Can't start Windows service with WiX

I had the same issue using WiX 3.7.821.0 and my service. It installed for a while and the same annoying "Service failed to start. Verify that you have sufficient privileges to start system services" appeared.

I tried a lot, but the final thing was to use two sections for <ServiceControl> instead of trying to cram all in a single one. One for Start and one for Stop. Now the service starts fine.

This does not work:

<ServiceControl Id="StartService"                 Start="install"                 Stop="both"                 Remove="uninstall"                 Name="MyService"                 Wait="yes" />

This works:

<ServiceControl Id="ServiceControl_Start"                Name="MyService"                Start="install"                Wait="no" /><ServiceControl Id="ServiceControl_Stop"                Name="MyService"                Stop="both"                Remove="uninstall"                Wait="yes" />

I have been looking for the answer for a while, and finally I've resolved it!

Keep the same ServiceControl name as the ServiceInstall name.

Result:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><?define ProductVersion = "1.0.0"?><?define ProductUpgradeCode = "{E8DFD614-41F6-4592-AD7A-27EA8A49C82E}"?><Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi"     xmlns:util="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/UtilExtension">  <Product Id="*" UpgradeCode="$(var.ProductUpgradeCode)"           Name="Eyes Relax"           Version="$(var.ProductVersion)"           Manufacturer="Ourdark"           Language="1033">    <Package Manufacturer="Ourdark" InstallerVersion="100" Languages="1033" Compressed="yes" />    <Media Id="1" Cabinet="WHSDiskManagement.1.1.0.0.cab" EmbedCab="yes" />    <Property Id="WHSLogo">1</Property>    <Directory Id="TARGETDIR" Name="SourceDir">      <Directory Id="ProgramFilesFolder" Name="PFiles">        <Directory Id="WHS" Name="Eyes Relax">          <Component Id="EyesRelax" Guid="{78534F5E-FC72-49E6-AF11-4F2068EA7571}">            <File Id="RelaxEyes.exe.config"                  Name="RelaxEyes.exe.config"                  Source="RelaxEyes\bin\Debug\RelaxEyes.exe.config"                  Vital="yes"                  KeyPath="no"                  DiskId="1"/>            <File Id="RelaxEyes.exe"                  Name="RelaxEyes.exe"                  Source="RelaxEyes\bin\Debug\RelaxEyes.exe"                  Vital="yes"                  KeyPath="yes"                  DiskId="1"/>            <ServiceInstall              Id="ServiceInstaller"              Type="ownProcess"              Vital="yes"              Name="Eyes Relax"              DisplayName="Eyes Relax"              Description="Eyes Relax"              Start="auto"              Account="NT AUTHORITY\LocalService"              ErrorControl="ignore"              Interactive="no">            </ServiceInstall>            <ServiceControl Id="StartService"                            Start="install"                            Stop="both"                            Remove="uninstall"                            Name="Eyes Relax"                            Wait="yes" />          </Component>        </Directory>      </Directory>    </Directory>    <Feature Id="ProductFeature" Title="WHSDiskManagement" Level="1">      <ComponentRef Id="EyesRelax" />    </Feature>  </Product></Wix>

I had the same error, and in my case I was missing KeyPath='yes' Vital="yes" on my file element.

Here is my component definition:

<Component Id="ComponentName"           Guid="3aa1d5a5-28f0-4753-8e4b-a7ac0848d8be" >    <File Id='ServiceFile'          Name='Service.exe'          DiskId='1'          Source='bin\Service.exe'          KeyPath='yes'          Vital="yes"/>    <ServiceInstall Id="ServiceInstaller"                    Type="ownProcess"                    Name="Service"                    DisplayName="Service"                    Description="A Service"                    Start="auto"                    ErrorControl="normal"                    />    <ServiceControl Id="ServiceControl"                    Start="install"                    Stop="both"                    Remove="uninstall"                    Name="Service"                    Wait="yes" /></Component>