Error "Could not find xxxx.Program specified for main method" creating Windows Service from MS example

Question

I am following this Microsoft guide to create a windows service.

However when I try and build it on the auto generated page called "Program.cs" That has this code in it

namespace BetfairBOTV2Service
{
    static class Program
    {
        /// <summary>
        /// The main entry point for the application.
        /// </summary>
        static void Main()
        {
            ServiceBase[] ServicesToRun;
            ServicesToRun = new ServiceBase[] 
            { 
                new BrainiacVersion2() // not green though!!!!!
            };
            ServiceBase.Run(ServicesToRun);
        }
    }
}

I get this error "Could not find BrainiacV2.Program" specified for Main Method

I did everything the tutorial told me to.

I have an App.Config, a Program.cs (code above), a BrainiacV2.cs which holds all my code for the service and starts like this

namespace BetfairBOTV2Service
{
    public partial class BrainiacV2 : ServiceBase
    {
        public BrainiacV2()
        {
            InitializeComponent();

My ProjectInstaller.cs with two installer objects on them (name) serviceInstaller Display Name: My new BetfairBotV2 ServiceName: BrainiacVersion2

And that is that.

This is the only error I am getting

The solution is called BrainiacV2

I have tried changing the code in Program.cs to

new BrainiacV2()

which turns it green but then I just get

Could not find BrainiacV2.Program specified for main method.

What am I doing wrong or need to change?

Any help would be much appreciated - thanks!

Win 7, 64 bit, .NET 4.5, C#

Answer 1

After renaming project and default namespace. I also had to change this:

So in your case at the creation of the project, the default Main was located in BrainiacV2.Program, but you do want to run Main in BetfairBOTV2Service.Program

Answer 2

I had to change my namespaces and classes around. It was nothing to do with that error (not a very helpful one!)

namespace BrainiacV2
{
    static class Program
    {
        /// <summary>
        /// The main entry point for the application.
        /// </summary>
        static void Main()
        {
            ServiceBase[] ServicesToRun;
            ServicesToRun = new ServiceBase[] 
            { 
                new Brainiac()
            };
            ServiceBase.Run(ServicesToRun);
        }
    }
}

Once I had done that it all worked!

A namespace issue it seems.

Would be nice if the error message was a bit more helpful though, as a lot of guess work was involved!

Thanks for your help.

Answer 3

Looks like you're specifying the wrong class name. See the comments below.

namespace BetfairBOTV2Service
{
    static class Program
    {
        /// <summary>
        /// The main entry point for the application.
        /// </summary>
        static void Main()
        {
            ServiceBase[] ServicesToRun;
            ServicesToRun = new ServiceBase[] 
            { 
                new BrainiacVersion2(); // <-- this is what you have
                new BrainiacV2();       // <-- this is what you need
            };
            ServiceBase.Run(ServicesToRun);
        }
    }
}

FWIW, I have a couple of tutorials - here and here - that show you how to create a service and have it install itself.

HTH

Answer 4

I ran into the same issue some minutes ago, and while searching the web for an explanation, I came across this post. You might have found an answer over the years, but I'd like to share my solution. The error arrived at my project when I changed the namespace of the Program class. By aligning the startup project to the new namespace, my project is working again.

So, in your case, the startup-project should become BetfairBOTV2Service.Program.

Answer 5

IN my case i renamed my solution and many other files and gave this error . got solved : in csProj file the start-up file still had the older name which was now changed , so after changing it , I was able to build successfully.