Step-by-Step Guide: Developing and Installing a Windows Service in C#

Create a new C# project in your preferred Integrated Development Environment (IDE), such as Visual Studio.

1. In the project, add a reference to the System.ServiceProcess assembly. This assembly contains the necessary classes for creating and managing Windows services.

2. Create a new class that inherits from the System.ServiceProcess.ServiceBase class. This class will serve as the main entry point for your service.

using System.ServiceProcess;

namespace MyWindowsService
{
    public class MyService : ServiceBase
    {
        protected override void OnStart(string[] args)
        {
            // Add your service startup logic here
        }

        protected override void OnStop()
        {
            // Add your service stop logic here
        }
    }
}

4. Override the OnStart and OnStop methods to define the startup and stop logic for your service.

5. In the project's properties, navigate to the "Application" tab, and change the "Output Type" to "Windows Application". This change allows you to debug the service easily during development.

6. Build the project to generate the executable file for your service.

7. Open a command prompt or PowerShell window with administrative privileges.

8. Use the installutil command-line tool to install the service. You can find installutil in the .NET Framework installation directory (e.g., C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319). Run the following command:

installutil /i path_to_your_service.exe

Replace path_to_your_service.exe with the actual path to your service's executable file.

9. Start the service using the services.msc management console or by running the following command:

net start ServiceName

Replace ServiceName with the name of your service.

10. To uninstall the service, open a command prompt or PowerShell window with administrative privileges and run the following command:

installutil /u path_to_your_service.exe

Replace path_to_your_service.exe with the actual path to your service's executable file.

That's it! You have developed and installed a Windows service in C#. Remember to implement the necessary logic within the OnStart and OnStop methods to ensure your service behaves as expected.