How to create windows service from java jar?

I have an executable JAR file. Is it possible to create a Windows service of that JAR? Actually, I just want to run that on startup, but I don't want to place that JAR file in my startup folder, neither in the registry.

The easiest solution I found for this so far is the Non-Sucking Service Manager

Usage would be

nssm install <servicename> "C:\Program Files\Java\jre7\java.exe" "-jar <path-to-jar-file>"

Use nssm.exe but remember to set the AppDirectory or any required libraries or resources will not be accessible. By default nssm set the current working directory to the that of the application, java.exe, not the jar. So do this to create a batch script:

    pushd <path-to-jar>
    nssm.exe install "<service-name>" "<path-to-java.exe>" "-jar <name-of-jar>"
    nssm.exe set "<service-name>" AppDirectory "<path-to-jar>"

This should fix the service paused issue.

I've been experimenting with Apache Commons Daemon. It's supports windows (Procrun) and unix (Jsvc). Advanced Installer has a Java Service tutorial with an example project to download. If you get their javaservice.jar running as a windows service you can test it by using "telnet 4444". I used their example because my focus was on getting a java windows service running, not writing java.

Tanuki changed license of jsw some time ago, if I was to begin a project, I would use Yet Another Java Service Wrapper, http://yajsw.sourceforge.net/ that is more or less an open source implementation that mimics JWS, and then builds on it and improves it even further.

EDIT: I have been using YAJSW for several years on several platorms (Windows, several linuxes...) and it is great, development is ongoing.

With procrun you need to copy prunsrv to the application directory (download), and create an install.bat like this:

set PR_PATH=%CD%
SET PR_SERVICE_NAME=MyService
SET PR_JAR=MyService.jar
SET START_CLASS=org.my.Main
SET START_METHOD=main
SET STOP_CLASS=java.lang.System
SET STOP_METHOD=exit
rem ; separated values
SET STOP_PARAMS=0
rem ; separated values
SET JVM_OPTIONS=-Dapp.home=%PR_PATH%
prunsrv.exe //IS//%PR_SERVICE_NAME% --Install="%PR_PATH%\prunsrv.exe" --Jvm=auto --Startup=auto --StartMode=jvm --StartClass=%START_CLASS% --StartMethod=%START_METHOD% --StopMode=jvm --StopClass=%STOP_CLASS% --StopMethod=%STOP_METHOD% ++StopParams=%STOP_PARAMS% --Classpath="%PR_PATH%\%PR_JAR%" --DisplayName="%PR_SERVICE_NAME%" ++JvmOptions=%JVM_OPTIONS%

I presume to

• run this from the same directory where the jar and prunsrv.exe is
• the jar has its working MANIFEST.MF
• and you have shutdown hooks registered into JVM (for example with context.registerShutdownHook() in Spring)...
• not using relative paths for files outside the jar (for example log4j should be used with log4j.appender.X.File=${app.home}/logs/my.log or something alike)

Check the procrun manual and this tutorial for more information.

Another option is winsw: https://github.com/kohsuke/winsw/

Configure an xml file to specify the service name, what to execute, any arguments etc. And use the exe to install. Example xml: https://github.com/kohsuke/winsw/tree/master/examples

I prefer this to nssm, because it is one lightweight exe; and the config xml is easy to share/commit to source code.

PS the service is installed by running your-service.exe install

[2020 Update]

Actually, after spending some times trying the different option provided here which are quite old, I found that the easiest way to do it was to use a small paid tool built for that purpose : FireDaemon Pro. I was trying to run Selenium standalone server as a service and none of the free option worked instantly.

The tool is quite cheap (50 USD one-time-licence, 30 days trial) and it took me 5 minutes to set up the server service instead of a half a day of reading/troubleshooting. So far, it works like a charm.

I have absolutely no link with FusionPro, this is a pure disinterested advice, but feel free to delete if it violates forum rules.