Install Windows Service using Custom Action

• Download InstallService - 554.42 KB

Introduction

Services can be installed using MSI (Microsoft Installer) by adding custom actions. This tutorial gives step-by-step details how custom action can be added which would install user service silently. It then modifies the registry entries for the service installed and logon user account based on user input.

Windows NT resource kit provides two utilities, srvany.exe and instsrv.exe which can be
used to allow any windows application to run as Windows Service, install and remove any windows service.

Creating Custom Action Exe

Using following steps create a custom action executable:

• Create a project of type Windows Application say ServiceInstaller.
• Add component class to it. Derive the class from System.Configuration.Install.Installer which provided foundation for custom installation.
• Set its [RunInstaller] attribute to true.
• Add references to the project using solution explorer and in code.
• Override Install, Uninstall, Rollback methods of base class.
• Add a main function.
• Compile the project.

using System.Text;
using System.Configuration.Install;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.IO;
using System.Reflection;
using System.ServiceProcess;
using System.Resources;
using System.Threading;
using System.Management;
using System.DirectoryServices;
using System.Collections;
using Microsoft.Win32;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
 
namespace ServiceInstaller
{
    [RunInstaller(true)]
    public partial class ServiceInstall : System.Configuration.Install.Installer
    { 
        public override void Install(IDictionary savedState)
        {
            base.Install(savedState);
            //Add custom code here
        }
        
        public override void Uninstall(IDictionary savedState)
        {
            base.Uninstall(savedState);
            //Add custom code here
        }
 
        public override void Rollback(IDictionary savedState)
        {
            base.Rollback(savedState);
            //Add custom code here
        }
 
        public override void Commit(IDictionary savedState)
        {
            base.Commit(savedState);
           //Add custom code here
        }
 
        static void Main()
        {
 
        }
    }
}         

Adding Custom Action to MSI project

Add a Setup and deployment project named SetupService in the same solution.

• In the File System Editor, select the application folder. On the Action menu, point to Add, and choose Project Output.
• In the Add Project Output Group dialog box, select the primary output for the ServiceInstaller project. Click OK to close the dialog box.
• In the Custom Actions Editor, select the Install node. On the Action menu, choose Add Custom Action. In the Select Item in Project dialog box, double-click the Application Folder to the primary output from ServiceInstaller project. Do the same for Uninstall and Rollback nodes. This signifies that Install, Rollback and Uninstall methods of base class have been overridden in custom action.
• In the Properties window, set the RemovePreviousVersion property to true.
• Build the project and click Install on the Project menu.

LaunchService Method

This method explains how service is installed using Windows NT utilities instsrv.exe and srvany.exe.

private bool LaunchService(string serviceEXE)
{
    bool blnServiceInstalled = true;
 
    //Stop Service if running
    System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController[] services;
    services = System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.GetServices();
    if (services != null)
    {
        for(int intServiceCount=0; intServiceCount<services.Length;intServiceCount++)
        {
            if(services[intServiceCount].ServiceName == serviceEXE)
            {
                if(services[intServiceCount].Status == ServiceControllerStatus.Running)
                {
                    using(StreamWriter sw = File.CreateText(strPath + batchFileName))
                    {
                        sw.WriteLine("net stop {0}", serviceEXE);
                    }
                    ExecuteBatchFile();
                    File.Delete(strPath + batchFileName);
                }
                break;
            }
        }
    }
 
   //Register as Windows Service using instsrv.exe and srvany.exe
   using (StreamWriter sw = File.CreateText(strPath + batchFileName))
   {
        sw.WriteLine("cd {0}", strPath);
        sw.WriteLine("instsrv " + serviceEXE + " " + strPath + "\\" + "srvany.exe");
        sw.Flush();
        sw.Close();
   }
   ExecuteBatchFile();
   File.Delete(strPath + batchFileName);
 
 
   //Modify Registry entries for service added
   RegistryKey SystemServicesKey =  
       Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey("System\\CurrentControlSet\\Services");
   if (SystemServicesKey != null)
   {
        //Open service key with write access
        RegistryKey userServiceKey = SystemServicesKey.OpenSubKey(serviceEXE, true);
        if (userServiceKey != null)
        {
            userServiceKey.SetValue("Description", "Test Service Application");
            if (userName != "")
            {
                userServiceKey.SetValue("ObjectName", ".\\" + userName);
            }
            else
            {
                userServiceKey.SetValue("ObjectName", ServiceAccount.LocalSystem);
            }
            //Set path where service is copied on the system 
            userServiceKey.SetValue("ImagePath", strPath + "\\" +serviceEXE+serviceExtn);
 
            //Start automatically
            userServiceKey.SetValue("Start", 0x02);
 
            userServiceKey.Close();
            SystemServicesKey.Close();
        }
        else
        {
            SystemServicesKey.Close();
            MessageBox.Show("Windows Service registration failed.Installation aborted!");
            blnServiceInstalled = false;
        }
    }
    return blnServiceInstalled;
}

Key Points

• User can enter the logon account under whose security context this service will run. The sample code checks whether the logon account entered by user is one of the Domain users on the system. If invalid user is entered, then LocalSystem is set as the logon account for this service.
• Custom actions always run at the end of the default installation.

Conclusion

Hope this code give an insight into writing custom actions and installing Windows service using Windows NT utilities. This is one of the possible methods for installing services. Since custom action is compiled as an executable, more customized code can be added in it.