[PROGRAMMING TIPS] Add a description to a Windows service

You can add a description about a service and displayed in Description column in Services Console (MMC) by adding the following codes after created a service (CreateService()) successfully:

      #define SZDESCRIPTION               "A description about the service"



      LPSERVICE_DESCRIPTION lpInfo;



      // change service's description

      lpInfo = (LPSERVICE_DESCRIPTION)malloc(sizeof(SERVICE_DESCRIPTION));

      lpInfo->lpDescription = (LPTSTR)malloc(256);

      strcpy((char*)lpInfo->lpDescription, (char*)SZDESCRIPTION);

      if (!ChangeServiceConfig2(schService, SERVICE_CONFIG_DESCRIPTION,

          lpInfo))

         _tprintf(TEXT("Can't change service description.\n"));

      free(lpInfo->lpDescription); lpInfo->lpDescription = NULL;

      free(lpInfo); lpInfo = NULL;

If you want to start a service automatically after installing it, add the following codes after created a service (CreateService()) successfully:

      // Start Service

      if (!StartService(schService, 0, NULL))

         _tprintf(TEXT("Can't start service automatically.\n"));