[Now Implemented!] Btsync As A Windows Service

[mtucker]

I saw this mentioned briefly in step 6 but I completely overlooked it so I figured I would go into details based on information I found the hard way.

BTSync stores all configuration files under:

NT5 (Windows XP/Server 2003/Server 2003r2): "%USERPROFILE%\Application Data\BitTorrent Sync"

NT6 (Windows Vista/7/8/Server 2008/Server 2008r2/Server 2012): "%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\BitTorrent Sync"

This means all BTSync settings are user-specific. By default the installation method mentioned here runs the service using the LocalSystem account. Because there is no way to log in to LocalSystem it is impossible to configure BTSync under the LocalSystem account. To get the service to work properly you must log in with a named account, configure the application, then set the service to log in using that named account.

For example, if you are using a computer on a domain:

01) Create an account on the domain controller for the BTSync service

02) Log into the computer you will be running the service on using the BTSync account

03) Install BTSync and setup your shares

04) Exit BTSync, install the service as detailed in the first post and verify it can be started

05) Open Services.msc, stop the BTSync service and open the BTSync service properties

06) Click the Log On tab

07) Select the "This account:" bullet

08) Enter the fully qualified user name

09) Enter the password for this account

10) Save changes and start the service with the new settings

Tested this Friday night, works like magic.

[ChrisH]

Yeah. Or you can just move the config files to where the exe is and run it as any user you want.

[dwhite44]

Has anybody been able to successfully set this up to sync without logging in on Windows 8? I set it up as scheduled task to run on startup as the user the sync is setup for. When I login, I can see that the process is running (and running as the proper user) in Task Manager but the icon is not showing up in the status bar which is what I expected. But nothing is syncing. If I kill the process and then start while logged in, everything syncs like its supposed to so it has to be something about running the process on startup.

[mtucker]

Have you tried setting it up as a service?

[slawson2000]

Has BTSync been updates to run as a Windows Service or is everyone still using the work-arounds?

[ChrisH]

Still on workarounds as of now.

[renini]

Hi i'm new to btsync, and trying to set it up as a service on windows.

 

Is this officially supported yet? I've came across some posts with workarounds and that its on the high priority list of the development team, most of the posts date back to april/may.

Does anyone know what the current status of this is?

 

Is this implemented yet? Is it going to be? Any test version that supports it? Different download for a CLI exe?

 

- renini

[GreatMarko]

Is this officially supported yet? Is this implemented yet?

Installing/Running Sync as a Windows Service isn't natively supported at this time - but as you indicate, there are a number of interim "workarounds" in the forum to allow you to run Sync as a Windows service

 

Is it going to be?

Yes! - but do also add it to the Wishlist Thread as the more often a particular feature is requested there, the greater priority will likely be given to implementing it!

[renini]

Hmm thats to bad, i will try one of the workarounds, but as far as i know services are not supposed to create any windows anymore since vista.

 

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms683502(v=vs.85).aspx

 

"Important  Services cannot directly interact with a user as of Windows Vista. Therefore, the techniques mentioned in the section titled Using an Interactive Service should not be used in new code."

 

I wonder if the "Interactive Services Detection" kicks in on windows 7 if i run it as one of the workarounds. 

 

Gonna test now. Thanks for the answer, i will also add it to the wish list.

I wonder if it might be included in the Enterprise Sync version? Or whatever that would be.

[renini]

Ability to run btsync.exe on windows like it does on linux, so we can run it as a windows service without any gui.

 

This would definitly make it better product!

[timecott01]

I overcome this limitation by starting btsync.exe using a scheduled job, triggered to run when the system boots. in addition, the settings for the scheduled job needs to have the 'end job after 72 hours' box unticked.

hope this is of some help.

[Mia22]

With the current work around set.  Is there any way to manipulate the settings under the user profile?  I still want to be able to change the Up/Down speeds on the systems. With no GUI, not sure how this can be done.  I already tried opening the config files in a text format but its encrypted.

[fronik]

Create portable version

• First Create a BitSync folder on your PC or portable USB device
• Put the "BTSync.exe" inside the folder you created
• Inside the same folder create a new empty "Text Document" file and rename it from "New Text document.txt" to "settings.dat"
• Start the BTSync.exe
• Config all settings

After you run BTSync as any services (instsrv srvany - work, nssm - work) from any user (example system account).

I have everything working.

 

Sorry for my bad English...

[slawson2000]

I just wanted to check and see if there has been any progress on getting BTSync to run as a service along with having a gui...  Right now I start a remote location with task manager when the computer automatically turns on.  Problem is, I have to stop the process through task manager and then relaunch BTSync to be able to make any changes or check the status of the up/downloads.  I have been hearing that running as a service is coming,  anyone might know when?

[Mia22]

Bump!

[slawson2000]

I have been thinking about a better (simpler)  workaround for this.   I propose that BTSync be started as a task at system startup.  This has already been mentioned and is what I am doing now.  Then setup another task that would close BTSync at login, hopefully allowing BTSync to re-open after login allowing the use of the GUI. And then maybe another to switch it back after logout.  I would think there might have to be a couple delays in there, but it sure would simple things up until it is released as a Service.  Any thoughts?  I am not sure what would need to be done to make this work.  Just throwing out an idea.

[baiki]

Hello there, any news concerning the Windows service? Thanks ;-)

[RomanZ]

Hi,

 

Currently BTSync does not support running as service option. However, it can be workarounded as btsync can be registered to run as service manually, while Sync API can help monitoring current sync status.

[GreatMarko]

RomanZ,
 
Whilst we know it's not currently natively supported (although, yes, there are some potential workarounds), given that it's now well over a year ago now since Kos' posted "We will implement service for Sync", are you able to provide any insight/update as to where this particular native functionality is up to and when it's potentially likely to emerge?
 
Is the ability to natively install and run Sync as a Windows server still even on the cards for some point in the future, or are users expected to just use "workarounds"?  ...or will native functionality simply end up being an "Enterprise" only feature?

[RomanZ]

GreatMarko,

 

Not in 1.3 for sure. Cannot give precise timeline for this feature, sorry.

 

BTW, running BTSync as service: what are the usage scenarios? Start it before user logs in? Any other scenarios?

[Guest proactiveservices]

BTW, running BTSync as service: what are the usage scenarios? Start it before user logs in? Any other scenarios?

 

Not sure if I'm answering the wrong question, but I'd like to have a set of sync folders that the "system" uses and one for the user-land sync folders.

[GreatMarko]

Start it before user logs in? Any other scenarios?

Yes! A typical scenario would be running a headless Windows based server - a user would have to be logged on for Sync to work. Being able to set Sync to run natively as a Windows service from the outset would mean that when the server starts, so does Sync - without requiring a user to first remote access into the server and login to Windows first in order for Sync to run.

[slawson2000]

We would like the BTSync to run as a service because we have a few computers (besides out home servers) that are setup to autoboot, update/sync and shutoff.  I have been waiting for this feature for a long time.

[therookie]

I was able to Start BTSync as a service on Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials. Pretty sure it Works on Windows 8 too.

[ChrisH]

So the old wishlist thread did get too confusing after all, eh?

 

I would like to have the option to run BTSync as a Windows service. I personally would be okay with sacrificing the Windows GUI for that and using a Web GUI like the Linux versions do.

 

My use case: Headless Windows Home Servers that no-one logs in to.

 

There are workarounds right now, but they all have in common that I have to kill the task or service, start BTSync interactively, make the configuration changes I need, shutdown BTSync and start the task or service again.