windows service start failure

Question

when i debug my code it pops up a dialogue box that windows service start failure - cannot start service from command line and debugger. a windows service must first be installed (using installutil.exe) and then started with server explorer, windows service administrative tool or net start command.

But I have installed my service. below is the script from cmd with admin rights.

C:\Users\Sapuser\Documents\Visual Studio 2013\Projects\WindowsService1\WindowsSe
rvice1\bin\Debug>installutil  WindowsService1.exe
Microsoft (R) .NET Framework Installation utility Version 4.0.30319.33440
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.


Running a transacted installation.

Beginning the Install phase of the installation.
See the contents of the log file for the C:\Users\Sapuser\Documents\Visual Studi
o 2013\Projects\WindowsService1\WindowsService1\bin\Debug\WindowsService1.exe as
sembly's progress.
The file is located at C:\Users\Sapuser\Documents\Visual Studio 2013\Projects\Wi
ndowsService1\WindowsService1\bin\Debug\WindowsService1.InstallLog.
Installing assembly 'C:\Users\Sapuser\Documents\Visual Studio 2013\Projects\Wind
owsService1\WindowsService1\bin\Debug\WindowsService1.exe'.
Affected parameters are:
   logtoconsole =
   logfile = C:\Users\Sapuser\Documents\Visual Studio 2013\Projects\WindowsServi
ce1\WindowsService1\bin\Debug\WindowsService1.InstallLog
   assemblypath = C:\Users\Sapuser\Documents\Visual Studio 2013\Projects\Windows
Service1\WindowsService1\bin\Debug\WindowsService1.exe
Installing service MyTestWinService...
Service MyTestWinService has been successfully installed.
Creating EventLog source MyTestWinService in log Application...

The Install phase completed successfully, and the Commit phase is beginning.
See the contents of the log file for the C:\Users\Sapuser\Documents\Visual Studi
o 2013\Projects\WindowsService1\WindowsService1\bin\Debug\WindowsService1.exe as
sembly's progress.
The file is located at C:\Users\Sapuser\Documents\Visual Studio 2013\Projects\Wi
ndowsService1\WindowsService1\bin\Debug\WindowsService1.InstallLog.
Committing assembly 'C:\Users\Sapuser\Documents\Visual Studio 2013\Projects\Wind
owsService1\WindowsService1\bin\Debug\WindowsService1.exe'.
Affected parameters are:
   logtoconsole =
   logfile = C:\Users\Sapuser\Documents\Visual Studio 2013\Projects\WindowsServi
ce1\WindowsService1\bin\Debug\WindowsService1.InstallLog
   assemblypath = C:\Users\Sapuser\Documents\Visual Studio 2013\Projects\Windows
Service1\WindowsService1\bin\Debug\WindowsService1.exe

The Commit phase completed successfully.

The transacted install has completed.

C:\Users\Sapuser\Documents\Visual Studio 2013\Projects\WindowsService1\WindowsSe
rvice1\bin\Debug>net start MyTestWinService
The MyTestWinService service is starting.
The MyTestWinService service was started successfully.

I m attaching my code for ref:

public partial class Service1 : ServiceBase
    {
        private Timer timer1 = null;

        public Service1()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        protected override void OnStart(string[] args)
        {
            timer1 = new Timer();
            this.timer1.Interval = 60000; //60 sec
            this.timer1.Elapsed +=new System.Timers.ElapsedEventHandler(this.timer1_Tick);
            timer1.Enabled=true;
            Library.WriteErrorLog("test windows service started");

        }

        protected override void OnStop()
        {
            timer1.Enabled = false;
            Library.WriteErrorLog("Test Service ended");
        }

        public void timer1_Tick(object sender, ElapsedEventArgs e)
        {
            //job
            var result = RunProcess(@"c:\", "webupknvp.Bat", "", false);
            if (result == 0)
            {
                // success
                Console.WriteLine("Sucess");
            }
            else
            {
                // failed ErrorLevel / app ExitCode
                Console.WriteLine("failed try again");

            }


        }

        public int RunProcess(string workDir, string appName, string args, bool hide = false)
            {

                    Process proc = null;
                    proc = new Process();          
                    string batrun = string.Format("cmd.exe", "/c" + @"C:\Abhay\batfile"); // or @"C:\Abhay\batfile" in the end ("cmd.exe", "/c" + @"C:\Abhay\batfile")
                    proc.StartInfo.UseShellExecute = false;   //addition    
                    proc.StartInfo.WorkingDirectory = workDir;//batrun
                    proc.StartInfo.FileName = appName;
                    proc.StartInfo.Arguments = args;
                    proc.StartInfo.CreateNoWindow = hide;

                    proc.Start();
                    proc.WaitForExit();

                    return proc.ExitCode;
               }
    }
}

the library class

public static void WriteErrorLog(Exception ex)
        {
            StreamWriter sw = null;
            try
            {
                sw = new StreamWriter(AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory + "\\ Logfile.txt", true);
                sw.WriteLine(DateTime.Now.ToString() + ":" + ex.Source.ToString().Trim() + ";" + ex.Message.ToString().Trim());
                sw.Flush();
                sw.Close();

            }
            catch
            {

            }
        }

        public static void WriteErrorLog(string Message)
        {
            StreamWriter sw = null;
            try
            { 

                sw = new StreamWriter(AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory + "\\ Logfile.txt", true);
                sw.WriteLine(DateTime.Now.ToString() + ":" + Message);
                sw.Flush();
                sw.Close();
            }
            catch
            {

            }
        }
    }
}

Program.cs

static void Main()
        {
            ServiceBase[] ServicesToRun;
            ServicesToRun = new ServiceBase[] 
            { 
                new Service1() 
            };
            ServiceBase.Run(ServicesToRun);

        }

what should i change?

Answer 1

Your Main function does not allow for debugging. You may create a debuggable version in addition to a release version (note that you can debug only the debug version, and you won't be able to install the debug version as a service!) as follows:

    private static void Main(string[] _arguments)
    {
        // ... some general code here
        StartDebug(_arguments);
        StartRelease();
    }

    [Conditional("DEBUG")]
    private static void StartDebug(string[] _arguments)
    {
        MessageBox.Show("Starting in debug mode");

        try
        {
            Service1 service = new Service1();
            service.Start(_arguments);
            while (true)
            {
                Thread.Sleep(100);
            }
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            Logger.LogException(ex);
        }            
    }

    [Conditional("RELEASE")]
    private static void StartRelease()
    {
        ServiceBase[] servicesToRun = { new Service1() };
        ServiceBase.Run(servicesToRun);
    }

Note that your Service1 should have an internal Start method.

Edit:

Currently, you overwrite OnStart. Change that as follows:

    protected override void OnStart(string[] args)
    {
        Start(args);
    }

    internal void Start(string[] args)
    {
        timer1 = new Timer();
        this.timer1.Interval = 60000; //60 sec
        this.timer1.Elapsed +=new System.Timers.ElapsedEventHandler(this.timer1_Tick);
        timer1.Enabled=true;
        Library.WriteErrorLog("test windows service started");
    }