Run the program as Windows service

Headwind GSM Modem Driver was designed as an application which interacts with the desktop. The recommended mode of using it on a remote server is the application mode (running inside a user session). However, Headwind GSM Modem Driver may be runned as a Windows service using Windows 2003 Resource Kit utilities. In a service mode, the program is able to receive SMS and handle it by preinstalled handlers (for example, write them in a database).

Before creating a service, the Windows 2003 Resource Kit must be downloaded and installed. Please also read this Microsoft article related to the creation of a user-defined service.

Step-by-step guide

• Run "C:\Program Files\Windows Resource Kits\Tools\Instsrv.exe" hgsmdrv "C:\Program Files\Windows Resource Kits\Tools\Srvany.exe"
• Run "regedit.exe", open the key HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\hgsmdrv, add the subkey "Parameters" and place two attributes there:
  Application REG_SZ C:\Program Files\Headwind SMS\Headwind GSM Modem Driver\hgsmdrv.exe
  AppDirectory REG_SZ C:\Program Files\Headwind SMS\Headwind GSM Modem Driver
• Open Start -> Control Panel -> Administration -> Services, double-click the "hgsmdrv" service properties and check the "Allow to interact with desktop" checkbox
• In the list of services, click the "hgsmdrv" service by right mouse button and select "Start". You must see Headwind GSM Modem Driver started. It is started as a service; you can check it by opening a Task manager (Ctrl-Shift-Esc) and looking on the process owner. The process owner is "SYSTEM".
• Double-click Headwind GSM Modem Driver icon, open the "Application" tab, check the "Connect modem after start" checkbox and click "Apply". Then go to the "SMS" tab and click "Connect". The service is now ready to receive and handle SMS in the background.
• Open the "Handlers" tab and setup the necessary handlers. For example, a simple handler "echo _FROM_,_BODY_ >> C:\test.txt" may be setup for test purposes.

Headwind GSM Modem Driver is now running as Windows service. To check it, log off and send SMS to the GSM device. Headwind GSM Modem Driver will handle the received SMS. For example, if you setup the simple handler written above, the file C:\test.txt will contain the SMS data.