Run AbelCam as Service

AbelCam may run as Service. When configured to run as Service, you won't have to login to start AbelCam. It will run as soon as the computer is switched on.

With the default configuration, AbelCam will not be visible on your desktop while running as service.

In the AbelCam sub menu Tools you'll find various entires to run AbelCam as a service.

Menu entries explained

• Install AbelCam Service
  use this entry to install AbelCam as a service. It will start whenever windows is started.
  The service is visible in the service list as AbelService
• Remove AbelCam Service
  use this entry to remove AbelCam from the service list
• Start AbelCam Service
  once the AbelCam Service is installed, you may use this entry to start it
• Stop AbelCam Service
  if the AbelCam Service is active, this stops it

Advantages

• With the default setting, AbelCam will not be visible on the desktop, it runs in stealth mode
• no login required to start AbelCam
• AbelCam will be restarted automatically if it's shut down unintentionally

Caveats

• Configure all AbelCam settings before you start it as a service.
  When running the service with the default service configuration file, there is no user interface and AbelCam has to be configured through the Web Admin Interface
• Don't use the Autostart option in the Web configuration form. This starts AbelCam on user logon.
• To stop AbelCam when it runs as a process, use the menu entry. Killing the process won't help, as the service will be restarted.
• When AbelCam runs as a service, user specific resources such as network drives are not accessible
• When Updating using the builtin Update Agent, you have to shut down AbelCam before updating. Otherwise the service might try to come up while updating.
• On Vista, Windows 7 and later versions of Windows the Screen is not available for AbelCam

---

AbelCam Service on Vista and Windows 7

On these operating systems, AbelCam as Service is implemented using a seperate executable file named AbelSvc.exe

The service creates a log file in the configuration folder named AbelService.log and reports when the service has been started and stopped.

Installing the service creates the file ServiceInstall.log,
removing the service creates the file ServiceUnInstall.log in the configuration folder with detailed information.

AbelCam Service on XP

on Windows XP, the executable AbelService.exe runs as shell around the regular AbelCam.exe.

AbelService.exe comes with a service configuration file. Some of the settings can be changed to suit your requirements:

[Settings]
ServiceName=AbelService
CheckProcess = 5

[Process0] CommandLine = AbelCam.exe
WorkingDir= c:\
PauseStart= 5000
PauseEnd= 5000
UserInterface = No
Restart = Yes

User configurable settings:

• Check Process
  how often the service should be checked (and restarted if AbelCam is not running)
• UserInterface
  Set this to Yes if you want to see AbelCam after logging in
• Restart
  Set this to No if you don't want to restart AbelCam when it dies

See Also: Tutorial