Windows service Error

[oakleaf]

I have created a windows service (in VB, using VS 2010) and once I have it installed and attempt to run it, I receive the following error in the event viewer:

Service cannot be started. System.InvalidOperationException: Cannot change service name when the service is running.
at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceBase.set_ServiceName(String value)
at PostProcessing.PostProcessing.InitializeComponent()
at PostProcessing.PostProcessing.OnStart(String[] args)
at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceBase.ServiceQueuedMainCallback(Object state)

I have a feeling that this has to do with the installer, but not sure what to check. All of the names are "PostProcessing". Anybody have an idea for me? Thanks.

[Dave Kreskowiak]

OK, looking the stack trace, in your OnStart handler, you're calling an InitializeComponent method. You normally don't see that in a service at all, but you do in Windows Forms apps. Makes me wonder what you're doing... From the InitializeComponent method, you're doing something with a ServiceBase object. Perhaps you inherited that in a class of yours?? Perhaps you're setting a Name property somewhere you shouldn't be?? It's easy enough to trace. Put a Thread.Sleep in your OnStart method for, say, 20 seconds. Then set a breakpoint on a line just after the Sleep. Start the service, then go to Visual Studio and in the Debug menu -> Attach to Process... Find your service and attach to it. When you hit the breakpoint, you can step through the code line-by-line and watch what happens.

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Dave Kreskowiak

[oakleaf]

Your reply made the error make sense. :thumbsup: Esp. the "InitializeComponent" piece. I wanted to use a windows service so that I could use the timer to schedule it rather than schedule a task to run as a user. I have moved the project to a windows form, and will use a service to run the program instead. Most likely what I want to do would not work as a service anyways...
My objective: Multiple transactions against a remote server, sending and receiving JSON, deserializing the responses and then taking the appropriate actions on a MS SQL server db.