How to create an installer for a .net Windows Service using Visual Studio

Question

How do I create an installer for a Windows Service that I have created using Visual Studio?

Answer 1

Nor Kelsey, nor Brendan solutions does not works for me in Visual Studio 2015 Community.

Here is my brief steps how to create service with installer:

1. Run Visual Studio, Go to File->New->Project
2. Select .NET Framework 4, in 'Search Installed Templates' type 'Service'
3. Select 'Windows Service'. Type Name and Location. Press OK.
4. Double click Service1.cs, right click in designer and select 'Add Installer'
5. Double click ProjectInstaller.cs. For serviceProcessInstaller1 open Properties tab and change 'Account' property value to 'LocalService'. For serviceInstaller1 change 'ServiceName' and set 'StartType' to 'Automatic'.

6. Double click serviceInstaller1. Visual Studio creates serviceInstaller1_AfterInstall event. Write code:

   private void serviceInstaller1_AfterInstall(object sender, InstallEventArgs e)
   {
       using (System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController sc = new 
       System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController(serviceInstaller1.ServiceName))
       {
           sc.Start();
       }
   }
   

7. Build solution. Right click on project and select 'Open Folder in File Explorer'. Go to bin\Debug.

8. Create install.bat with below script:

   :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
   :: Automatically check & get admin rights
   :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
   @echo off
   CLS 
   ECHO.
   ECHO =============================
   ECHO Running Admin shell
   ECHO =============================
   
   :checkPrivileges 
   NET FILE 1>NUL 2>NUL
   if '%errorlevel%' == '0' ( goto gotPrivileges ) else ( goto getPrivileges ) 
   
   :getPrivileges 
   if '%1'=='ELEV' (shift & goto gotPrivileges)  
   ECHO. 
   ECHO **************************************
   ECHO Invoking UAC for Privilege Escalation 
   ECHO **************************************
   
   setlocal DisableDelayedExpansion
   set "batchPath=%~0"
   setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
   ECHO Set UAC = CreateObject^("Shell.Application"^) > "%temp%\OEgetPrivileges.vbs" 
   ECHO UAC.ShellExecute "!batchPath!", "ELEV", "", "runas", 1 >> "%temp%\OEgetPrivileges.vbs" 
   "%temp%\OEgetPrivileges.vbs" 
   exit /B 
   
   :gotPrivileges 
   ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
   :START
   ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
   setlocal & pushd .
   
   cd /d %~dp0
   %windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\InstallUtil /i "WindowsService1.exe"
   pause
   

9. Create uninstall.bat file (change in pen-ult line /i to /u)
10. To install and start service run install.bat, to stop and uninstall run uninstall.bat