Cannot stop Windows Service (built in C++ using MSDN sample)

Vadymyr 1

I used https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/services/the-complete-service-sample to create a simple service using C++ and Visual Studio 2017.
I can install, start, change the description. But I cannot stop it. I tried one of the solutions found on the internet:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control
change DWORD ServicesPipeTimeout to 180000
but that doesn't help.
When I try to stop it using Control Panel\Services, I get:
"Windows could not stop the <servicename> service on Local Computer.
Error 1053: The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion."
I can provide the full solution, it's x86.
I tried 2 different virtual machines (Windows 7 32-bit Ultimate and 32-bit Starter) and got the same result.
Please help to solve this issue.

RLWA32 46,111 Reputation points

2020-11-24T00:26:16.903+00:00

Did you make any changes to Microsoft's sample code?

I used VS2017 to build the service sample and tested it on a 32 bit Windows 7 VM. There was no problem stopping the service.

Vadymyr 1

Yes, small changes to SvcInit at the end of it (the while loop):

// Report running status when initialization is complete.

    ReportSvcStatus(SERVICE_RUNNING, NO_ERROR, 0);

    // TO_DO: Perform work until service stops.

    while (WaitForSingleObject(ghSvcStopEvent, 5000) != WAIT_OBJECT_0)
    {
        // Read the registry key.
        PWCHAR contents = nullptr;
        ReadStringFromRegistry(HKEY_CURRENT_USER, (PWCHAR)SubKey, (PWCHAR)Value, &contents);
    }
    ReportSvcStatus(SERVICE_STOPPED, NO_ERROR, 0);

    return;
}

SubKey and Value are:

#define SubKey TEXT("Environment") // The registry subkey to read.
#define Value TEXT("TMP") // The registry value to read.

I also added the function ReadStringFromRegistry (was tested in a separate console application).
That's all.

1 answer

RLWA32 46,111 Reputation points

2020-11-24T03:53:02.207+00:00

Using HKEY_CURRENT_USER in a service is a mistake. Refer to predefined-keys.

If I replace the call to ReadStringFromRegistry with a call to OutputDebugString then the service will stop properly. So it seems to me that ReadStringFromRegistry with HKEY_CURRENT_USER is probably the cause of the problem.
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1 person found this answer helpful.
Vadymyr 1 Reputation point

2020-11-24T17:39:14.713+00:00

I placed the original MSDN code:

while(1) { // Check whether to stop the service. WaitForSingleObject(ghSvcStopEvent, INFINITE); ReportSvcStatus( SERVICE_STOPPED, NO_ERROR, 0 ); return; }

back, but the service doesn't stop correctly:
"Windows could not stop the <servicename> service on Local Computer.
Error 1053: The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion."
I'm trying two different Windows 7 virtual machines.
Any more help, please?

RLWA32 46,111 Reputation points

2020-11-24T18:15:00.927+00:00

Well, the service created by the Microsoft sample code stopped successfully when I tested in both Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.

Have you tried attaching the debugger to the service while it is running and setting a breakpoint on the code that is supposed to execute when the service receives the stop command?

Drake Wu - MSFT 991 Reputation points

2020-11-25T06:24:51.563+00:00

Hi, @VadymLeliuk-4979 Have you made any other changes that are different from the steps in the document? Please try on other OS to check if you can reproduce it(BTW, The Complete Service Sample works for me on win10 2004 version).
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Cannot stop Windows Service (built in C++ using MSDN sample)

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