Can DynDNS Updater be run as service?

DynDNS Updater 3.1.0.6 and above can be run as service or as regular application. For older version, it can be run as service with the help of third party software.

To run older version of DynDNS Updater as service by using third party software, please read this faq.

DynDNS Updater version 3.1.0.7 and above has a button that can be used to install/uninstall the service. The button is located on the Options tab on main window. The button is only visible when the program runs on Windows NT and its derivatives.

To run DynDNS Updater as service, you need to install its service first by using the Install service button displayed above.

It is recommended to install the service by using the button as above because it will configure the service dependencies correctly. You will need an administrator previliges to install a service.

If you encounter the tray icon disappear problem while running DynDNS Updater 3.1.0.7 as service, please set the recovery setting of service to restart the service.

The following images displays the setting on Windows XP.

Command Line Installation

For DynDNS Updater 3.1.0.6, you need to do the following steps:

1. If you have run DynDNS Updater before, please do the following:
   
   1. Disable autostart with Windows from Options page.
   2. Close DynDNS Updater
2. To install DynDNS Updater as service, type
   "C:\Program Files\DynDNS Updater\DynDNS.exe" /install
   (with double quotation) from command prompt. Use correct path if it is different. You will get a message if the command was successful.
3. To start the service, type
   net start DynDNS_Updater_Service
   on command prompt.
4. To stop the service, type
   net stop DynDNS_Updater_Service
   on command prompt.
5. To uninstall the service, type
   "C:\Program Files\DynDNS Updater\DynDNS.exe" /uninstall
   (with double quotation) from command prompt. Use correct path if it is different. You will get a message if the command was successful.
6. To verify if the program runs as service, you can check the followings:
   
   1. The "Start with Windows" setting should be greyed (disable).
   2. You can verify the log. There should be no log that says DynDNS Updater is starting when you log off and log on back to Windows.
7. If you install the service manually, you need to setup service dependencies. DynDNS Updater service requires the following dependencies: LanmanWorkstation, DHCP, and RasMan. To create dependency manually, you can follow the following Microsoft KB article: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;193888&Product=win2000

1. DynDNS.ini and log files are saved inside program folder. If you have run DynDNS Updater as regular application before, or as service by using third party software, you need to copy the DynDNS.ini file to program folder.
2. Help file and context sensitive help will not work. If you want to access the help file, you need to use the shortcut or execute the help file directly.
3. If you are using Windows NT 4 and using LAN connection, you may not have Remote Access Connection Manager installed. In this case, you can just delete the dependencies to Remote Access Connection Manager (RasMan) by editing the Windows registry directly. See link at point 7 above for more information.