40.7 Windows Service
40.7.1 Overview ¶
The Windows Service page brings together everything about background operation: the operating mode (does the main program process by itself, or an external processor?), the live status of the processing service, and the management actions. This makes it visible at a glance whether anyone is actually processing right now - the most common operating mistake was a ticked checkbox without a running service.
Program options, Windows Service page
The guide Set up as a Windows service describes the step-by-step setup including the service account; the technical background is in chapter 60.1.
40.7.2 Operating mode ¶
Background processor is managed externally (e.g. as a Windows service): the main program then no longer starts and monitors the processing process itself. Processing must be handled by a separately configured Windows service (or scheduled task) - this way it also runs without a logged-in user, e.g. on a server.
If the option is not set, the main program starts and monitors the background processor itself as usual; processing then only runs while the program is running.
40.7.3 Status ¶
The status light combines operating mode, service, and sign of life into one overall state:
| Display |
Meaning |
| Grey - processing runs in the program window |
External processor is disabled, the main program processes by itself |
| Red - no processing service is set up |
Option enabled, but neither a service nor a sign of life: nobody is processing |
| Red - the service is set up incorrectly |
The service points to the wrong program file and cannot start (see Correct) |
| Orange - service not active |
The service is set up but is currently not running |
| Orange - service runs without a sign of life |
The service is running but reports no processing - usually it runs under a different user account |
| Orange - service running, option disabled |
Service and main program would both want to process |
| Green - external processing active |
No Windows service, but an external processor reports in (e.g. via Task Scheduler) |
| Green - the service is running and processing |
Normal state in service operation |
Below that you find the key data of the service that was found: service name, status including startup type, account, program path (with an assessment), and the time of the last check. Open shows the diagnostics file ServiceDiagnostics.log, in which the service, the processor, and the monitoring log their start and stop decisions. The status refreshes automatically while the page is visible; Refresh forces an immediate check.
In addition, a note line appears where relevant:
- Service account “Local System”: Not recommended - sign-in data, passwords, network drives, and printers in Windows apply per user account.
- Different service account: Explains a missing sign of life. The status data is stored per user account; if the service runs under a different account, this window cannot see its processing.
- Missing automatic startup: After a Windows restart the service would not start. The Start service action sets the automatic startup as well.
40.7.4 Actions ¶
Each action requires exactly one confirmation as an administrator (Windows User Account Control).
| Action |
Effect |
| Set up service… |
Asks for the service name, Windows user account, and password and creates the service: program path pointing to AXPProcessor.exe, automatic startup, recovery after a crash (three restart attempts one minute apart), and the “Log on as a service” right for the service account. The service is then started. |
| Start service |
Starts the existing service and sets automatic startup including recovery |
| Stop service |
Stops the service; the startup type stays unchanged |
| Correct |
Switches the program path of an incorrectly configured service to AXPProcessor.exe and starts it. Service account and password stay unchanged |
| Remove service… |
Stops the service and removes it. If the operating mode is still set to “external” afterwards, the program offers to disable it as well - otherwise nobody processes |
Note on the password: It is not passed via the command line (where it would be visible to other programs), but through a short-lived entry in the Windows Credential Manager that the setup process deletes immediately afterwards. The password is only stored where Windows keeps it for the service anyway.
40.7.5 Uninstallation ¶
When the program is uninstalled, registered processing services are stopped and removed automatically - including ones created by hand and incorrectly configured ones. During an update, by contrast, the service remains in place.