1.Enabled = True

21 End Sub

22

23 ‘ This method starts the service.

24 <MTAThread()> Shared Sub Main()

25 ‘ To run more than one service you have to add them to the array

26 System.ServiceProcess.ServiceBase.Run(New System.ServiceProcess.ServiceBase() _

27 {New NewService1})

28 End Sub

29

30 ‘ Clean up any resources being used.

31 Protected Overloads Overrides Sub Dispose(ByVal disposing As Boolean)

32 MyBase.Dispose(disposing)

33 ‘ TODO: Add cleanup code here (if required)

34 End Sub

35

36 Protected Overrides Sub OnStart(ByVal args() As String)

37 ‘ TODO: Add start code here (if required)

38 ‘ to start your service.

39 Me.Timer1.Enabled = True

40 End Sub

41

42 Protected Overrides Sub OnStop()

43 ‘ TODO: Add tear-down code here (if required)

44 ‘ to stop your service.

45 Me.Timer1.Enabled = False

46 End Sub

47

48 Private Sub InitializeComponent()

49 Me.Timer1 = New System.Timers.Timer

50 CType(Me.Timer1, _ System.ComponentModel.ISupportInitialize).BeginInit()

51

52 ‘Timer1

53

54 Me.Timer1.Enabled = True

55 CType(Me.Timer1, System.ComponentModel.ISupportInitialize).EndInit()

56 End Sub

57

58 Private Sub Timer1_Elapsed(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As _ System.Timers.ElapsedEventArgs) Handles Timer1.Elapsed

59 Dim MyLog As New EventLog() ‘ create a new event log

60 ‘ Check if the the Event Log Exists

61 If Not MyLog.SourceExists(“NewService1”) Then

62 MyLog.CreateEventSource(“NewService1”, “NewService1 Log”) ‘ Create Log

63 End If

64 MyLog.Source = “NewService1”

65 MyLog.WriteEntry(“NewService1 Log”, “It is running”, EventLogEntryType.Information)

66

67 ‘disable the timer so you dont fill up the log

68 Timer1.Enabled = False

69 End Sub

70

71 End Class

72


This will create the NewService class and insert a Timer into your designer. 
If you Double-Click on the NewService1 in the SolutionExplorer, you will see the designer and the Timer1 object. 

This code will run after 6 seconds has passed, and will insert a log entry for our service saying “ It is running”. 

We need to set the Service Name in the Designer: 

Double click on NewService1 to get the gray page. Then click somewhere in the grey to get the properties for this class. 

Under ServiceName put NewService1.

ServiceGrayTimer

 

Services Part 2:>  Creating the needed Installers

 

 

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Building a Setup Package for your Windows Service

 

If you want to install your Service on other PC’s.  The you want to make an Installer Package.

 

Build the Setup Package for Your Windows Service:

Prerequisites:  You will need to have .net 3.5 on the target pc.

Choose File> Add> New Project.

serviceblank

At the Add New Project window, Choose:

 

servicesetup1

 

Right click on Setup1 in Solution Explorer and choose:servicesetup2

At Add Project Output Group,  It will select NewService as the Primary Output.  Just hit OK.

Then you need to tell Setup to Install the Service.  Do this by right clicking Setup1. Choose View > Custom Actions.

Then right click Custom Actions, and choose Add Custom Action.  In Select Item in Project, double click Application Folder:

servicesetup3

 

And choose OK.  It will add one item for each custom Action:
servicesetup4

 

Next, Right click Setup1 and Build.  It will create the Setup Executable in your Projects bin\release folder.

Thats It!.  Run the Setup on the Target computer, and reboot.  It will install and run the Service on reboot.

 




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Building and Installing Windows Service Visual Studio 2008

 

You cannot just hit Run and debug your Windows Service.  That would be really cool, but it is not that hard to get it running.

Build and Install service on your pc:

Choose Build in the Menubar above and choose Build NewService.

serviceblank

This will build your executable in the bin\release folder of your project.  If you try to run the program by itself, it will not run and give you an error.  Instead you have to load the service into your computer by using InstallUtil.exe.

You can run InstallUtil.exe from the VisualStudio Command Prompt.

servicecmd

Installing:

InstallUtil “PATH_TO_YOUR_EXE.exe”

Uninstalling:

InstallUtil “PATH_TO_YOUR_EXE.exe” /U

When you run in the command window, you will see alot of text, and at the bottom it should read:

The Commit phase completed successfully. 
The transacted install has completed.

Now we have to start the service in Service Manager. –  Right click on My Computer on the Desktop, and choose Manage.

 

servicemanage

Choose Services and Applications, Services, and New Service:
servicemanager

Right click and Choose Start.

Then Go to EventViewer, Application and you should see a log for service starting, and after 10 seconds you should see your ‘Service Running” log entry
servicelog

Now you have a running Service.  Don’t forget to stop it.  You dont want to fill your Event log up!  We set the service to Automatic in Part 2, so you may want to uninstall using InstallUtil.exe to remove from your system.

Next we will build a Setup package so you can install easily on computers that are not running Visual Studio.

Services Part 4:>  Build Setup Package for your Windows Service

 

 

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Creating Needed Installers for Windows Services

 

This is not the Actual “Installer”. This is code needed for the Service to operate correctly.

We will get to Installing and Deploying Later…

 

Add the Installer Code:

From Service1 designer, right click in the gray area and choose Add Installer.

serviceblank

Another file will be added to your Solution Explorer, called ProjectInstaller.  On this class will be to components in the designer, ServiceProcessInstaller1, and ServiceInstaller1.

Lets configure the Installer:  Click on the listed component and alter the following properties:

ServiceProcessInstaller1:

  • Account = LocalSystem   (will cause service to run under local service account)
  • serviceProperties1

    ServiceInstaller1

  • ServiceName = NewService
  • StartType = Automatic     (Whether your service will auto start after reboot)
  • DisplayName =  NewService
  • serviceProperties2

    Now we will Build and Install the service to test it out.

    Services Part 3:>  Build and Install your Windows Service

     

     

    Programmers – Use your talents to make some money online.  Click Here to Read More