Windows service NOT shown in add remove programs under control panel

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InstallUtil.exe: As others have stated, InstallUtil.exe is intended for development use only, not for final distribution of your service.

MSI: The normal way to deploy services in the fashion you describe (with a proper entry in add/remove programs) would be to use an MSI installer created using a tool designed to help you do so (it is not advisable to "roll your own" tool to do this).


Ad-Hoc: The ad-hoc description of deployment tools below was written in a hurry, and has sort of been re-purposed as a general description of such tools. Not too relevant for the question asked, but it sort of "happened" and here it is.


Free MSI Tools / Viewers

How can I compare the content of two (or more) MSI files? (towards bottom) - (most of) these are not full-featured tools to make setups, but great to inspect MSI files and to create transforms.


MSI Tools: Short-List

There are many tools you can use for MSI-creation, for example (arbitrary order - links to Stefan Kruger's installsite.org below will show further tools, these are just the most common ones):

WiX - quick download

Advanced Installer - quick download

InstallShield - quick download

  • The old and established market leader tool Installshield features a very rich set of functionality capable of delivering advanced setup requirements.
  • There used to be a Lite version which cost money at one point. Not sure if it is available now.
  • There is an InstallShield Limited Edition version. Unsure of its feature set and cost (if any). Does not work with Visual Studio Community editions.
  • Installing, Controlling, and Configuring Windows Services.

PACE suite - quick download

Visual Studio Installer project type


Auto-Update?: Various ways to create auto-updating packages.


MSI Tools: Comparisons and Descriptions

What are the above tools like in actual use? Here are some pragmatic observations and summaries:


Deployment Tools (General)

There are many further tools available to create create installers / setup.exe files of various kinds (not just MSI tools, but general purpose, legacy tools, multi-platform tools, etc...):

Stefan Kruger's Comprehensive Lists:

Other Links:

Some General Links: And there are various other ways to deploy - for example with self-extracting zip archives and stuff like that. Not recommended, but some links:

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Sharpeye500
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Sharpeye500

Updated on June 04, 2022

Comments

  • Sharpeye500
    Sharpeye500 almost 2 years

    I installed my windows service via (name of the service: Testing Service)

    InstallUtil.exe present in .NET Framework (:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\FrameWork64\v4) in a windows 7 computer.

    I can see my service under services console.

    However, i went to programs and features of control panel to manually uninstall the same service, i didn't see my services under programs and features?

    Any thoughts why a service will not be shown, so that, user can uninstall it?

    I checked the show hidden files too, but still service not shown?

  • Mikołaj
    Mikołaj over 2 years
    For WiX it was very hard for me to find a really useful written article. The best introduction (with proper project harvesting) for me is this video: youtube.com/watch?v=6Yf-eDsRrnM