aspnetcore/host-and-deploy/windows-service.md
:::moniker range=">= aspnetcore-7.0"
An ASP.NET Core app can be hosted on Windows as a Windows Service without using IIS. When hosted as a Windows Service, the app automatically starts after server reboots.
The ASP.NET Core Worker Service template provides a starting point for writing long running service apps. To use the template as a basis for a Windows Service app:
Update Program.cs to call <!--keep-->AddWindowsService. When the app is running as a Windows Service, AddWindowsService:
WindowsServiceLifetime.CreateDefaultBuilder to build the host.Logging:EventLog:LogLevel:Default key in appsettings.json/appsettings.{Environment}.json or other configuration provider.Consider the following ServiceA class:
:::code language="csharp" source="~/host-and-deploy/windows-service/samples/7.x/WebAppServiceSample/Services/ServiceA.cs" :::
The following Program.cs calls AddHostedService to register ServiceA:
:::code language="csharp" source="~/host-and-deploy/windows-service/samples/7.x/WebAppServiceSample/Program.cs" highlight="8":::
The following sample apps accompany this topic:
For MVC guidance, see the articles under xref:mvc/overview and xref:migration/22-to-30.
For information and advice on deployment scenarios, see .NET application deployment.
For a web app-based service that uses the Razor Pages or MVC frameworks, specify the Web SDK in the project file:
<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web">
If the service only executes background tasks (for example, hosted services), specify the Worker SDK in the project file:
<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Worker">
Framework-dependent deployment (FDD) relies on the presence of a shared system-wide version of .NET on the target system. When the FDD scenario is adopted following the guidance in this article, the SDK produces an executable (.exe), called a framework-dependent executable.
If using the Web SDK, a web.config file, which is normally produced when publishing an ASP.NET Core app, is unnecessary for a Windows Services app. To disable the creation of the web.config file, add the <IsTransformWebConfigDisabled> property set to true.
<PropertyGroup>
<TargetFramework>net7.0</TargetFramework>
<IsTransformWebConfigDisabled>true</IsTransformWebConfigDisabled>
</PropertyGroup>
Self-contained deployment (SCD) doesn't rely on the presence of a shared framework on the host system. The runtime and the app's dependencies are deployed with the app.
A Windows Runtime Identifier (RID) is included in the <PropertyGroup> that contains the target framework:
<RuntimeIdentifier>win-x64</RuntimeIdentifier>
To publish for multiple RIDs:
For more information, see .NET RID Catalog.
To create a user account for a service, use the New-LocalUser cmdlet from an administrative PowerShell 6 command shell.
On Windows 10 October 2018 Update (version 1809/build 10.0.17763) or later:
New-LocalUser -Name {SERVICE NAME}
On Windows OS earlier than the Windows 10 October 2018 Update (version 1809/build 10.0.17763):
powershell -Command "New-LocalUser -Name {SERVICE NAME}"
Provide a strong password when prompted.
Unless the -AccountExpires parameter is supplied to the New-LocalUser cmdlet with an expiration xref:System.DateTime, the account doesn't expire.
For more information, see Microsoft.PowerShell.LocalAccounts and Service User Accounts.
An alternative approach to managing users when using Active Directory is to use Managed Service Accounts. For more information, see Group Managed Service Accounts Overview.
To establish Log on as a service rights for a service user account:
{DOMAIN OR COMPUTER NAME\USER}) in the object name field and select OK to add the user to the policy.Use PowerShell commands to register a service. From an administrative PowerShell 6 command shell, execute the following commands:
$acl = Get-Acl "{EXE PATH}"
$aclRuleArgs = "{DOMAIN OR COMPUTER NAME\USER}", "Read,Write,ReadAndExecute", "ContainerInherit,ObjectInherit", "None", "Allow"
$accessRule = New-Object System.Security.AccessControl.FileSystemAccessRule($aclRuleArgs)
$acl.SetAccessRule($accessRule)
$acl | Set-Acl "{EXE PATH}"
New-Service -Name {SERVICE NAME} -BinaryPathName "{EXE FILE PATH} --contentRoot {EXE FOLDER PATH}" -Credential "{DOMAIN OR COMPUTER NAME\USER}" -Description "{DESCRIPTION}" -DisplayName "{DISPLAY NAME}" -StartupType Automatic
{EXE PATH}: Path of the app's executable on the host (for example, d:\myservice). Don't include the app's executable file name in the path. A trailing slash isn't required.{DOMAIN OR COMPUTER NAME\USER}: Service user account (for example, Contoso\ServiceUser).{SERVICE NAME}: Service name (for example, MyService).{EXE FILE PATH}: The app's full executable path (for example, d:\myservice\myservice.exe). Include the executable's file name with extension.{EXE FOLDER PATH}: The app's full executable folder path (for example d:\myservice).{DESCRIPTION}: Service description (for example, My sample service).{DISPLAY NAME}: Service display name (for example, My Service).Start a service with the following PowerShell 6 command:
Start-Service -Name {SERVICE NAME}
The command takes a few seconds to start the service.
To check the status of a service, use the following PowerShell 6 command:
Get-Service -Name {SERVICE NAME}
The status is reported as one of the following values:
StartingRunningStoppingStoppedStop a service with the following PowerShell 6 command:
Stop-Service -Name {SERVICE NAME}
After a short delay to stop a service, remove a service with the following PowerShell 6 command:
Remove-Service -Name {SERVICE NAME}
Services that interact with requests from the Internet or a corporate network and are behind a proxy or load balancer might require additional configuration. For more information, see xref:host-and-deploy/proxy-load-balancer.
By default, ASP.NET Core binds to http://localhost:5000. Configure the URL and port by setting the ASPNETCORE_URLS environment variable.
For additional URL and port configuration approaches, see the relevant server article:
The preceding guidance covers support for HTTPS endpoints. For example, configure the app for HTTPS when authentication is used with a Windows Service.
[!NOTE] Use of the ASP.NET Core HTTPS development certificate to secure a service endpoint isn't supported.
The current working directory returned by calling xref:System.IO.Directory.GetCurrentDirectory%2A for a Windows Service is the C:\WINDOWS\system32 folder. The system32 folder isn't a suitable location to store a service's files (for example, settings files). Use one of the following approaches to maintain and access a service's assets and settings files.
Use IHostEnvironment.ContentRootPath or xref:Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.IHostEnvironment.ContentRootFileProvider to locate an app's resources.
When the app runs as a service, xref:Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.WindowsServiceLifetimeHostBuilderExtensions.UseWindowsService%2A sets the xref:Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.IHostEnvironment.ContentRootPath to AppContext.BaseDirectory.
The app's default settings files, appsettings.json and appsettings.{Environment}.json, are loaded from the app's content root by calling CreateDefaultBuilder during host construction.
For other settings files loaded by developer code in xref:Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.HostBuilder.ConfigureAppConfiguration%2A, there's no need to call xref:Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.FileConfigurationExtensions.SetBasePath%2A. In the following example, the custom_settings.json file exists in the app's content root and is loaded without explicitly setting a base path:
:::code language="csharp" source="windows-service/samples_snapshot/CustomSettingsExample.cs" highlight="13":::
Don't attempt to use xref:System.IO.Directory.GetCurrentDirectory%2A to obtain a resource path because a Windows Service app returns the C:\WINDOWS\system32 folder as its current directory.
Specify an absolute path with xref:Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.FileConfigurationExtensions.SetBasePath%2A when using an xref:Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.IConfigurationBuilder to the folder containing the files.
To troubleshoot a Windows Service app, see xref:test/troubleshoot.
New-Service PowerShell command.Access the System and Application Event Logs:
Many startup errors don't produce useful information in the event logs. You can find the cause of some errors by running the app at a command prompt on the hosting system. To log additional detail from the app, lower the log level or run the app in the Development environment.
A functioning app may fail immediately after upgrading either the .NET SDK on the development machine or changing package versions within the app. In some cases, incoherent packages may break an app when performing major upgrades. Most of these issues can be fixed by following these instructions:
Delete the bin and obj folders.
Clear the package caches by executing dotnet nuget locals all --clear from a command shell.
Clearing package caches can also be accomplished with the nuget.exe tool and executing the command nuget locals all -clear. nuget.exe isn't a bundled install with the Windows desktop operating system and must be obtained separately from the NuGet website.
Restore and rebuild the project.
Delete all of the files in the deployment folder on the server prior to redeploying the app.
A crash dump is a snapshot of the system's memory and can help determine the cause of an app crash, startup failure, or slow app.
Obtain and analyze a dump from Windows Error Reporting (WER):
Create a folder to hold crash dump files at c:\dumps.
Run the EnableDumps PowerShell script with the application executable name:
.\EnableDumps {APPLICATION EXE} c:\dumps
Run the app under the conditions that cause the crash to occur.
After the crash has occurred, run the DisableDumps PowerShell script:
.\DisableDumps {APPLICATION EXE}
After an app crashes and dump collection is complete, the app is allowed to terminate normally. The PowerShell script configures WER to collect up to five dumps per app.
[!WARNING] Crash dumps might take up a large amount of disk space (up to several gigabytes each).
When an app stops responding but doesn't crash, fails during startup, or runs normally, see User-Mode Dump Files: Choosing the Best Tool to select an appropriate tool to produce the dump.
A dump can be analyzed using several approaches. For more information, see Analyzing a User-Mode Dump File.
:::moniker-end
:::moniker range="= aspnetcore-6.0"
An ASP.NET Core app can be hosted on Windows as a Windows Service without using IIS. When hosted as a Windows Service, the app automatically starts after server reboots.
View or download sample code (how to download)
The ASP.NET Core Worker Service template provides a starting point for writing long running service apps. To use the template as a basis for a Windows Service app:
The app requires a package reference for Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.WindowsServices.
IHostBuilder.UseWindowsService is called when building the host. If the app is running as a Windows Service, the method:
WindowsServiceLifetime.CreateDefaultBuilder to build the host.Logging:EventLog:LogLevel:Default key in appsettings.json/appsettings.{Environment}.json or other configuration provider.In Program.cs:
ContentRootPathUseWindowsService:::code language="csharp" source="~/host-and-deploy/windows-service/samples/6.x/WebAppServiceSample/Program.cs" highlight="7,8,16":::
The following sample apps accompany this topic:
For MVC guidance, see the articles under xref:mvc/overview and xref:migration/22-to-30.
For information and advice on deployment scenarios, see .NET application deployment.
For a web app-based service that uses the Razor Pages or MVC frameworks, specify the Web SDK in the project file:
<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web">
If the service only executes background tasks (for example, hosted services), specify the Worker SDK in the project file:
<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Worker">
Framework-dependent deployment (FDD) relies on the presence of a shared system-wide version of .NET on the target system. When the FDD scenario is adopted following the guidance in this article, the SDK produces an executable (.exe), called a framework-dependent executable.
If using the Web SDK, a web.config file, which is normally produced when publishing an ASP.NET Core app, is unnecessary for a Windows Services app. To disable the creation of the web.config file, add the <IsTransformWebConfigDisabled> property set to true.
<PropertyGroup>
<TargetFramework>net6.0</TargetFramework>
<IsTransformWebConfigDisabled>true</IsTransformWebConfigDisabled>
</PropertyGroup>
Self-contained deployment (SCD) doesn't rely on the presence of a shared framework on the host system. The runtime and the app's dependencies are deployed with the app.
A Windows Runtime Identifier (RID) is included in the <PropertyGroup> that contains the target framework:
<RuntimeIdentifier>win7-x64</RuntimeIdentifier>
To publish for multiple RIDs:
For more information, see .NET RID Catalog.
To create a user account for a service, use the New-LocalUser cmdlet from an administrative PowerShell 6 command shell.
On Windows 10 October 2018 Update (version 1809/build 10.0.17763) or later:
New-LocalUser -Name {SERVICE NAME}
On Windows OS earlier than the Windows 10 October 2018 Update (version 1809/build 10.0.17763):
powershell -Command "New-LocalUser -Name {SERVICE NAME}"
Provide a strong password when prompted.
Unless the -AccountExpires parameter is supplied to the New-LocalUser cmdlet with an expiration xref:System.DateTime, the account doesn't expire.
For more information, see Microsoft.PowerShell.LocalAccounts and Service User Accounts.
An alternative approach to managing users when using Active Directory is to use Managed Service Accounts. For more information, see Group Managed Service Accounts Overview.
To establish Log on as a service rights for a service user account:
{DOMAIN OR COMPUTER NAME\USER}) in the object name field and select OK to add the user to the policy.Use PowerShell commands to register a service. From an administrative PowerShell 6 command shell, execute the following commands:
$acl = Get-Acl "{EXE PATH}"
$aclRuleArgs = "{DOMAIN OR COMPUTER NAME\USER}", "Read,Write,ReadAndExecute", "ContainerInherit,ObjectInherit", "None", "Allow"
$accessRule = New-Object System.Security.AccessControl.FileSystemAccessRule($aclRuleArgs)
$acl.SetAccessRule($accessRule)
$acl | Set-Acl "{EXE PATH}"
New-Service -Name {SERVICE NAME} -BinaryPathName "{EXE FILE PATH} --contentRoot {EXE FOLDER PATH}" -Credential "{DOMAIN OR COMPUTER NAME\USER}" -Description "{DESCRIPTION}" -DisplayName "{DISPLAY NAME}" -StartupType Automatic
{EXE PATH}: Path of the app's executable on the host (for example, d:\myservice). Don't include the app's executable file name in the path. A trailing slash isn't required.{DOMAIN OR COMPUTER NAME\USER}: Service user account (for example, Contoso\ServiceUser).{SERVICE NAME}: Service name (for example, MyService).{EXE FILE PATH}: The app's full executable path (for example, d:\myservice\myservice.exe). Include the executable's file name with extension.{EXE FOLDER PATH}: The app's full executable folder path (for example d:\myservice).{DESCRIPTION}: Service description (for example, My sample service).{DISPLAY NAME}: Service display name (for example, My Service).Start a service with the following PowerShell 6 command:
Start-Service -Name {SERVICE NAME}
The command takes a few seconds to start the service.
To check the status of a service, use the following PowerShell 6 command:
Get-Service -Name {SERVICE NAME}
The status is reported as one of the following values:
StartingRunningStoppingStoppedStop a service with the following PowerShell 6 command:
Stop-Service -Name {SERVICE NAME}
After a short delay to stop a service, remove a service with the following PowerShell 6 command:
Remove-Service -Name {SERVICE NAME}
Services that interact with requests from the Internet or a corporate network and are behind a proxy or load balancer might require additional configuration. For more information, see xref:host-and-deploy/proxy-load-balancer.
By default, ASP.NET Core binds to http://localhost:5000. Configure the URL and port by setting the ASPNETCORE_URLS environment variable.
For additional URL and port configuration approaches, see the relevant server article:
The preceding guidance covers support for HTTPS endpoints. For example, configure the app for HTTPS when authentication is used with a Windows Service.
[!NOTE] Use of the ASP.NET Core HTTPS development certificate to secure a service endpoint isn't supported.
The current working directory returned by calling xref:System.IO.Directory.GetCurrentDirectory%2A for a Windows Service is the C:\WINDOWS\system32 folder. The system32 folder isn't a suitable location to store a service's files (for example, settings files). Use one of the following approaches to maintain and access a service's assets and settings files.
Use IHostEnvironment.ContentRootPath or xref:Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.IHostEnvironment.ContentRootFileProvider to locate an app's resources.
When the app runs as a service, xref:Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.WindowsServiceLifetimeHostBuilderExtensions.UseWindowsService%2A sets the xref:Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.IHostEnvironment.ContentRootPath to AppContext.BaseDirectory.
The app's default settings files, appsettings.json and appsettings.{Environment}.json, are loaded from the app's content root by calling CreateDefaultBuilder during host construction.
For other settings files loaded by developer code in xref:Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.HostBuilder.ConfigureAppConfiguration%2A, there's no need to call xref:Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.FileConfigurationExtensions.SetBasePath%2A. In the following example, the custom_settings.json file exists in the app's content root and is loaded without explicitly setting a base path:
:::code language="csharp" source="windows-service/samples_snapshot/CustomSettingsExample.cs" highlight="13":::
Don't attempt to use xref:System.IO.Directory.GetCurrentDirectory%2A to obtain a resource path because a Windows Service app returns the C:\WINDOWS\system32 folder as its current directory.
Specify an absolute path with xref:Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.FileConfigurationExtensions.SetBasePath%2A when using an xref:Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.IConfigurationBuilder to the folder containing the files.
To troubleshoot a Windows Service app, see xref:test/troubleshoot.
New-Service PowerShell command.Access the System and Application Event Logs:
Many startup errors don't produce useful information in the event logs. You can find the cause of some errors by running the app at a command prompt on the hosting system. To log additional detail from the app, lower the log level or run the app in the Development environment.
A functioning app may fail immediately after upgrading either the .NET SDK on the development machine or changing package versions within the app. In some cases, incoherent packages may break an app when performing major upgrades. Most of these issues can be fixed by following these instructions:
Delete the bin and obj folders.
Clear the package caches by executing dotnet nuget locals all --clear from a command shell.
Clearing package caches can also be accomplished with the nuget.exe tool and executing the command nuget locals all -clear. nuget.exe isn't a bundled install with the Windows desktop operating system and must be obtained separately from the NuGet website.
Restore and rebuild the project.
Delete all of the files in the deployment folder on the server prior to redeploying the app.
A crash dump is a snapshot of the system's memory and can help determine the cause of an app crash, startup failure, or slow app.
Obtain and analyze a dump from Windows Error Reporting (WER):
Create a folder to hold crash dump files at c:\dumps.
Run the EnableDumps PowerShell script with the application executable name:
.\EnableDumps {APPLICATION EXE} c:\dumps
Run the app under the conditions that cause the crash to occur.
After the crash has occurred, run the DisableDumps PowerShell script:
.\DisableDumps {APPLICATION EXE}
After an app crashes and dump collection is complete, the app is allowed to terminate normally. The PowerShell script configures WER to collect up to five dumps per app.
[!WARNING] Crash dumps might take up a large amount of disk space (up to several gigabytes each).
When an app stops responding but doesn't crash, fails during startup, or runs normally, see User-Mode Dump Files: Choosing the Best Tool to select an appropriate tool to produce the dump.
A dump can be analyzed using several approaches. For more information, see Analyzing a User-Mode Dump File.
:::moniker-end
:::moniker range="= aspnetcore-5.0"
An ASP.NET Core app can be hosted on Windows as a Windows Service without using IIS. When hosted as a Windows Service, the app automatically starts after server reboots.
View or download sample code (how to download)
The ASP.NET Core Worker Service template provides a starting point for writing long running service apps. To use the template as a basis for a Windows Service app:
The app requires a package reference for Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.WindowsServices.
IHostBuilder.UseWindowsService is called when building the host. If the app is running as a Windows Service, the method:
WindowsServiceLifetime.CreateDefaultBuilder to build the host.Logging:EventLog:LogLevel:Default key in appsettings.json/appsettings.{Environment}.json or other configuration provider.In CreateHostBuilder of Program.cs:
Host.CreateDefaultBuilder(args)
.UseWindowsService()
...
The following sample apps accompany this topic:
For MVC guidance, see the articles under xref:mvc/overview and xref:migration/22-to-30.
For information and advice on deployment scenarios, see .NET application deployment.
For a web app-based service that uses the Razor Pages or MVC frameworks, specify the Web SDK in the project file:
<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web">
If the service only executes background tasks (for example, hosted services), specify the Worker SDK in the project file:
<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Worker">
Framework-dependent deployment (FDD) relies on the presence of a shared system-wide version of .NET on the target system. When the FDD scenario is adopted following the guidance in this article, the SDK produces an executable (.exe), called a framework-dependent executable.
If using the Web SDK, a web.config file, which is normally produced when publishing an ASP.NET Core app, is unnecessary for a Windows Services app. To disable the creation of the web.config file, add the <IsTransformWebConfigDisabled> property set to true.
<PropertyGroup>
<TargetFramework>netcoreapp3.0</TargetFramework>
<IsTransformWebConfigDisabled>true</IsTransformWebConfigDisabled>
</PropertyGroup>
Self-contained deployment (SCD) doesn't rely on the presence of a shared framework on the host system. The runtime and the app's dependencies are deployed with the app.
A Windows Runtime Identifier (RID) is included in the <PropertyGroup> that contains the target framework:
<RuntimeIdentifier>win7-x64</RuntimeIdentifier>
To publish for multiple RIDs:
For more information, see .NET RID Catalog.
To create a user account for a service, use the New-LocalUser cmdlet from an administrative PowerShell 6 command shell.
On Windows 10 October 2018 Update (version 1809/build 10.0.17763) or later:
New-LocalUser -Name {SERVICE NAME}
On Windows OS earlier than the Windows 10 October 2018 Update (version 1809/build 10.0.17763):
powershell -Command "New-LocalUser -Name {SERVICE NAME}"
Provide a strong password when prompted.
Unless the -AccountExpires parameter is supplied to the New-LocalUser cmdlet with an expiration xref:System.DateTime, the account doesn't expire.
For more information, see Microsoft.PowerShell.LocalAccounts and Service User Accounts.
An alternative approach to managing users when using Active Directory is to use Managed Service Accounts. For more information, see Group Managed Service Accounts Overview.
To establish Log on as a service rights for a service user account:
{DOMAIN OR COMPUTER NAME\USER}) in the object name field and select OK to add the user to the policy.Use PowerShell commands to register a service. From an administrative PowerShell 6 command shell, execute the following commands:
$acl = Get-Acl "{EXE PATH}"
$aclRuleArgs = "{DOMAIN OR COMPUTER NAME\USER}", "Read,Write,ReadAndExecute", "ContainerInherit,ObjectInherit", "None", "Allow"
$accessRule = New-Object System.Security.AccessControl.FileSystemAccessRule($aclRuleArgs)
$acl.SetAccessRule($accessRule)
$acl | Set-Acl "{EXE PATH}"
New-Service -Name {SERVICE NAME} -BinaryPathName "{EXE FILE PATH}" -Credential "{DOMAIN OR COMPUTER NAME\USER}" -Description "{DESCRIPTION}" -DisplayName "{DISPLAY NAME}" -StartupType Automatic
{EXE PATH}: Path of the app's executable on the host (for example, d:\myservice). Don't include the app's executable file name in the path. A trailing slash isn't required.{DOMAIN OR COMPUTER NAME\USER}: Service user account (for example, Contoso\ServiceUser).{SERVICE NAME}: Service name (for example, MyService).{EXE FILE PATH}: The app's full executable path (for example, d:\myservice\myservice.exe). Include the executable's file name with extension.{DESCRIPTION}: Service description (for example, My sample service).{DISPLAY NAME}: Service display name (for example, My Service).Start a service with the following PowerShell 6 command:
Start-Service -Name {SERVICE NAME}
The command takes a few seconds to start the service.
To check the status of a service, use the following PowerShell 6 command:
Get-Service -Name {SERVICE NAME}
The status is reported as one of the following values:
StartingRunningStoppingStoppedStop a service with the following PowerShell 6 command:
Stop-Service -Name {SERVICE NAME}
After a short delay to stop a service, remove a service with the following PowerShell 6 command:
Remove-Service -Name {SERVICE NAME}
Services that interact with requests from the Internet or a corporate network and are behind a proxy or load balancer might require additional configuration. For more information, see xref:host-and-deploy/proxy-load-balancer.
By default, ASP.NET Core binds to http://localhost:5000. Configure the URL and port by setting the ASPNETCORE_URLS environment variable.
For additional URL and port configuration approaches, see the relevant server article:
The preceding guidance covers support for HTTPS endpoints. For example, configure the app for HTTPS when authentication is used with a Windows Service.
[!NOTE] Use of the ASP.NET Core HTTPS development certificate to secure a service endpoint isn't supported.
The current working directory returned by calling xref:System.IO.Directory.GetCurrentDirectory%2A for a Windows Service is the C:\WINDOWS\system32 folder. The system32 folder isn't a suitable location to store a service's files (for example, settings files). Use one of the following approaches to maintain and access a service's assets and settings files.
Use IHostEnvironment.ContentRootPath or xref:Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.IHostEnvironment.ContentRootFileProvider to locate an app's resources.
When the app runs as a service, xref:Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.WindowsServiceLifetimeHostBuilderExtensions.UseWindowsService%2A sets the xref:Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.IHostEnvironment.ContentRootPath to AppContext.BaseDirectory.
The app's default settings files, appsettings.json and appsettings.{Environment}.json, are loaded from the app's content root by calling CreateDefaultBuilder during host construction.
For other settings files loaded by developer code in xref:Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.HostBuilder.ConfigureAppConfiguration%2A, there's no need to call xref:Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.FileConfigurationExtensions.SetBasePath%2A. In the following example, the custom_settings.json file exists in the app's content root and is loaded without explicitly setting a base path:
:::code language="csharp" source="windows-service/samples_snapshot/CustomSettingsExample.cs" highlight="13":::
Don't attempt to use xref:System.IO.Directory.GetCurrentDirectory%2A to obtain a resource path because a Windows Service app returns the C:\WINDOWS\system32 folder as its current directory.
Specify an absolute path with xref:Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.FileConfigurationExtensions.SetBasePath%2A when using an xref:Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.IConfigurationBuilder to the folder containing the files.
To troubleshoot a Windows Service app, see xref:test/troubleshoot.
New-Service PowerShell command.Access the System and Application Event Logs:
Many startup errors don't produce useful information in the event logs. You can find the cause of some errors by running the app at a command prompt on the hosting system. To log additional detail from the app, lower the log level or run the app in the Development environment.
A functioning app may fail immediately after upgrading either the .NET SDK on the development machine or changing package versions within the app. In some cases, incoherent packages may break an app when performing major upgrades. Most of these issues can be fixed by following these instructions:
Delete the bin and obj folders.
Clear the package caches by executing dotnet nuget locals all --clear from a command shell.
Clearing package caches can also be accomplished with the nuget.exe tool and executing the command nuget locals all -clear. nuget.exe isn't a bundled install with the Windows desktop operating system and must be obtained separately from the NuGet website.
Restore and rebuild the project.
Delete all of the files in the deployment folder on the server prior to redeploying the app.
A crash dump is a snapshot of the system's memory and can help determine the cause of an app crash, startup failure, or slow app.
Obtain and analyze a dump from Windows Error Reporting (WER):
Create a folder to hold crash dump files at c:\dumps.
Run the EnableDumps PowerShell script with the application executable name:
.\EnableDumps {APPLICATION EXE} c:\dumps
Run the app under the conditions that cause the crash to occur.
After the crash has occurred, run the DisableDumps PowerShell script:
.\DisableDumps {APPLICATION EXE}
After an app crashes and dump collection is complete, the app is allowed to terminate normally. The PowerShell script configures WER to collect up to five dumps per app.
[!WARNING] Crash dumps might take up a large amount of disk space (up to several gigabytes each).
When an app stops responding but doesn't crash, fails during startup, or runs normally, see User-Mode Dump Files: Choosing the Best Tool to select an appropriate tool to produce the dump.
A dump can be analyzed using several approaches. For more information, see Analyzing a User-Mode Dump File.
:::moniker-end
:::moniker range="< aspnetcore-5.0"
An ASP.NET Core app can be hosted on Windows as a Windows Service without using IIS. When hosted as a Windows Service, the app automatically starts after server reboots.
View or download sample code (how to download)
The ASP.NET Core Worker Service template provides a starting point for writing long running service apps. To use the template as a basis for a Windows Service app:
The app requires a package reference for Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.WindowsServices.
IHostBuilder.UseWindowsService is called when building the host. If the app is running as a Windows Service, the method:
WindowsServiceLifetime.CreateDefaultBuilder to build the host.Logging:EventLog:LogLevel:Default key in appsettings.json/appsettings.{Environment}.json or other configuration provider.In CreateHostBuilder of Program.cs:
Host.CreateDefaultBuilder(args)
.UseWindowsService()
...
The following sample apps accompany this topic:
For MVC guidance, see the articles under xref:mvc/overview and xref:migration/22-to-30.
For information and advice on deployment scenarios, see .NET application deployment.
For a web app-based service that uses the Razor Pages or MVC frameworks, specify the Web SDK in the project file:
<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web">
If the service only executes background tasks (for example, hosted services), specify the Worker SDK in the project file:
<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Worker">
Framework-dependent deployment (FDD) relies on the presence of a shared system-wide version of .NET on the target system. When the FDD scenario is adopted following the guidance in this article, the SDK produces an executable (.exe), called a framework-dependent executable.
If using the Web SDK, a web.config file, which is normally produced when publishing an ASP.NET Core app, is unnecessary for a Windows Services app. To disable the creation of the web.config file, add the <IsTransformWebConfigDisabled> property set to true.
<PropertyGroup>
<TargetFramework>netcoreapp3.0</TargetFramework>
<IsTransformWebConfigDisabled>true</IsTransformWebConfigDisabled>
</PropertyGroup>
Self-contained deployment (SCD) doesn't rely on the presence of a shared framework on the host system. The runtime and the app's dependencies are deployed with the app.
A Windows Runtime Identifier (RID) is included in the <PropertyGroup> that contains the target framework:
<RuntimeIdentifier>win7-x64</RuntimeIdentifier>
To publish for multiple RIDs:
For more information, see .NET RID Catalog.
To create a user account for a service, use the New-LocalUser cmdlet from an administrative PowerShell 6 command shell.
On Windows 10 October 2018 Update (version 1809/build 10.0.17763) or later:
New-LocalUser -Name {SERVICE NAME}
On Windows OS earlier than the Windows 10 October 2018 Update (version 1809/build 10.0.17763):
powershell -Command "New-LocalUser -Name {SERVICE NAME}"
Provide a strong password when prompted.
Unless the -AccountExpires parameter is supplied to the New-LocalUser cmdlet with an expiration xref:System.DateTime, the account doesn't expire.
For more information, see Microsoft.PowerShell.LocalAccounts and Service User Accounts.
An alternative approach to managing users when using Active Directory is to use Managed Service Accounts. For more information, see Group Managed Service Accounts Overview.
To establish Log on as a service rights for a service user account:
{DOMAIN OR COMPUTER NAME\USER}) in the object name field and select OK to add the user to the policy.Use PowerShell commands to register a service. From an administrative PowerShell 6 command shell, execute the following commands:
$acl = Get-Acl "{EXE PATH}"
$aclRuleArgs = "{DOMAIN OR COMPUTER NAME\USER}", "Read,Write,ReadAndExecute", "ContainerInherit,ObjectInherit", "None", "Allow"
$accessRule = New-Object System.Security.AccessControl.FileSystemAccessRule($aclRuleArgs)
$acl.SetAccessRule($accessRule)
$acl | Set-Acl "{EXE PATH}"
New-Service -Name {SERVICE NAME} -BinaryPathName "{EXE FILE PATH}" -Credential "{DOMAIN OR COMPUTER NAME\USER}" -Description "{DESCRIPTION}" -DisplayName "{DISPLAY NAME}" -StartupType Automatic
{EXE PATH}: Path of the app's executable on the host (for example, d:\myservice). Don't include the app's executable file name in the path. A trailing slash isn't required.{DOMAIN OR COMPUTER NAME\USER}: Service user account (for example, Contoso\ServiceUser).{SERVICE NAME}: Service name (for example, MyService).{EXE FILE PATH}: The app's full executable path (for example, d:\myservice\myservice.exe). Include the executable's file name with extension.{DESCRIPTION}: Service description (for example, My sample service).{DISPLAY NAME}: Service display name (for example, My Service).Start a service with the following PowerShell 6 command:
Start-Service -Name {SERVICE NAME}
The command takes a few seconds to start the service.
To check the status of a service, use the following PowerShell 6 command:
Get-Service -Name {SERVICE NAME}
The status is reported as one of the following values:
StartingRunningStoppingStoppedStop a service with the following PowerShell 6 command:
Stop-Service -Name {SERVICE NAME}
After a short delay to stop a service, remove a service with the following PowerShell 6 command:
Remove-Service -Name {SERVICE NAME}
Services that interact with requests from the Internet or a corporate network and are behind a proxy or load balancer might require additional configuration. For more information, see xref:host-and-deploy/proxy-load-balancer.
By default, ASP.NET Core binds to http://localhost:5000. Configure the URL and port by setting the ASPNETCORE_URLS environment variable.
For additional URL and port configuration approaches, see the relevant server article:
The preceding guidance covers support for HTTPS endpoints. For example, configure the app for HTTPS when authentication is used with a Windows Service.
[!NOTE] Use of the ASP.NET Core HTTPS development certificate to secure a service endpoint isn't supported.
The current working directory returned by calling xref:System.IO.Directory.GetCurrentDirectory%2A for a Windows Service is the C:\WINDOWS\system32 folder. The system32 folder isn't a suitable location to store a service's files (for example, settings files). Use one of the following approaches to maintain and access a service's assets and settings files.
Use IHostEnvironment.ContentRootPath or xref:Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.IHostEnvironment.ContentRootFileProvider to locate an app's resources.
When the app runs as a service, xref:Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.WindowsServiceLifetimeHostBuilderExtensions.UseWindowsService%2A sets the xref:Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.IHostEnvironment.ContentRootPath to AppContext.BaseDirectory.
The app's default settings files, appsettings.json and appsettings.{Environment}.json, are loaded from the app's content root by calling CreateDefaultBuilder during host construction.
For other settings files loaded by developer code in xref:Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.HostBuilder.ConfigureAppConfiguration%2A, there's no need to call xref:Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.FileConfigurationExtensions.SetBasePath%2A. In the following example, the custom_settings.json file exists in the app's content root and is loaded without explicitly setting a base path:
:::code language="csharp" source="windows-service/samples_snapshot/CustomSettingsExample.cs" highlight="13":::
Don't attempt to use xref:System.IO.Directory.GetCurrentDirectory%2A to obtain a resource path because a Windows Service app returns the C:\WINDOWS\system32 folder as its current directory.
Specify an absolute path with xref:Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.FileConfigurationExtensions.SetBasePath%2A when using an xref:Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.IConfigurationBuilder to the folder containing the files.
To troubleshoot a Windows Service app, see xref:test/troubleshoot.
New-Service PowerShell command.Access the System and Application Event Logs:
Many startup errors don't produce useful information in the event logs. You can find the cause of some errors by running the app at a command prompt on the hosting system. To log additional detail from the app, lower the log level or run the app in the Development environment.
A functioning app may fail immediately after upgrading either the .NET SDK on the development machine or changing package versions within the app. In some cases, incoherent packages may break an app when performing major upgrades. Most of these issues can be fixed by following these instructions:
Delete the bin and obj folders.
Clear the package caches by executing dotnet nuget locals all --clear from a command shell.
Clearing package caches can also be accomplished with the nuget.exe tool and executing the command nuget locals all -clear. nuget.exe isn't a bundled install with the Windows desktop operating system and must be obtained separately from the NuGet website.
Restore and rebuild the project.
Delete all of the files in the deployment folder on the server prior to redeploying the app.
A crash dump is a snapshot of the system's memory and can help determine the cause of an app crash, startup failure, or slow app.
Obtain and analyze a dump from Windows Error Reporting (WER):
Create a folder to hold crash dump files at c:\dumps.
Run the EnableDumps PowerShell script with the application executable name:
.\EnableDumps {APPLICATION EXE} c:\dumps
Run the app under the conditions that cause the crash to occur.
After the crash has occurred, run the DisableDumps PowerShell script:
.\DisableDumps {APPLICATION EXE}
After an app crashes and dump collection is complete, the app is allowed to terminate normally. The PowerShell script configures WER to collect up to five dumps per app.
[!WARNING] Crash dumps might take up a large amount of disk space (up to several gigabytes each).
When an app stops responding but doesn't crash, fails during startup, or runs normally, see User-Mode Dump Files: Choosing the Best Tool to select an appropriate tool to produce the dump.
A dump can be analyzed using several approaches. For more information, see Analyzing a User-Mode Dump File.
:::moniker-end