Do you need to re-install a Windows service after rebuilding

Question

If I rebuild a Windows Service after making changes, can I just copy and replace the old assembly / .exe files to get those changes to run or do I need to re-install the service? Also do I have to first uninstall the service before installing the new version?

Answer 1

You don't have to uninstall and reinstall the service since this only adds registry info regarding the executable path and launch options. Just stop the service, copy your assemblies and restart it