Run As A Service Documentation

Running ScanToPDF As A Windows Service

Some of our solutions run as a Windows Service.
This page documents how to administer the ScanToPDF windows service.

About The Service

Our desktop solutions require a user session to run the application.

To run without a user session to create un-attended server solutions ScanToPDF can run in a Windows service with the purchase of the Run As Service key

A purchase of any of our server solutions will include the run as service key.

The service also enables automatic switching between multiple profiles. This provides the ability to monitor and process files from and to multiple input and output destinations using appropriate settings for each to create flexible workflows.

Service Admin

The basic administrative tasks of Install, Un-install, Start and Stop of the ScanToPDF Service are provided by a utility called USM.exe (Universal Service Monitor) which is located in the ScanToPDF applications folder.

C:\Program Files\O Imaging Corporation\ScanToPDF

or in later releases in this sub folder

C:\Program Files\O Imaging Corporation\ScanToPDF\USM

USM also enables viewing, searching and sorting of the main service log file which shows files being imported and saved

NOTE : To close USM use any of the methods below

The app icon: Click the app icon in the top-left corner of the program window and choose Close

The Close Button: Click the X icon in the top-right corner of the program window.

Taskbar Right-Click: Right-click the app’s icon on the bottom taskbar and select Close window.

Keyboard Shortcut: Press Alt + F4 while looking at the program you want to shut down.

To help with troubleshooting, the service can also be run to produce a debug log file, which may be requested by our support staff. Click here for more information

Solutions That Run As A Service

PDF Acquire Barcode Server – More info

PDF Acquire Barcode Server Pro – More info

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Run USM.exe and then follow the documentation on this page to administer the ScanToPDF Service.

Toolbar Icons

Here are some of the main toolbar icons with a description of what they’re used for.

	Start and stop the service.
	Toggle the log file’s filter (On / off)
	Toggle the log file’s sort direction (Ascending / descending chronological order).
	Install / uninstall the service.
	Refresh the logfile display. Use the down arrow to access the Clear logs & Open logs folder in File Explorer functions. Note to use the Clear logs function the service must be stopped.

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Installing The Service

Start USM, choose a Mode out of the following:

Automatic – the service restarts whenever the server restarts
Manual – the service must be started manually by user intervention whenever the service stops
Disabled – the service is installed but disabled

Then click the Install icon on the top right of the window.

Important Points To Note

Windows services DO NOT support mapped drives

By default services run using the local system account which may not have all the required permissions to folders and files. Best to create a user that has the correct permissions and use that to run the service.

Starting The Service

PLEASE NOTE : THE SERVICE WILL NOT START UNLESS A VALID ACTIVATION KEY HAS BEEN APPLIED

To evaluate the service please request a temporary key using the manual key request page

Choose the option The key is required to evaluate the run as service feature

IMPORTANT : Stop the ScanToPDF Desktop app before starting the service

Click the Start icon on the toolbar. The service will start and display a high level informational log in the text area below.

Defining Processing Time Ranges

Create a file called ScanToPDFService.scp (just a text file) in the folder C:\ProgramData\OIC\ScanToPDF_6

The syntax is

#ActivityTimeRange 10:15-10:30
#ActivityTimeRange 15:15-15:30

This would create a range that would only process files between 10:15 and 10:30 and also 15:15 and 15:30

Debugging The Service

Start USM
Use the Stop icon to stop the service
Use the Option combo box to select Debug
Use the Log file combo box to select Service debug log file
Click the Start icon

The service will run in debug log mode, producing extra log information to help with troubleshooting

The log file is stored in the file “C:\ProgramData\OIC\ScanToPDF_6\Logs\ScanToPDFService.log” and can be sent to OIC if requested

Searching The Log File

Enter a search string into the Search box and click the Refresh icon on the right-hand side or hit <enter>.

The search strings located will be highlighted within the log file display.

Changing The Log Display Order

Use the Date picker and sort toolbar icons (ascending & descending) to change chronological sort order of the log file.

Stopping The Service

Click the Stop icon on the toolbar.

Uninstalling The Service

Click the Uninstall icon in the toolbar.