'.NET console application as Windows service

I have console application and would like to run it as Windows service. VS2010 has project template which allow to attach console project and build Windows service. I would like to not add separated service project and if possible integrate service code into console application to keep console application as one project which could run as console application or as windows service if run for example from command line using switches.

Maybe someone could suggest class library or code snippet which could quickly and easily transform c# console application to service?

Solution 1:^[1]

I usually use the following techinque to run the same app as a console application or as a service:

using System.ServiceProcess

public static class Program
{
    #region Nested classes to support running as service
    public const string ServiceName = "MyService";

    public class Service : ServiceBase
    {
        public Service()
        {
            ServiceName = Program.ServiceName;
        }

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

        protected override void OnStop()
        {
            Program.Stop();
        }
    }
    #endregion
    
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        if (!Environment.UserInteractive)
            // running as service
            using (var service = new Service())
                ServiceBase.Run(service);
        else
        {
            // running as console app
            Start(args);

            Console.WriteLine("Press any key to stop...");
            Console.ReadKey(true);

            Stop();
        }
    }
    
    private static void Start(string[] args)
    {
        // onstart code here
    }

    private static void Stop()
    {
        // onstop code here
    }
}

Environment.UserInteractive is normally true for console app and false for a service. Techically, it is possible to run a service in user-interactive mode, so you could check a command-line switch instead.

Solution 2:^[2]

I've had great success with TopShelf.

TopShelf is a Nuget package designed to make it easy to create .NET Windows apps that can run as console apps or as Windows Services. You can quickly hook up events such as your service Start and Stop events, configure using code e.g. to set the account it runs as, configure dependencies on other services, and configure how it recovers from errors.

From the Package Manager Console (Nuget):

Install-Package Topshelf

Refer to the code samples to get started.

Example:

HostFactory.Run(x =>                                 
{
    x.Service<TownCrier>(s =>                        
    {
       s.ConstructUsing(name=> new TownCrier());     
       s.WhenStarted(tc => tc.Start());              
       s.WhenStopped(tc => tc.Stop());               
    });
    x.RunAsLocalSystem();                            

    x.SetDescription("Sample Topshelf Host");        
    x.SetDisplayName("Stuff");                       
    x.SetServiceName("stuff");                       
});

TopShelf also takes care of service installation, which can save a lot of time and removes boilerplate code from your solution. To install your .exe as a service you just execute the following from the command prompt:

myservice.exe install -servicename "MyService" -displayname "My Service" -description "This is my service."

You don't need to hook up a ServiceInstaller and all that - TopShelf does it all for you.

Solution 3:^[3]

So here's the complete walkthrough:

Create new Console Application project (e.g. MyService)
Add two library references: System.ServiceProcess and System.Configuration.Install
Add the three files printed below
Build the project and run "InstallUtil.exe c:\path\to\MyService.exe"
Now you should see MyService on the service list (run services.msc)

*InstallUtil.exe can be usually found here: C:\windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\InstallUtil.ex??e

Program.cs

using System;
using System.IO;
using System.ServiceProcess;

namespace MyService
{
    class Program
    {
        public const string ServiceName = "MyService";

        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            if (Environment.UserInteractive)
            {
                // running as console app
                Start(args);

                Console.WriteLine("Press any key to stop...");
                Console.ReadKey(true);

                Stop();
            }
            else
            {
                // running as service
                using (var service = new Service())
                {
                    ServiceBase.Run(service);
                }
            }
        }

        public static void Start(string[] args)
        {
            File.AppendAllText(@"c:\temp\MyService.txt", String.Format("{0} started{1}", DateTime.Now, Environment.NewLine));
        }

        public static void Stop()
        {
            File.AppendAllText(@"c:\temp\MyService.txt", String.Format("{0} stopped{1}", DateTime.Now, Environment.NewLine));
        }
    }
}

MyService.cs

using System.ServiceProcess;

namespace MyService
{
    class Service : ServiceBase
    {
        public Service()
        {
            ServiceName = Program.ServiceName;
        }

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

        protected override void OnStop()
        {
            Program.Stop();
        }
    }
}

MyServiceInstaller.cs

using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Configuration.Install;
using System.ServiceProcess;

namespace MyService
{
    [RunInstaller(true)]
    public class MyServiceInstaller : Installer
    {
        public MyServiceInstaller()
        {
            var spi = new ServiceProcessInstaller();
            var si = new ServiceInstaller();

            spi.Account = ServiceAccount.LocalSystem;
            spi.Username = null;
            spi.Password = null;

            si.DisplayName = Program.ServiceName;
            si.ServiceName = Program.ServiceName;
            si.StartType = ServiceStartMode.Automatic;

            Installers.Add(spi);
            Installers.Add(si);
        }
    }
}

Solution 4:^[4]

Here is a newer way of how to turn a Console Application to a Windows Service as a Worker Service based on the latest .NET 6.

In Visual Studio 2022 you have out of the box Worker Service as a project template.

This gives you a main method and a Worker.cs on which you need a few more lines

Worker.cs on which I've added the StartAsync and StopAsync overrides to chose what my service does at start/stop.

namespace WorkerService
{
    public class Worker : BackgroundService
    {
        private readonly ILogger<Worker> _logger;

        public Worker(ILogger<Worker> logger)
        {
            _logger = logger;
        }

        protected override async Task ExecuteAsync(CancellationToken stoppingToken)
        {
            //do some operation
        }

        public override Task StartAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
        {
            return base.StartAsync(cancellationToken);
        }

        public override Task StopAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
        {
            return base.StopAsync(cancellationToken);
        }
    }
}

and Program.cs on which you will need to add .UseWindowsService()

using WorkerService;


IHost host = Host.CreateDefaultBuilder(args)
    .ConfigureServices(services =>
    {
        services.AddHostedService<Worker>();
    })
    .UseWindowsService()
    .Build();

await host.RunAsync();

And you will need to install the following NuGet for this method

Install-Package Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.WindowsServices

Old answer -> .NET Core 3.1

If you create a Worker Service from Visual Studio 2019 it will give you almost everything you need for creating a Windows Service out of the box, which is also what you need to change to the console application in order to convert it to a Windows Service.

Here are the changes you need to do:

Install the following NuGet packages

Install-Package Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.WindowsServices -Version 3.1.0
Install-Package Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.Abstractions -Version 3.1.0

Change Program.cs to have an implementation like below:

using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
using Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting;

namespace ConsoleApp
{
    class Program
    {
        public static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            CreateHostBuilder(args).UseWindowsService().Build().Run();
        }

        private static IHostBuilder CreateHostBuilder(string[] args) =>
            Host.CreateDefaultBuilder(args)
                .ConfigureServices((hostContext, services) =>
                {
                    services.AddHostedService<Worker>();
                });
    }
}

and add Worker.cs where you will put the code which will be run by the service operations:

using Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting;
using System.Threading;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

namespace ConsoleApp
{
    public class Worker : BackgroundService
    {
        protected override async Task ExecuteAsync(CancellationToken stoppingToken)
        {
            //do some operation
        }

        public override Task StartAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
        {
            return base.StartAsync(cancellationToken);
        }

        public override Task StopAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
        {
            return base.StopAsync(cancellationToken);
        }
    }
}

Installing the app as a Windows Service

When everything is ready, and the application has built successfully, you can use sc.exe to install your console application exe as a Windows Service with the following command:

sc.exe create DemoService binpath= "path/to/your/file.exe"

Solution 5:^[5]

Firstly I embed the console application solution into the windows service solution and reference it.

Then I make the console application Program class public

/// <summary>
/// Hybrid service/console application
/// </summary>
public class Program
{
}

I then create two functions within the console application

    /// <summary>
    /// Used to start as a service
    /// </summary>
    public void Start()
    {
        Main();
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Used to stop the service
    /// </summary>
    public void Stop()
    {
       if (Application.MessageLoop)
            Application.Exit();   //windows app
        else
            Environment.Exit(1);  //console app
    }

Then within the windows service itself I instantiate the Program and call the Start and Stop functions added within the OnStart and OnStop. See below

class WinService : ServiceBase
{
    readonly Program _application = new Program();

    /// <summary>
    /// The main entry point for the application.
    /// </summary>
    static void Main()
    {
        ServiceBase[] servicesToRun = { new WinService() };
        Run(servicesToRun);
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Set things in motion so your service can do its work.
    /// </summary>
    protected override void OnStart(string[] args)
    {
        Thread thread = new Thread(() => _application.Start());
        thread.Start();
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Stop this service.
    /// </summary>
    protected override void OnStop()
    {
        Thread thread = new Thread(() => _application.Stop());
        thread.Start();
    }
}

This approach can also be used for a windows application / windows service hybrid

Solution 6:^[6]

I hear your point at wanting one assembly to stop repeated code but, It would be simplest and reduce code repetition and make it easier to reuse your code in other ways in future if...... you to break it into 3 assemblies.

One library assembly that does all the work. Then have two very very slim/simple projects:
one which is the commandline
one which is the windows service.

Solution 7:^[7]

You can use

reg add HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run /v ServiceName /d "c:\path\to\service\file\exe"

And it will appear int the service list. I do not know, whether that works correctly though. A service usually has to listen to several events.

There are several service wrapper though, that can run any application as a real service. For Example Microsofts SrvAny from the Win2003 Resource Kit

Solution 8:^[8]

Maybe you should define what you need, as far as I know, you can't run your app as Console or Service with command line, at the same time. Remember that the service is installed and you have to start it in Services Manager, you can create a new application wich starts the service or starts a new process running your console app. But as you wrote

"keep console application as one project"

Once, I was in your position, turning a console application into a service. First you need the template, in case you are working with VS Express Edition. Here is a link where you can have your first steps: C# Windows Service, this was very helpful for me. Then using that template, add your code to the desired events of the service.

To improve you service, there's another thing you can do, but this is not quick and/or easily, is using appdomains, and creating dlls to load/unload. In one you can start a new process with the console app, and in another dll you can just put the functionality the service has to do.

Good luck.

Solution 9:^[9]

You need to seperate the functionality into a class or classes and launch that via one of two stubs. The console stub or service stub.

As its plain to see, when running windows, the myriad services that make up the infrastructure do not (and can't directly) present console windows to the user. The service needs to communicate with the user in a non graphical way: via the SCM; in the event log, to some log file etc. The service will also need to communicate with windows via the SCM, otherwise it will get shutdown.

It would obviously be acceptable to have some console app that can communicate with the service but the service needs to run independently without a requirement for GUI interaction.

The Console stub can very useful for debugging service behaviour but should not be used in a "productionized" environment which, after all, is the purpose of creating a service.

I haven't read it fully but this article seems to pint in the right direction.

Solution 10:^[10]

I use a service class that follows the standard pattern prescribed by ServiceBase, and tack on helpers to easy F5 debugging. This keeps service data defined within the service, making them easy to find and their lifetimes easy to manage.

I normally create a Windows application with the structure below. I don't create a console application; that way I don't get a big black box popping in my face every time I run the app. I stay in in the debugger where all the action is. I use Debug.WriteLine so that the messages go to the output window, which docks nicely and stays visible after the app terminates.

I usually don't bother add debug code for stopping; I just use the debugger instead. If I do need to debug stopping, I make the project a console app, add a Stop forwarder method, and call it after a call to Console.ReadKey.

public class Service : ServiceBase
{
    protected override void OnStart(string[] args)
    {
        // Start logic here.
    }

    protected override void OnStop()
    {
        // Stop logic here.
    }

    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        using (var service = new Service()) {
            if (Environment.UserInteractive) {
                service.Start();
                Thread.Sleep(Timeout.Infinite);
            } else
                Run(service);
        }
    }
    public void Start() => OnStart(null);
}

Sources

This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Overflow and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Source: Stack Overflow

Solution	Source
Solution 1	Joshua Swain
Solution 2
Solution 3
Solution 4
Solution 5	Patrick Reynolds
Solution 6	JonAlb
Solution 7	Darcara
Solution 8	BlackCath
Solution 9
Solution 10	Edward Brey

'.NET console application as Windows service

Solution 1:[1]

Solution 2:[2]

Solution 3:[3]

Solution 4:[4]

Installing the app as a Windows Service

Solution 5:[5]

Solution 6:[6]

Solution 7:[7]

Solution 8:[8]

Solution 9:[9]

Solution 10:[10]