Yes. An ASP.NET Core app can run on Windows as a Windows Service without IIS. Add Microsoft’s Windows Services hosting package, enable UseWindowsService, publish the app, and register the published executable as a service. The steps below follow Microsoft’s .NET 10 guidance for hosting ASP.NET Core in a Windows Service.
What you need before you start
- An ASP.NET Core web project using the Web SDK.
- A Windows machine where you can publish and register the service.
- A service account with the right to log on as a service and permission to access the files, network resources, and certificates the app needs.
- A deployment choice: framework-dependent, if the machine has the required .NET runtime, or self-contained, if the app should include its runtime and dependencies.
Use dotnet publish for deployment. Microsoft says dotnet build output is not supported for service deployment.
Configure the app for Windows Services
Install the hosting package
Add the Windows Services integration package to the project:
dotnet add package Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.WindowsServicesEnable service hosting
Call UseWindowsService when configuring the host. For a minimal-hosting application, add the package namespace and configure the builder before building the app:
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using Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.WindowsServices;
var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
builder.Host.UseWindowsService();
var app = builder.Build();
app.MapGet("/", () => "Service is running");
app.Run();The method activates Windows Service lifetime behavior when the process is running as a service. It also sets the content root to AppContext.BaseDirectory and enables Event Log integration. When running interactively rather than as a service, the behavior is conditional, so the same app can still be run from a console during development.
Choose a deployment type and publish
| Deployment | Runtime requirement on the server | What the publish output includes |
|---|---|---|
| Framework-dependent | The target Windows machine must have the required shared .NET runtime installed. | The app and its dependencies; it relies on the machine’s runtime. |
| Self-contained | No shared runtime installation is needed for the app’s runtime. | The app, dependencies, and runtime for the selected target. |
Publish for the target machine and select the deployment type deliberately. For example, to publish a framework-dependent app for the current environment, run:
dotnet publish -c ReleaseFor a self-contained Windows deployment, specify a Windows runtime identifier such as win-x64 and enable self-contained publishing:
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dotnet publish -c Release -r win-x64 --self-contained trueUse the actual runtime identifier that matches the server architecture. Register the executable from the resulting publish directory—not from the project’s build output or source directory.
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Open PowerShell with administrator privileges to create the service. Adjust the publish path, service name, display name, account, and startup choice to fit the machine. Microsoft’s example uses New-Service; a basic registration looks like this:
New-Service -Name "MyAspNetApp" `
-BinaryPathName "C:AppsMyAspNetAppMyAspNetApp.exe --contentRoot C:AppsMyAspNetApp" `
-DisplayName "My ASP.NET Core App" `
-Description "ASP.NET Core application hosted as a Windows Service" `
-StartupType AutomaticChoose and configure the service identity through your organization’s Windows account policy. The account must have Log on as a service rights, plus only the file and resource permissions the application requires. If credentials or policy prevent the service from starting, correct those settings before changing application code.
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After registration, start the service from the Services console or with PowerShell:
Start-Service -Name "MyAspNetApp"
Get-Service -Name "MyAspNetApp"Confirm its state is Running.
Set resource paths, URLs, and HTTPS deliberately
Do not rely on the working directory
A Windows Service’s current working directory is documented as C:WindowsSystem32. Code that finds files relative to Directory.GetCurrentDirectory() can therefore look in the wrong place. Use IHostEnvironment.ContentRootPath or ContentRootFileProvider for application resources. With UseWindowsService, the content root is set to the executable’s base directory, so the default appsettings.json files load from the app content root. For custom configuration files, use that root; for files stored elsewhere, provide an absolute base path.
Choose the listening address and port
Microsoft’s guidance describes the default endpoint as http://localhost:5000. Configure the intended URL and port explicitly, for example with the ASPNETCORE_URLS environment variable:
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ASPNETCORE_URLS=http://localhost:8080Set environment variables in the service’s environment or deployment configuration; setting one in an interactive shell does not automatically configure an already registered service. For more detailed binding, certificate, or transport requirements, use the applicable Kestrel or HTTP.sys endpoint guidance.
Configure HTTPS for production use
The ASP.NET Core development HTTPS certificate is not supported for a Windows Service endpoint. If clients must connect over HTTPS, configure a suitable production certificate and ensure the service account can access it. If the service sits behind a proxy or load balancer, configure forwarded request handling as appropriate so the app interprets the original scheme and client information correctly.
Understand Event Log behavior
Windows Service integration enables Event Log logging. In the documented ASP.NET Core template using CreateDefaultBuilder, the Event Log provider’s default minimum level is Warning. To change it, set Logging:EventLog:LogLevel:Default in configuration. Creating an Event Log source can require administrator privileges, so account for source creation during installation rather than assuming the runtime identity can create it.
Troubleshoot a service that will not start or respond
- Service fails to start: Check that the service points to the executable in the
dotnet publishoutput and that the configured service account is valid and has log-on-as-a-service rights. - Settings or files are missing: Check the content root and replace paths based on the current directory with content-root paths or explicit absolute paths.
- Service runs but cannot be reached: Verify the configured URL, port, firewall or network access, and whether the app is bound to the expected interface.
- HTTPS requests fail: Verify that a production certificate is configured and accessible to the service account; do not use the development certificate.
- Logs are absent: Remember that the template’s Event Log default is Warning or higher, and check Event Log source permissions and the configured logging level.
For Windows-side details, inspect the System and Application logs in Event Viewer. Also verify the service’s state in Services or with Get-Service.
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