WinSW is an executable binary, which can be used to wrap and manage a custom process as a Windows service. Once you download the installation package, you can rename WinSW.exe to any name, e.g. MyService.exe.
We are actively developing WinSW v3. Please refer to the v2 branch for previous version documentation.
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See the project manifest.
WinSW 3 can run on Windows platforms with .NET Framework 4.6.1 or later versions installed. For systems without .NET Framework, the project provides native 64-bit and 32-bit executables based on .NET Core.
More executables can be added upon request.
WinSW binaries are available on GitHub Releases and NuGet.
Alternative sources:
- Maven packaging for executables, hosted by the Jenkins project. Binaries are available here.
WinSW is being managed by the XML configuration file.
Your renamed WinSW.exe binary also accepts the following commands:
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| install | Installs the service. This command requires some preliminary steps described in the installation guide. |
| uninstall | Uninstalls the service. |
| start | Starts the service. |
| stop | Stops the service. |
| restart | Stops and then starts the service. |
| status | Checks the status of the service. |
| test | Checks if the service can be started and then stopped without installation. |
| refresh | Refreshes the service properties without reinstallation. |
Most commands require Administrator privileges to execute. Since 2.8, WinSW will prompt for UAC in non-elevated sessions.
- Get started
- Migrate to WinSW 3.x
- Configuration:
- Use cases:
Contributions are welcome! See the contributing guidelines for more information.
WinSW is licensed under the MIT license.