Using InstallUtil and silently setting a windows service logon username/password

Question

I need to use InstallUtil to install a C# windows service. I need to set the service logon credentials (username and password). All of this needs to be done silently.

Is there are way to do something like this:

installutil.exe myservice.exe /customarg1=username /customarg2=password 

Answer 1

A much easier way than the posts above and with no extra code in your installer is to use the following:

installUtil.exe /username=domain\username /password=password /unattended C:\My.exe

Just ensure the account you use is valid. If not you will receive a "No mapping between account names and security id's was done" exception

Answer 2

Bravo to my co-worker (Bruce Eddy). He found a way we can make this command-line call:

installutil.exe /user=uname /password=pw myservice.exe 

It is done by overriding OnBeforeInstall in the installer class:

namespace Test {     [RunInstaller(true)]     public class TestInstaller : Installer     {         private ServiceInstaller serviceInstaller;         private ServiceProcessInstaller serviceProcessInstaller;          public OregonDatabaseWinServiceInstaller()         {             serviceInstaller = new ServiceInstaller();             serviceInstaller.StartType = System.ServiceProcess.ServiceStartMode.Automatic;             serviceInstaller.ServiceName = "Test";             serviceInstaller.DisplayName = "Test Service";             serviceInstaller.Description = "Test";             serviceInstaller.StartType = ServiceStartMode.Automatic;             Installers.Add(serviceInstaller);              serviceProcessInstaller = new ServiceProcessInstaller();             serviceProcessInstaller.Account = ServiceAccount.User;              Installers.Add(serviceProcessInstaller);         }          public string GetContextParameter(string key)         {             string sValue = "";             try             {                 sValue = this.Context.Parameters[key].ToString();             }             catch             {                 sValue = "";             }             return sValue;         }           // Override the 'OnBeforeInstall' method.         protected override void OnBeforeInstall(IDictionary savedState)         {             base.OnBeforeInstall(savedState);              string username = GetContextParameter("user").Trim();             string password = GetContextParameter("password").Trim();              if (username != "")                 serviceProcessInstaller.Username = username;             if (password != "")                 serviceProcessInstaller.Password = password;         }     } }