Install a .NET windows service without InstallUtil.exe

Question

Yes, that is fully possible (i.e. I do exactly this); you just need to reference the right dll (System.ServiceProcess.dll) and add an installer class...

Here's an example:

[RunInstaller(true)]
public sealed class MyServiceInstallerProcess : ServiceProcessInstaller
{
    public MyServiceInstallerProcess()
    {
        this.Account = ServiceAccount.NetworkService;
    }
}

[RunInstaller(true)]
public sealed class MyServiceInstaller : ServiceInstaller
{
    public MyServiceInstaller()
    {
        this.Description = "Service Description";
        this.DisplayName = "Service Name";
        this.ServiceName = "ServiceName";
        this.StartType = System.ServiceProcess.ServiceStartMode.Automatic;
    }
}

static void Install(bool undo, string[] args)
{
    try
    {
        Console.WriteLine(undo ? "uninstalling" : "installing");
        using (AssemblyInstaller inst = new AssemblyInstaller(typeof(Program).Assembly, args))
        {
            IDictionary state = new Hashtable();
            inst.UseNewContext = true;
            try
            {
                if (undo)
                {
                    inst.Uninstall(state);
                }
                else
                {
                    inst.Install(state);
                    inst.Commit(state);
                }
            }
            catch
            {
                try
                {
                    inst.Rollback(state);
                }
                catch { }
                throw;
            }
        }
    }
    catch (Exception ex)
    {
        Console.Error.WriteLine(ex.Message);
    }
}

Take a look at the InstallHelper method of the ManagedInstaller class. You can install a service using:

string[] args;
ManagedInstallerClass.InstallHelper(args);

This is exactly what InstallUtil does. The arguments are the same as for InstallUtil.

The benefits of this method are that it involves no messing in the registry, and it uses the same mechanism as InstallUtil.

You can always fall back to the good old WinAPI calls, although the amount of work involved is non-trivial. There is no requirement that .NET services be installed via a .NET-aware mechanism.

To install:

• Open the service manager via OpenSCManager.
• Call CreateService to register the service.
• Optionally call ChangeServiceConfig2 to set a description.
• Close the service and service manager handles with CloseServiceHandle.

To uninstall:

• Open the service manager via OpenSCManager.
• Open the service using OpenService.
• Delete the service by calling DeleteService on the handle returned by OpenService.
• Close the service and service manager handles with CloseServiceHandle.

The main reason I prefer this over using the ServiceInstaller/ServiceProcessInstaller is that you can register the service with your own custom command line arguments. For example, you might register it as "MyApp.exe -service", then if the user runs your app without any arguments you could offer them a UI to install/remove the service.

Running Reflector on ServiceInstaller can fill in the details missing from this brief explanation.

P.S. Clearly this won't have "the same effect as calling: InstallUtil MyService.exe" - in particular, you won't be able to uninstall using InstallUtil. But it seems that perhaps this wasn't an actual stringent requirement for you.

Here is a class I use when writing services. I usually have an interactive screen that comes up when the service is not called. From there I use the class as needed. It allows for multiple named instances on the same machine -hence the InstanceID field

Sample Call

  IntegratedServiceInstaller Inst = new IntegratedServiceInstaller();
  Inst.Install("MySvc", "My Sample Service", "Service that executes something",
                    _InstanceID,
// System.ServiceProcess.ServiceAccount.LocalService,      // this is more secure, but only available in XP and above and WS-2003 and above
  System.ServiceProcess.ServiceAccount.LocalSystem,       // this is required for WS-2000
  System.ServiceProcess.ServiceStartMode.Automatic);
  if (controller == null)
  {
    controller = new System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController(String.Format("MySvc_{0}", _InstanceID), ".");
                }
                if (controller.Status == System.ServiceProcess.ServiceControllerStatus.Running)
                {
                    Start_Stop.Text = "Stop Service";
                    Start_Stop_Debugging.Enabled = false;
                }
                else
                {
                    Start_Stop.Text = "Start Service";
                    Start_Stop_Debugging.Enabled = true;
                }

The class itself

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text;
using System.Diagnostics;
using Microsoft.Win32;

namespace MySvc
{
    class IntegratedServiceInstaller
    {
        public void Install(String ServiceName, String DisplayName, String Description,
            String InstanceID,
            System.ServiceProcess.ServiceAccount Account, 
            System.ServiceProcess.ServiceStartMode StartMode)
        {
            //http://www.theblacksparrow.com/
            System.ServiceProcess.ServiceProcessInstaller ProcessInstaller = new System.ServiceProcess.ServiceProcessInstaller();
            ProcessInstaller.Account = Account;

            System.ServiceProcess.ServiceInstaller SINST = new System.ServiceProcess.ServiceInstaller();

            System.Configuration.Install.InstallContext Context = new System.Configuration.Install.InstallContext();
            string processPath = Process.GetCurrentProcess().MainModule.FileName;
            if (processPath != null && processPath.Length > 0)
            {
                System.IO.FileInfo fi = new System.IO.FileInfo(processPath);

                String path = String.Format("/assemblypath={0}", fi.FullName);
                String[] cmdline = { path };
                Context = new System.Configuration.Install.InstallContext("", cmdline);
            }

            SINST.Context = Context;
            SINST.DisplayName = String.Format("{0} - {1}", DisplayName, InstanceID);
            SINST.Description = String.Format("{0} - {1}", Description, InstanceID);
            SINST.ServiceName = String.Format("{0}_{1}", ServiceName, InstanceID);
            SINST.StartType = StartMode;
            SINST.Parent = ProcessInstaller;

            // http://bytes.com/forum/thread527221.html
            SINST.ServicesDependedOn = new String[] { "Spooler", "Netlogon", "Netman" };

            System.Collections.Specialized.ListDictionary state = new System.Collections.Specialized.ListDictionary();
            SINST.Install(state);

            // http://www.dotnet247.com/247reference/msgs/43/219565.aspx
            using (RegistryKey oKey = Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey(String.Format(@"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\{0}_{1}", ServiceName, InstanceID), true))
            {
                try
                {
                    Object sValue = oKey.GetValue("ImagePath");
                    oKey.SetValue("ImagePath", sValue);
                }
                catch (Exception Ex)
                {
                    System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox.Show(Ex.Message);
                }
            }

        }
        public void Uninstall(String ServiceName, String InstanceID)
        {
            //http://www.theblacksparrow.com/
            System.ServiceProcess.ServiceInstaller SINST = new System.ServiceProcess.ServiceInstaller();

            System.Configuration.Install.InstallContext Context = new System.Configuration.Install.InstallContext("c:\\install.log", null);
            SINST.Context = Context;
            SINST.ServiceName = String.Format("{0}_{1}", ServiceName, InstanceID);
            SINST.Uninstall(null);
        }
    }
}

The above examples didn't really work for me, and the link to the forum as a #1 solution is awful to dig through. Here is a class I wrote (in part), and the other bit is merged from this link I found buried somewhere

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

using System.ServiceProcess;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;

namespace SystemControl {
    class Services {

#region "Environment Variables"
        public static string GetEnvironment(string name, bool ExpandVariables=true) {
            if ( ExpandVariables ) {
                return System.Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable( name );
            } else {
                return (string)Microsoft.Win32.Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey( @"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment\" ).GetValue( name, "", Microsoft.Win32.RegistryValueOptions.DoNotExpandEnvironmentNames );
            }
        }

        public static void SetEnvironment( string name, string value ) {
            System.Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable(name, value);
        }
#endregion

#region "ServiceCalls Native"
        public static ServiceController[] List { get { return ServiceController.GetServices(); } }

        public static void Start( string serviceName, int timeoutMilliseconds ) {
            ServiceController service=new ServiceController( serviceName );
            try {
                TimeSpan timeout=TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds( timeoutMilliseconds );

                service.Start();
                service.WaitForStatus( ServiceControllerStatus.Running, timeout );
            } catch {
                // ...
            }
        }

        public static void Stop( string serviceName, int timeoutMilliseconds ) {
            ServiceController service=new ServiceController( serviceName );
            try {
                TimeSpan timeout=TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds( timeoutMilliseconds );

                service.Stop();
                service.WaitForStatus( ServiceControllerStatus.Stopped, timeout );
            } catch {
                // ...
            }
        }

        public static void Restart( string serviceName, int timeoutMilliseconds ) {
            ServiceController service=new ServiceController( serviceName );
            try {
                int millisec1=Environment.TickCount;
                TimeSpan timeout=TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds( timeoutMilliseconds );

                service.Stop();
                service.WaitForStatus( ServiceControllerStatus.Stopped, timeout );

                // count the rest of the timeout
                int millisec2=Environment.TickCount;
                timeout=TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds( timeoutMilliseconds-( millisec2-millisec1 ) );

                service.Start();
                service.WaitForStatus( ServiceControllerStatus.Running, timeout );
            } catch {
                // ...
            }
        }

        public static bool IsInstalled( string serviceName ) {
            // get list of Windows services
            ServiceController[] services=ServiceController.GetServices();

            // try to find service name
            foreach ( ServiceController service in services ) {
                if ( service.ServiceName==serviceName )
                    return true;
            }
            return false;
        }
#endregion

#region "ServiceCalls API"
        private const int STANDARD_RIGHTS_REQUIRED = 0xF0000;
        private const int SERVICE_WIN32_OWN_PROCESS = 0x00000010;

        [Flags]
        public enum ServiceManagerRights {
            Connect = 0x0001,
            CreateService = 0x0002,
            EnumerateService = 0x0004,
            Lock = 0x0008,
            QueryLockStatus = 0x0010,
            ModifyBootConfig = 0x0020,
            StandardRightsRequired = 0xF0000,
            AllAccess = (StandardRightsRequired | Connect | CreateService |
            EnumerateService | Lock | QueryLockStatus | ModifyBootConfig)
        }

        [Flags]
        public enum ServiceRights {
            QueryConfig = 0x1,
            ChangeConfig = 0x2,
            QueryStatus = 0x4,
            EnumerateDependants = 0x8,
            Start = 0x10,
            Stop = 0x20,
            PauseContinue = 0x40,
            Interrogate = 0x80,
            UserDefinedControl = 0x100,
            Delete = 0x00010000,
            StandardRightsRequired = 0xF0000,
            AllAccess = (StandardRightsRequired | QueryConfig | ChangeConfig |
            QueryStatus | EnumerateDependants | Start | Stop | PauseContinue |
            Interrogate | UserDefinedControl)
        }

        public enum ServiceBootFlag {
            Start = 0x00000000,
            SystemStart = 0x00000001,
            AutoStart = 0x00000002,
            DemandStart = 0x00000003,
            Disabled = 0x00000004
        }

        public enum ServiceState {
            Unknown = -1, // The state cannot be (has not been) retrieved.
            NotFound = 0, // The service is not known on the host server.
            Stop = 1, // The service is NET stopped.
            Run = 2, // The service is NET started.
            Stopping = 3,
            Starting = 4,
        }

        public enum ServiceControl {
            Stop = 0x00000001,
            Pause = 0x00000002,
            Continue = 0x00000003,
            Interrogate = 0x00000004,
            Shutdown = 0x00000005,
            ParamChange = 0x00000006,
            NetBindAdd = 0x00000007,
            NetBindRemove = 0x00000008,
            NetBindEnable = 0x00000009,
            NetBindDisable = 0x0000000A
        }

        public enum ServiceError {
            Ignore = 0x00000000,
            Normal = 0x00000001,
            Severe = 0x00000002,
            Critical = 0x00000003
        }

        [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)]
        private class SERVICE_STATUS {
            public int dwServiceType = 0;
            public ServiceState dwCurrentState = 0;
            public int dwControlsAccepted = 0;
            public int dwWin32ExitCode = 0;
            public int dwServiceSpecificExitCode = 0;
            public int dwCheckPoint = 0;
            public int dwWaitHint = 0;
        }

        [DllImport("advapi32.dll", EntryPoint = "OpenSCManagerA")]
        private static extern IntPtr OpenSCManager(string lpMachineName, string lpDatabaseName, ServiceManagerRights dwDesiredAccess);
        [DllImport("advapi32.dll", EntryPoint = "OpenServiceA", CharSet = CharSet.Ansi)]
        private static extern IntPtr OpenService(IntPtr hSCManager, string lpServiceName, ServiceRights dwDesiredAccess);
        [DllImport("advapi32.dll", EntryPoint = "CreateServiceA")]
        private static extern IntPtr CreateService(IntPtr hSCManager, string lpServiceName, string lpDisplayName, ServiceRights dwDesiredAccess, int dwServiceType, ServiceBootFlag dwStartType, ServiceError dwErrorControl, string lpBinaryPathName, string lpLoadOrderGroup, IntPtr lpdwTagId, string lpDependencies, string lp, string lpPassword);
        [DllImport("advapi32.dll")]
        private static extern int CloseServiceHandle(IntPtr hSCObject);
        [DllImport("advapi32.dll")]
        private static extern int QueryServiceStatus(IntPtr hService, SERVICE_STATUS lpServiceStatus);
        [DllImport("advapi32.dll", SetLastError = true)]
        private static extern int DeleteService(IntPtr hService);
        [DllImport("advapi32.dll")]
        private static extern int ControlService(IntPtr hService, ServiceControl dwControl, SERVICE_STATUS lpServiceStatus);
        [DllImport("advapi32.dll", EntryPoint = "StartServiceA")]
        private static extern int StartService(IntPtr hService, int dwNumServiceArgs, int lpServiceArgVectors);

        /// <summary>
        /// Takes a service name and tries to stop and then uninstall the windows serviceError
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="ServiceName">The windows service name to uninstall</param>
        public static void Uninstall(string ServiceName)
        {
            IntPtr scman = OpenSCManager(ServiceManagerRights.Connect);
            try
            {
                IntPtr service = OpenService(scman, ServiceName, ServiceRights.StandardRightsRequired | ServiceRights.Stop | ServiceRights.QueryStatus);
                if (service == IntPtr.Zero)
                {
                    throw new ApplicationException("Service not installed.");
                }
                try
                {
                    StopService(service);
                    int ret = DeleteService(service);
                    if (ret == 0)
                    {
                        int error = Marshal.GetLastWin32Error();
                        throw new ApplicationException("Could not delete service " + error);
                    }
                }
                finally
                {
                    CloseServiceHandle(service);
                }
            }
            finally
            {
                CloseServiceHandle(scman);
            }
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Accepts a service name and returns true if the service with that service name exists
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="ServiceName">The service name that we will check for existence</param>
        /// <returns>True if that service exists false otherwise</returns>
        public static bool ServiceIsInstalled(string ServiceName)
        {
            IntPtr scman = OpenSCManager(ServiceManagerRights.Connect);
            try
            {
                IntPtr service = OpenService(scman, ServiceName,
                ServiceRights.QueryStatus);
                if (service == IntPtr.Zero) return false;
                CloseServiceHandle(service);
                return true;
            }
            finally
            {
                CloseServiceHandle(scman);
            }
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Takes a service name, a service display name and the path to the service executable and installs / starts the windows service.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="ServiceName">The service name that this service will have</param>
        /// <param name="DisplayName">The display name that this service will have</param>
        /// <param name="FileName">The path to the executable of the service</param>
        public static void InstallAndStart(string ServiceName, string DisplayName,
        string FileName)
        {
            IntPtr scman = OpenSCManager(ServiceManagerRights.Connect |
            ServiceManagerRights.CreateService);
            try
            {
                IntPtr service = OpenService(scman, ServiceName,
                ServiceRights.QueryStatus | ServiceRights.Start);
                if (service == IntPtr.Zero)
                {
                    service = CreateService(scman, ServiceName, DisplayName,
                    ServiceRights.QueryStatus | ServiceRights.Start, SERVICE_WIN32_OWN_PROCESS,
                    ServiceBootFlag.AutoStart, ServiceError.Normal, FileName, null, IntPtr.Zero,
                    null, null, null);
                }
                if (service == IntPtr.Zero)
                {
                    throw new ApplicationException("Failed to install service.");
                }
                try
                {
                    StartService(service);
                }
                finally
                {
                    CloseServiceHandle(service);
                }
            }
            finally
            {
                CloseServiceHandle(scman);
            }
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Takes a service name and starts it
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="Name">The service name</param>
        public static void StartService(string Name)
        {
            IntPtr scman = OpenSCManager(ServiceManagerRights.Connect);
            try
            {
                IntPtr hService = OpenService(scman, Name, ServiceRights.QueryStatus |
                ServiceRights.Start);
                if (hService == IntPtr.Zero)
                {
                    throw new ApplicationException("Could not open service.");
                }
                try
                {
                    StartService(hService);
                }
                finally
                {
                    CloseServiceHandle(hService);
                }
            }
            finally
            {
                CloseServiceHandle(scman);
            }
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Stops the provided windows service
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="Name">The service name that will be stopped</param>
        public static void StopService(string Name)
        {
            IntPtr scman = OpenSCManager(ServiceManagerRights.Connect);
            try
            {
                IntPtr hService = OpenService(scman, Name, ServiceRights.QueryStatus |
                ServiceRights.Stop);
                if (hService == IntPtr.Zero)
                {
                    throw new ApplicationException("Could not open service.");
                }
                try
                {
                    StopService(hService);
                }
                finally
                {
                    CloseServiceHandle(hService);
                }
            }
            finally
            {
                CloseServiceHandle(scman);
            }
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Stars the provided windows service
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="hService">The handle to the windows service</param>
        private static void StartService(IntPtr hService)
        {
            SERVICE_STATUS status = new SERVICE_STATUS();
            StartService(hService, 0, 0);
            WaitForServiceStatus(hService, ServiceState.Starting, ServiceState.Run);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Stops the provided windows service
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="hService">The handle to the windows service</param>
        private static void StopService(IntPtr hService)
        {
            SERVICE_STATUS status = new SERVICE_STATUS();
            ControlService(hService, ServiceControl.Stop, status);
            WaitForServiceStatus(hService, ServiceState.Stopping, ServiceState.Stop);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Takes a service name and returns the <code>ServiceState</code> of the corresponding service
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="ServiceName">The service name that we will check for his <code>ServiceState</code></param>
        /// <returns>The ServiceState of the service we wanted to check</returns>
        public static ServiceState GetServiceStatus(string ServiceName)
        {
            IntPtr scman = OpenSCManager(ServiceManagerRights.Connect);
            try
            {
                IntPtr hService = OpenService(scman, ServiceName,
                ServiceRights.QueryStatus);
                if (hService == IntPtr.Zero)
                {
                    return ServiceState.NotFound;
                }
                try
                {
                    return GetServiceStatus(hService);
                }
                finally
                {
                    CloseServiceHandle(scman);
                }
            }
            finally
            {
                CloseServiceHandle(scman);
            }
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Gets the service state by using the handle of the provided windows service
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="hService">The handle to the service</param>
        /// <returns>The <code>ServiceState</code> of the service</returns>
        private static ServiceState GetServiceStatus(IntPtr hService)
        {
            SERVICE_STATUS ssStatus = new SERVICE_STATUS();
            if (QueryServiceStatus(hService, ssStatus) == 0)
            {
                throw new ApplicationException("Failed to query service status.");
            }
            return ssStatus.dwCurrentState;
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Returns true when the service status has been changes from wait status to desired status
        /// ,this method waits around 10 seconds for this operation.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="hService">The handle to the service</param>
        /// <param name="WaitStatus">The current state of the service</param>
        /// <param name="DesiredStatus">The desired state of the service</param>
        /// <returns>bool if the service has successfully changed states within the allowed timeline</returns>
        private static bool WaitForServiceStatus(IntPtr hService, ServiceState
        WaitStatus, ServiceState DesiredStatus)
        {
            SERVICE_STATUS ssStatus = new SERVICE_STATUS();
            int dwOldCheckPoint;
            int dwStartTickCount;

            QueryServiceStatus(hService, ssStatus);
            if (ssStatus.dwCurrentState == DesiredStatus) return true;
            dwStartTickCount = Environment.TickCount;
            dwOldCheckPoint = ssStatus.dwCheckPoint;

            while (ssStatus.dwCurrentState == WaitStatus)
            {
                // Do not wait longer than the wait hint. A good interval is
                // one tenth the wait hint, but no less than 1 second and no
                // more than 10 seconds.

                int dwWaitTime = ssStatus.dwWaitHint / 10;

                if (dwWaitTime < 1000) dwWaitTime = 1000;
                else if (dwWaitTime > 10000) dwWaitTime = 10000;

                System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(dwWaitTime);

                // Check the status again.

                if (QueryServiceStatus(hService, ssStatus) == 0) break;

                if (ssStatus.dwCheckPoint > dwOldCheckPoint)
                {
                    // The service is making progress.
                    dwStartTickCount = Environment.TickCount;
                    dwOldCheckPoint = ssStatus.dwCheckPoint;
                }
                else
                {
                    if (Environment.TickCount - dwStartTickCount > ssStatus.dwWaitHint)
                    {
                        // No progress made within the wait hint
                        break;
                    }
                }
            }
            return (ssStatus.dwCurrentState == DesiredStatus);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Opens the service manager
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="Rights">The service manager rights</param>
        /// <returns>the handle to the service manager</returns>
        private static IntPtr OpenSCManager(ServiceManagerRights Rights)
        {
            IntPtr scman = OpenSCManager(null, null, Rights);
            if (scman == IntPtr.Zero)
            {
                throw new ApplicationException("Could not connect to service control manager.");
            }
            return scman;
        }

#endregion

    }
}

To install a service, run the InstallAndStart command as follows:

  SystemControl.InstallAndStart(
                                 "apache",
                                 "Apache Web Server",
                                 @"""c:\apache\bin\httpd.exe"" -k runservice"
  );

Make sure the account that is running the program has permission to install services. You can always 'Run As Administrator' on the program.

I have also included several commands for non-api access which do not install or remove services, but you can list them and control several (start, stop, restart). You really only need to elevate permissions for installing or removing services.

There are a couple of commands for getting and setting environment variables as well, such as OPENSSL_CONF or TEMP. For the most part, the parameters and method names should be pretty self-explanatory.