Debug the OnStart Method

You can debug a Windows service by starting the service and attaching the debugger to the service process. For more information, see How to: Debug Windows Service Applications. However, to debug the System.ServiceProcess.ServiceBase.OnStart method of a Windows service, you must launch the debugger from inside the method.

1. Add a call to Launch at the beginning of the OnStart()method.

   protected override void OnStart(string[] args)
   {
       System.Diagnostics.Debugger.Launch();
   }
   

2. Start the service (you can use net start, or start it in the Services window).

   You should see a dialog box like the following:

   

3. Select Yes, debug <service name>.

4. In the Just-In-Time Debugger window, select the version of Visual Studio you want to use for debugging.

   

5. A new instance of Visual Studio starts, and execution is stopped at the Debugger.Launch() method.

Related content

• Debugger Security
• Debugging Managed Code