Question

Create Windows Service from Batch File.

Asked by: rsp05

hi, EE forum.  I need some help on how to properly install a batch file as a windows service.  The part of actually creating the service, I've done, but need to feed the parameters, similar to how its done in the .bat file.  I can install the service using this doc: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/137890

But, in the bat file I want to convert to a service, I need to give parameters, and not sure how to do this (ie some key value in the registry?)  Here is what the .bat file does: (references changed to protect the innocent :-)

REM Bat file for starting My Server in a specifed environment (installation directory)
echo Pointing My App to "c:\program files\MyApp" using server %1
set INSTALL_DIR="c:\program files\MyApp"
set PATH=%INSTALL_DIR%\unstructured;%INSTALL_DIR%;%PATH%
set CLASSPATH=%INSTALL_DIR%;%INSTALL_DIR%\myapp.jar;%INSTALL_DIR%\myserver.jar;%CLASSPATH%
d:
cd c:\program files\MyApp\MySubFolder
%1.exe -serverproperties %1.properties
pause

                                  
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Asked On
2008-08-08 at 09:46:34ID23633311
Tags

MS

,

Windows

,

2003

Topics

Windows Batch Scripting

,

Windows 2000 Operating System

,

Microsoft Operating Systems

Participating Experts
1
Points
150
Comments
3

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Answers

 

by: BOTA-XPosted on 2008-08-09 at 01:45:28ID: 22195653

The short answer is you can't really run the batch file as a service, but you install CMD as a service and pass on the paramter to run the batch file.

First create the service:
Instsrv.exe MyApp Srvany.exe

Follow the instructions in KB137890 to create the registry keys.  Set the application string to:
cmd.exe /c path\batchfile.bat

I see that your batch file is not set to loop internally with a GOTO command, and it run once when the OS starts and then terminate.  This isn't really how a service is supposed to perform, and quick frankly acts like malware.

 

by: rsp05Posted on 2008-08-11 at 07:45:38ID: 22204806

BOTA-X - Thanks for the reply!  I actually responded this weekend, but apparently it didn't post.

First, I will look into your solution - but I have multiple processes that are launched via that bat file.  Will I be able to invoke multiple batches?  

Second, I thought there was a way to not necessarily make the initial bat file a service, but by posting what the bat file does, to come up with another way to invoke the .exe with parameters.  This would be ideal.  If you see the code above, it invokes the bat, but passes  a variable (name) to launch the respective .exe (%1.exe -serverproperties %1.properties)  %1=the specific name of the exe)
Any ideas? THX!

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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