Wix installer based TopShelf windows service fails to start

Question

I have written a bare-bones .NET 4.7.2 C# Windows Service using TopShelf and Quartz. The service works when I debug it using Visual Studio 2019 on my Windows 10 laptop. I then created a Wix 3.11.2 based setup to install and start this service. Now, I am trying to install the service on my laptop using this installer. The installer is able to copy the files but fails to start the service. Here is the code:

Product.wxs

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi">
<Product Id="*" Name="Broker Test" Language="1033" Version="1.0.0.0"
       Manufacturer="Test"
       UpgradeCode="{68813F65-1022-4E32-AC50-CD16B5927DAD}">
<Package InstallerVersion="200" Compressed="yes" InstallScope="perMachine" />

<Media Id="1" Cabinet="BrokerTest.cab" EmbedCab="yes" />

<Directory Id="TARGETDIR" Name="SourceDir">
  <Directory Id="INSTALLDIR" Name="Application">
    <Directory Id="WINDIR" Name="Service"/>
  </Directory>
</Directory>

<Feature Id="ProductFeature" Title="BrokerTest_MSI" Level="1">
  <ComponentGroupRef Id="BrokerWindowsService" />
</Feature>

<Property Id="WIXUI_INSTALLDIR" Value="INSTALLDIR" />
<Property Id="INSTALLTYPE" Value="1"/>
</Product>
</Wix>

WinService.wxs

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi"
 xmlns:util="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/UtilExtension">
<Fragment>
<ComponentGroup Id="BrokerWindowsService">

  <ComponentRef Id="Tb.WinService.Test" />
  <ComponentRef Id="TopShelf"/>
  <ComponentRef Id="Tb.ServiceConfig" />
  <ComponentRef Id="Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection" />
  <ComponentRef Id="Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.Abstractions" />      
  <ComponentRef Id="Quartz" />      

</ComponentGroup>

<DirectoryRef Id="WINDIR">
  <Directory Id="DataDir" Name="Data"/>

  <Component Id="Tb.WinService.Test" Guid="{F1DF09D9-98D8-4D63-9BB9-7581D56E1685}">

    <CreateFolder Directory="DataDir">
      <util:PermissionEx User="NT Authority\SYSTEM" GenericAll="yes"/>
    </CreateFolder>

    <File Id="Tb.WinService.Test.dll" Name="$(var.Tb.WinService.Test.TargetFileName)" Source="$(var.Tb.WinService.Test.TargetPath)" />
    <File Id="Tb.WinService.Test.pdb" Name="$(var.Tb.WinService.Test.TargetName).pdb" Source="$(var.Tb.WinService.Test.TargetDir)$(var.Tb.WinService.Test.TargetName).pdb" />

    <ServiceInstall Id="ServiceInstaller" Type="ownProcess" Vital="yes"
                            Name="BrokerWindowsServiceTest"
                            DisplayName="Broker Windows Service Test"
                            Description="Runs scheduled tasks"
                            Start="auto" Account="NT Authority\SYSTEM"
                            ErrorControl="ignore"
                            Interactive="no" />

    <ServiceControl Id="StartService"
                            Start="install" Stop="both" Remove="uninstall"
                            Name="BrokerWindowsServiceTest" Wait="yes" />

  </Component>

  <Component Id="TopShelf" Guid="{CEC3596B-4D38-4641-81EF-CBC09C4FE67E}">
    <File Id="TopShelf.dll" Name="TopShelf.dll" Source="$(var.SolutionDir)packages\Topshelf.4.2.1\lib\net452\Topshelf.dll" Vital="yes" />
    <File Id="TopShelf.xml" Name="TopShelf.xml" Source="$(var.SolutionDir)packages\Topshelf.4.2.1\lib\net452\Topshelf.xml" Vital="yes" />
  </Component>

  <Component Id="Tb.ServiceConfig" Guid="{A08D1440-4B2A-4DFB-9F55-27E81DC4B106}">
    <File Id="Tb.Service.App.Config" Name="$(var.Tb.WinService.Test.TargetName).exe.config" 
          Vital="yes" KeyPath="yes" Source="$(var.Tb.WinService.Test.TargetDir)App.config" />
  </Component>

  <Component Id="Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection" Guid="{8F69CFC4-02F9-479C-9C57-E2F88180E542}">
    <File Id="Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.dll" Name="Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.dll" 
          Source="$(var.SolutionDir)packages\Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.3.0.1\lib\netstandard2.0\Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.dll" Vital="yes" />
  </Component>

  <Component Id="Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.Abstractions" Guid="{8EB47289-9527-4CE4-9991-EBF8997368DC}">
    <File Id="Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.Abstractions.dll" Name="Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.Abstractions.dll" 
          Source="$(var.SolutionDir)packages\Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.Abstractions.3.0.1\lib\netstandard2.0\Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.Abstractions.dll" Vital="yes" />
  </Component>

  <Component Id="Quartz" Guid="{345DA6DA-F385-47A6-844C-3171ADE42E83}">
    <File Id="Quartz.dll" Name="Quartz.dll" Source="$(var.SolutionDir)packages\Quartz.3.0.7\lib\net452\Quartz.dll" Vital="yes" />
    <File Id="Quartz.xml" Name="Quartz.xml" Source="$(var.SolutionDir)packages\Quartz.3.0.7\lib\net452\Quartz.xml" Vital="yes" />
  </Component>      

</DirectoryRef>
</Fragment>
</Wix>

I get the following error when I run the Wix Installer:

If I try to start the service manually, I get the following error:

I have already tried the following:

1. I am using the NT Authority\System account which should have the proper access.
2. Currently my windows service isn't really doing anything. It's returing Task.CompletedTask. So, there shouldn't be a timeout scenario.
3. I have tried with both debug and release builds.
4. I am installing on the same machine I am developing on. So, .NET framework version shouldn't be an issue.
5. I tried launching the debugger but it was unable to attach. So I didn't get any more details.
6. I caught exceptions and wrote to the Event Log but that too doesn't have any more details.

Anchoress

Have you tried to look at the MSI log? Did you see any errors in file? – Doggone

Or check the event log while restarting the windows service. – Polk

@PavelAnikhouski The log shows the following error "Error 1923. Service 'Broker Windows Service Test' (BrokerWindowsServiceTest) could not be installed. Verify that you have sufficient privileges to install system services." – Anchoress

@Polk I checked the Event log. It was the same error that I am seeing elsewhere: "Error 1923. Service 'Broker Windows Service Test' (BrokerWindowsServiceTest) could not be installed. Verify that you have sufficient privileges to install system services." – Anchoress

Possibly it is not Wix installer issue. I wold try to install the service using InstallUtil command. (run as admin) and check the log if you get errors. – Tagliatelle

@MichaelDaniloff I directly navigated to the exe location in the bin/release folder on my machine and installed and started the service using the command prompt and it worked without issues. But it doesn't start when I install it through Wix. – Anchoress

@Anchoress but can you do the same for the location where Wix put it? – Tagliatelle

@MichaelDaniloff If I navigate to the location where Wix has dumped the files and then install the service using the command prompt, it works. I can then go and manually start the service as well. – Anchoress

@MichaelDaniloff Another interesting thing if I install the service from the Wix location manually, and then click retry in the Wix installer, I am able to start the service. So, the answer must be related to user access in Wix vs manual install. – Anchoress

Does it work if you use "NT AUTHORITY" instead of "NT Authority". I have some vague memory of that making a difference – Workmanship

Answer 1

Make sure the ServiceInstall Name exactly matches the name of your topshelf service

Chervil

seems like the topshelf service also needs to exactly match the ServiceControl name – Stoll

Answer 2

Installer Methods: I would inspect your service installer code inside the binary. There must be something that you are doing in the installation methods for the assembly / binary that is not replicated by MSI at installation time. What are you doing in these installer methods? Samples: 1 and 2.

WiX Service Installation: I would take out all attributes that are not needed in the WiX element. See this sample: Service Installation (Stropek). Particularly the Account attribute, just leave it out. Also take out that permissioning element for SYSTEM. Default permissions are better - they are already there.

Procmon.exe: You can inspect the system for what happens when you run InstallUtil.exe if you run Procmon.exe and inspect the information overload. Are you familiar with this tool? I would prefer not to go into it (again - rudimentary example), and I think it should be enough to study you installation method code instead.

Capture: It is also possible to use a setup-capture tool to scan the before and after state of the system when you run InstallUtil.exe. That requires a hefty tool (AdminStudio, Advanced Installer) and is rarely available for developers. Just for the record.

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Links:

• Cannot update a Windows Service installed by MSI
• Wix installer upgrade with same "upgrade code" ID shows privilege error prompt
• wix service install not enough permission

Additional:

• Desktop applicaton not opening after installation in client system
• Application is not getting opened after installing it with the installer created by "Visual studio installer"
• Install a Windows service using a Windows command prompt?

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