Can anyone help with creating a system service for Microsoft server
2003?  Now I know I can create a shortcut and just put it in my
startup folder.  Unfortunately this will not work for me because if
the application hangs I will not know about it until we start getting
call from our end users.  If I create a system service the service is
monitored by OS.  Then if the service should hang it can get restarted
automatically by the OS.

Now, if you were planning on giving me information from Microsoft KB
article ID: 137890 or tell me that I need to contact Microsoft for a
hotfix don?t waste your time I have already been there and done that.

Hello,

You can use a third party software called FireDeamon that can be
downloaded from http://www.firedaemon.com/

It can convert any program, batch file or script to a Windows service...

Hope you find these info usefull...

Fadi Nabil

I have a program available on my website that will allow you to
install an arbitrary binary as a system service in Windows.  The file
is available at

<a href="http://www.beefstew.net/downloads/install.ex_">http://www.beefstew.net/downloads/install.ex_</a>

I encourage you to virus scan the file, even though it is clean and
will only do the intended function (install a Windows service).  You
call this program in the following manner (often from a "post-install"
script in your installer):

<i>install service_name service_label executable</i>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;service_name is the name used internally by the
Service Control Manager (SCM)
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;service_label is the name that appears in the Services applet
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(for multiple words, put them in double quotes)
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;executable is the full path to the EXE

example:
install.exe X_Bean_service "X Bean Service" C:\path\to\executable.exe

If you would like to pay me, my PayPal account is <irrationality@comcast.net>.

Thank you.
chris_reds

Whoops!  I guess HTML is not allowed. Here is a neater re-post.

I have a program available on my website that will allow you to
install an arbitrary binary as a system service in Windows.  The file
is available at

http://www.beefstew.net/downloads/install.ex_

I encourage you to virus scan the file, even though it is clean and
will only do the intended function (install a Windows service).  You
call this program in the following manner (often from a "post-install"
script in your installer):

<i>install service_name service_label executable</i>
   service_name is the name used internally by the Service Control Manager (SCM)
   service_label is the name that appears in the Services applet
      (for multiple words, put them in double quotes)
   executable is the full path to the EXE

example:
install.exe X_Bean_service "X Bean Service" C:\path\to\X_Bean_service.exe

If you would like to pay me, my PayPal account is
<irrationality_REMOVE_@comcast.net>.  Simply remove the _REMOVE_
portion, which I did to help avoid spam.

Thank you.
chris_reds

I forgot this very helpful link, as well.  Here you can learn more
about the internal workings of Windows services.

http://www.windowsitpro.com/Article/ArticleID/8723/8723.html

Take care.