I have a Windows credential which must negotiate with a service only one time (and no more) and it is when the Windows firstly boots up.
using "cpus" parameter in "SetUsageScenario" function, we only can detect the difference between unlock and log out scenario. The point is how to detect first Windows log on?
IMHO the Windows Service is the best way to detect Windows boot.
When you are registering service you can provide that your service don't support Stop command and mark it as auto-start.
There (at service start) you can be sure that the windows have just ben booted.
Related
I have a problem with a web service that is installed and started with a .msi that is created with the WiX toolset.
The service can be installed and started on all the machines I tested so far (shown as running in the Services Manager) but on some machines it is not reachable (for example via a browser) and not shown in the list of listening ports on that machine (displayed with 'netstat -a').
I am trying to figure out what's going wrong but I am not really familiar with web service development and configuration. It's a third party service, thus I don't know how it works internally.
A good starting point for me would be to find out, what exactly happens when a service is installed and started during the execution of the .msi-file.
Maybe I could try to tackle the problem on a lower level then.
Below is my code in the ServiceInstall-Element:
<ServiceInstall
Id="ServiceID"
Type="ownProcess"
Vital="yes"
Name="ServiceName"
DisplayName="ServiceDisplayName"
Description="Lorem Ipsum"
Start="auto"
Account="LocalSystem"
ErrorControl="normal"
Interactive="no"
Arguments="action=run">
</ServiceInstall>
The argument is important - without it, the service won't start or run.
Maybe someone else encounterd the same or a similar problem and can help me out.
Thanks already in advance - each hint is appreciated.
EDIT I (15.04.18):
As it might be a problem with the specific service, I will add some further information here:
It's a third party software called CryptoLicensing:
http://www.ssware.com/cryptolicensing/cryptolicensing_net.htm
Part of this software is that specific program, that serves as a License Server and does the license registration, for example in a customer's network.
The service can be run as a Windows application or installed and run as a Windows service. In both cases it should be listening on a (pre-)specified port on the installed machine.
Whenever I start the .exe as an application, everything works as intended. The service is reachable (for example with the browser) and can be accessed from other machines in the network.
When the .exe is installed and started as a service, it does not work as intended on every machine. For example if I install and start the service on my laptop, it is shown as running in the Services Manager, but is not reachable on its assigned URL (not even on the localhost) nor is the specific port displayed in the active listening ports, for example with 'netstat -a'.
The service itself starts without any error messages and does not log any errors or exceptions as it seems to be running without any problems.
I contacted the vendor, but sometimes he doesn't reply quickly and he is not very specific in his replies.
Before asking the question I assumed that it was a problem with the Windows user rights and the WiX installer but during the discussion here I had the feeling that it might a problem with the service itself.
I hope this 'new' piece of information helps in isolating and location the problem.
Thanks to everyone who helped so far!
Hopefully not stating the obvious here, but WiX doesn't do much except populate the ServiceInstall table in the MSI file, so this is about why Windows Installer won't start the service. ServiceInstall table:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa371637(v=vs.85).aspx
Also, this isn't really about ServiceInstall - it's probably about the ServiceControl element in your WiX source, but it's not clear whether that's how you're starting it or if you're starting it manually later on. That does make a difference. What is the error message and where are you getting it, and is it a 1920 or 1921 error (in the context of ServiceControl).
The main reason a service will start on one system but not another is missing dependencies. If your service is C++ based (the post doesn't say) then there are probably dependencies on C runtimes, UCRT runtimes, MFC or ATL runtimes and so on.
First: are you sure this service is intended to run as LocalSystem? (MSDN, SO).
Second: did you check the event logs in detail for anything obvious? If the service is good you should find a hint at least. Something to start with. I find that I sometimes miss the actual logs in the event viewer because it is so "crowded". My take on it: empty the log and stop and restart the service.
Something locking / blocking: If the service installs and runs OK I would suspect other factors such as firewalls (hardware & software), security software in general (anti-virus, malware scanners), network configuration issues (proxies, WINS, DNS and all the complexities involved in networking). Is the service trying to reach an UNC path?
Diverse Machines: What are the target machines? Are they virtual, are they physical, are they test machines, are they operative SOE machines in corporate networks? Are they the same OS version and edition?
Further Ideas: It is not quite related, but maybe skim this list of suggestions for debugging from another answer (I am not sure why it was down-voted, I think it is an OK list to inspire debugging ideas): Windows Application Startup Error Exception code: 0xe0434352 (maybe just skim the bolded words for ideas - Recommended).
sc.exe: And finally, perhaps check the sc.exe tool (Service Control) and see if it can provide you with some useful information for debugging.
sc.exe in the context of killing hung services (sample use).
sc.exe from MSDN
Some further links:
Windows Services Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). Content seems to be up to date - at face value at least. These guys claim to be experts on services. I have no idea who they are.
Essential Tools for Windows Services: SC.EXE
Run Service Control (sc.exe) command on secure port
After almost 20 months we finally (and accidentally) found a solution to the problem! For the few machines, on which the service did not run properly, setting the NoInteractiveServices value in the registry to 0 did the trick. A value of 1 (which is default) means that no service is allowed to run interactively, regardless of whether it has the SERVICE_INTERACTIVE_PROCESS property. More information on Interactive Services.
I am not completely satisfied with the solution, because on all the other machines NoInteractiveServices is set to 1 AND the service runs properly anyway. However, on the machines where the service did not run interactively this solution worked for us. Thus I will accept this as an answer.
If anyone has more information on this issue and can explain why this works, feel free to
add them - I would be very interested!
How can I hibernate a Windows machine that runs Windows 7 or 8 over my LAN from another PC?
Is there a WinAPI function for that? Or do I have to send special magic packets or something like this?
All I know is that PsShutdown.exe is able to do it (allegedly. I haven't tried it).
I don't want to use third party libraries and I also don't want to run a service on the computer that is supposed to get hibernated. I want to use the existing mechanism.
I'd also like to know if I need to change specific settings on the target computer.
I'm not sure if that's important, but shutdown /s /m \\ComputerName did not work on my target PC.
The TechNet document Restart or Shut Down a Remote Computer and Document the Reason describes the requirements to use the shutdown.exe command against a remote computer.
In order to use this feature, the Remote Registry service must be enabled on the remote computer.
Access to the Remote Registry or membership in the Administrators group on the remote computer is the minimum required to complete this procedure
To the best of my knowledge, the only way to remotely hibernate a machine is to use the same method that psshutdown does: copy an executable to the remote machine and install it as a system service.
The OpenSCManager API allows you to specify a target computer, and you can use the handle it returns to call CreateService and then StartService. The service can delete itself once it has done its work.
I have used the template provided Here, to create a windows service. I would like to use this service to reset the system idle timer to avoid the OS going to sleep mode.
SetThreadExecutionState, seems the be the right way of doing so. However, it appears that this method, does not work when the program is running as a service. I have even tried sending an event with keybd_event function, but it appears that there are some security measures in place (see question No. 12747430), to filter out mouse/keyboard events for non-desktop applications ( Even though 'Allow service to interact with desktop' option, is checked for the service).
So here's the question: How can i reset the system idle timer through a windows service? (should not be dependent on user's desktop and should work on login screen as well)
PS: the OS is windows 7 x64
Thanks in advance
We have automatically started service which in some cases spends a lot of the time loading necessary data, let's say 10 minutes. During this time it works as expected (processing some huge data files required to start). I report the progess by C++ SetServiceStatus function, it is working fine.
This service is not dependent on anything and has only one dependency which is again our own service. It is started after those 10 minutes, it needs the first "server" service to be fully running to accept the requests.
I thought that windows would start all other automatic services (in less then 10 minutes as usually) and then start working normally but system is completely blocked during startup (i can't login to computer or ping the computer) until this one specific service is started (reports SERVICE_RUNNING by SetServiceStatus). When out service completely starts, the other missing system services (required for network, remote desktop, whatever, it's quite random) are also started. Is this normal behaviour? Why are non-depending processes (as remote desktop, network connections, etc.) waiting for this process? Am I missing something?
I tried to add some dependencies to postpone the startup of my service but I ended up with many dependencies and behaviour still somehow random (as order of services is random). Sometimes I was able to login but for example Start button started working only after those 10 minutes when my service was started. I am not sure what is "the last service" to depend on and what services to include to my depend-list and on some computers this services can be disabled and it can bring new problems... so I don't like this solution very much.
Another option was Delayed start option for our service. This should start service when all other automatic services are running. Well, this works fine, windows boots, computer running and responding, our service is started, but the performance is very bad, many times slower than usually, it seems that delayed started services have much lower priority or something like that.
My only current solution is to report to system that my service is running (by SetServiceStatus function), but to continue loading (this works, I tested it). But then we have problem with our dependent service as it needs to be started when the first one is really ready. It can be solved but I still wonder how is this possible and if there is something I could use to keep the current state of automatic started service which reports "started" when it is really fully started and prepared to work. Thanks for any ideas.
Set SERVICE_RUNNING as soon as possible, and then continue processing in background. Make your other service resilient to the first service being in a running state, but not yet ready to service.
The longer the service is in the starting state the more problems we get from different windows versions.
There are different ways of shutting down a computer remotely.
Here are three I know of:
Invoking the Shutdown method of the Win32_OperatingSystem class through a remote WMI connection
Using the Microsoft Windows shutdown.exe
Letting your (whatever).exe copy itself to the systemfolder on the target machine, register itself as a service and start it remotely with parameters so that it initiates a local shutdown.
Number 3 is why sysinternals does, e.g. However, it requires that you have file & printer sharing active so that it is able to copy itself to the target and invoke the service.
Number 2 works almost everywhere... but also needs to have file & printer sharing being enabled. Because: This activates the RPC service which is needed for remotely invoking the shutdown.
As far as I can tell, even Number 1, the WMI solution, not only needs WMI installed on the target, but also the RPC service enabled.
My problem is:
I need a solution that allows me to shutdown a remote computer without RPC being enabled on it.
Is there a way?
Note: A way within a context of a business solution ;-)
I believe that you can use IPMI for such tasks. It requires hardware support though. We used it for lights-out management over a serial port in a solution a few years ago. We had some issues with the hardware support for soft shutdown since it requires some integration with the OS. From what I remember, you can mimic the hardware reaction to pressing the power button using a network packet sent by an IPMI utility. HTH.