How to: Install and Uninstall Services

Article
11/16/2012

Unlike most projects you create in Visual Studio, Windows Service projects cannot be run directly from the development environment by pressing F5. This is because the service in the project must be installed before the project can run.

You can quickly install your service application by using a command-line utility called InstallUtil.exe. You can also create a setup project that contains your project's output and create a custom action with it that will run the installers associated with the project and install your service. For an example, see Walkthrough: Creating a Windows Service Application in the Component Designer. For more information on setup projects, see Setup Projects. For more information on custom actions, see Walkthrough: Creating a Custom Action.

To install your service manually

Access the directory in which your project's compiled executable file is located.
Run InstallUtil.exe from the command line with your project's output as a parameter. Enter the following code on the command line:
```
installutil yourproject.exe
```

To uninstall your service manually

Run InstallUtil.exe from the command line with your project's output as a parameter. Enter the following code on the command line:
```
installutil /u yourproject.exe
```
Tip

You can launch Server Explorer and verify that your service has been installed or uninstalled. For more information, see How to: Access and Initialize Server Explorer/Database Explorer.

Share via

How to: Install and Uninstall Services

To install your service manually

To uninstall your service manually

See Also

Tasks

Concepts

Reference

Additional resources