Update Service Startup Type

For the past six years I’ve been focused on web applications.  My current project, however, has me splitting time between the web and the desktop.  Today, I needed to programmatically toggle the Startup Type of my service between Manual and Automatic based on business conditions.   Here’s how I did it:

/// <summary>
/// This routine updates the start mode of the provided service.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="serviceName">Name of the service to be updated</param>
/// <param name="startMode">Manual or Automatic. This parameter could probably use
/// an enum.</param>
/// <param name="errorMsg">If applicable, error message assoicated with exception</param>
/// <returns>Success or failure.  False is returned if service is not found.</returns>
public bool ServiceStartModeUpdate(string serviceName, string startMode,
    out string errorMsg)
{
    uint success = 1;
    errorMsg = string.Empty;

    string filter =
        String.Format("SELECT * FROM Win32_Service WHERE Name = '{0}'", serviceName);

    ManagementObjectSearcher query = new ManagementObjectSearcher(filter);

    // No match = failed condition
    if (query == null) return false; 

    try
    {
        ManagementObjectCollection services = query.Get();

        foreach (ManagementObject service in services)
        {
            ManagementBaseObject inParams =
                service.GetMethodParameters("ChangeStartMode");
            inParams["startmode"] = startMode;

            ManagementBaseObject outParams =
                service.InvokeMethod("ChangeStartMode", inParams, null);
            success = Convert.ToUInt16(outParams.Properties["ReturnValue"].Value);
        }
    }
    catch (Exception ex)
    {
        errorMsg = ex.Message;
        throw;
    }

    return (success == 0);
}

As I’ve been doing a lot with services and windows applications lately, don’t be surprised in up coming posts start moving down this track.  Oh yes, I’ve done a lot with custom installers which I’m sure to write about as well.