How to Start and Stop Windows Web Service programically using Windows Task Scheduler once a day

Question

I have a windows service to send emails every night at 12am . I want it to start and stop it with the help of a windows task scheduler. I thought using Windows Start Scheduler may be the best option and run the windows service using a bat file like - NET START "Myservice". But, after it runs for the first day, it does not stop. How can I make it stop after completing the email sending process? Is using Windows Task scheduler better than thread for services running once a day?

Anand Uchagawkar · Answer

Hey, sorry for late reply, You should embed the logic of logging any exception in the exe itself, may be you can look at enterprise library for logging the exception as well as information from within your application.

r p · Answer

What about logs? How do I create a log which I can check once in a week to make sure emails are sent properly or whether there was any error in connecting to the SQL database etc.

r p · Answer

Hi Anand, It sounds like a better idea than using Service. I will try it. Cheers

Anand Uchagawkar · Answer

Hi, If you want to have emails to be sent every night at 12am then I would not recommend you to have Windows service to send the emails. As what you want to achieve is, A program which would send an email whenever it is invoked A scheduler which would call the email program For this, instead of Windows service i would recommend you to use a simple Console application and embeed the email sending logic in that. Then as you call the bat file for starting the service, in similar manner instead of NET START "your service" just call the exe "PATH	estemail.exe" from the batch file. After the exe has completed it's job of sending email it would automatically get stopped and no seperate logic is required for that.