Creating a Windows Service in C#.net and call a method every hour

In Visual Studio Select File->New->Project Select Windows and select Windows Service

Right click on the Service1 designer and select Add Installer. This adds ProjectInstaller Will create a file ProjectInstaller.cs

To avoid Set Service Login prompt being asked about the system username and password you must change the Account for the serviceProcessInstaller to LocalSystem. ServiceAccount Enumeration ServiceAccount stackoverflow

ServiceProcessInstaller Installs an executable containing classes that extend ServiceBase. This class is called by installation utilities, such as InstallUtil.exe, when installing a service application. ServiceInstaller Installs a class that extends ServiceBase to implement a service. This class is called by the install utility when installing a service application.

Display Name is show in name column of the service. Set StartType as Automatic - To make the service to be started after restart/shutdown.

How to Start the service automatically after Installation?

Rename Service1 to to MyService

Create a folder and write the code to write to file

How to check whether the service called function is working or not? Right click on the Solution(DemoService) and select Add -> New Project This console application is used to test whether file writing works or not.

How to create Service Installer? Right click on the Solution(DemoService) and select Add -> New Project Select Other Project Types -> Setup and Deployment -> Setup Project

We will get the below screen.

Right click on the Setup project

Select the service project

Double click on the Application Folder

Press Ok.

Select the setup project and press F4 Manufacturer will come in path as "C:\Program Files\ManufacturerValue" Title will come in Setup Wizard

Click on Configuration Manager

Change Debug mode to Release for the Service and Setup projects

To avoid this prompt give LocalSystem to Account property of serviceProcessInstaller.

Type control in run and select Administrative Tools -> Services

Make the service to call every 10 minutes Create a file as the below image

public class WriteToFile { public WriteToFile() { string strDateTime = DateTime.Now.ToString(); StreamWriter sw = new StreamWriter(Path.Combine(System.IO.Path.GetTempPath(), "babu.txt"), true); sw.WriteLine(strDateTime); sw.Close(); } } Update the MyService.cs file using System; using System.Collections.Generic; using System.ComponentModel; using System.Data; using System.Diagnostics; using System.ServiceProcess; using System.Text; using DemoService.Functions; using System.Timers; namespace DemoService { public partial class MyService : ServiceBase { //Make the service to call the for every 5 min System.Timers.Timer TimerObj = new System.Timers.Timer(ConvertMinutesToMilliseconds(5)); public MyService() { InitializeComponent(); } protected override void OnStart(string[] args) { // TODO: Add code here to start your service. TimerObj.Elapsed += new ElapsedEventHandler(OnElapsedTime); TimerObj.Enabled = true; } protected override void OnStop() { // TODO: Add code here to perform any tear-down necessary to stop your service. TimerObj.Enabled = false; } /// /// At the end of every 5 min the event will be triggered. /// /// /// protected void OnElapsedTime(object source, ElapsedEventArgs e) { //Write the current datetime to the file WriteToFile objWriteToFile = new WriteToFile(); } /// /// Convert minutes to milliseconds /// /// /// /// /// public static double ConvertMinutesToMilliseconds(double minutes) { return TimeSpan.FromMinutes(minutes).TotalMilliseconds; } } }