Windows Service failed to start

Question

This is my main:

static class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        //Debugger.Launch();          
        ServiceBase[] ServicesToRun;
        ServicesToRun = new ServiceBase[] 
        { 
            new Service1() 
        };

        ServiceBase.Run(ServicesToRun);
    }
}

And this is my Service1() code:

 public partial class Service1 : ServiceBase
{
    public Service1()
    {
        Thread messageThread = new Thread(new ThreadStart(Messaggi.Check));
        messageThread.Start();

        bool checkGruppoIndirizzi = true;

        for (; ; )
        {
            SediOperative.Check();

            Autisti.Check();

            AutistiVeicoli.Check();

            StatiVega.Check();

            int res = Ordini.Check();
            if (res == 0) AssegnazioniVega.Check();

            Thread.Sleep(10000);
        }
    }

    protected override void OnStart(string[] args)
    {
    }

    protected override void OnStop()
    {
    }
}

First thing is I don't know if launching two threads in that way is a good thing to do, but the real problem is the program run fine inside Visual Studio but after installation (I've created a setup project using InstallShield) I try to start my service from the windows service panel and I get:

Error 1053: The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion

Answer 1

The problem you have is that your service will be started sucessfully after the susyem has called the Start method and it has sucessfully returned. Given that you have an infinite loop in the constructor, the system is saying to itself something like "Can't even create the this let alone call start. I'm giving up.'

Your code should be refactored along these lines:

 public partial class Service1 : ServiceBase
{
    public Service1()
    {
    }
    private Thread messageThread;
    private Thread otherThread;

    private bool stopNow;

    protected override void OnStart(string[] args)
    {
        this.stopNow = false;
        this.messageThread = new Thread(new ThreadStart(Messaggi.Check));
        this.messageThread.Start();

        this.otherThread = new Thread(new ThreadStart(this.StartOtherThread));
        this.otherThread.Start();

    }

    private void StartOtherThread()
    {
        bool checkGruppoIndirizzi = true;

        while (this.stopNow == false)
        {
            SediOperative.Check();

            Autisti.Check();

            AutistiVeicoli.Check();

            StatiVega.Check();

            int res = Ordini.Check();
            if (res == 0) AssegnazioniVega.Check();

            for (int 1 = 0; i < 10; i++)
            {
                if (this.stopNow)
                {
                    break;
                }
                Thread.Sleep(1000);
            }
        }
    }
    }
    protected override void OnStop()
    {
            this.stopNow = true;
        this.messageThread.Join(1000);
        this.otherThread.Join(1000);
    }
}

And yes, starting stuff on Threads is exactly the way to do it! You'll have to have some way of stopping them in the Stop() method. (The code above is air code so don't trust it.) for the 'otherThread' I've got it checking a bool and exiting when the bool is set. the thread.Join is just a tidy-up which isn't strictly necessary, but is good housekeeping I think.

Cheers -