How to run Hamachi as a Windows Service
What is Hamachi?
Hamachi offers secure network connectivity across public networks, allowing you to create private virtual networks on demand without dedicated hardware or additional IT infrastructure.
Can Himachi be run as a Windows Service?
Hicmachi can be run as a Windows Service using FireDaemon Pro, which allows you to have the application start automatically at boot prior to login, start multiple instances of the application and more. This HOWTO will show you how to set it up. You can also use FireDaemon Fusion to manage FireDaemon and other Windows services via a web browser.
How to set up Hamachi under FireDaemon Pro
Step 1.Download the latest Hamachi files from the Hamachi website.
By default Hamachi installs to C:\Program Files (x86)\LogMeIn Hamachi so for the purposes of this HOWTO, we will use that directory.
Hamachi also starts itself when you log in to your computer. Since you'll be setting it up as a service, this will cause problems when 2 instances of it are running. So you will need to open the Registry Editor (Start Menu->Run->Type regedit->Press OK) and navigate to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run" on 64Bit windows or "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run" on 32Bit Windows. Delete the entry named "LogMeIn Hamachi Ui" (right click it and select delete from context menu). Making mistakes in the Registry Editor can render your OS inoperable so do this only at your own risk!
Hamachi configuration is done through its GUI. Configure any options you want to use and create or join a network. Also make sure that when you close the GUI, Hamachi is connected to a network; otherwise next time the service starts, Hamachi will not be connected to a network.
Also note that Hamachi has 2 executables in its folder. hamachi-2.exe is the tunneling client and hamachi-2-ui is the GUI component. The tunneling client is installed as a Windows service by default.
Step 2. Download and install FireDaemon Pro into the directory of your choice, typically C:\Program Files\FireDaemon.
Step 3. Next start the FireDaemon GUI from the desktop shortcut.
Click on the "Create a new service definition" button in the toolbar (or type Ctrl+N) and enter the information into the fields as you see below. Adjust the paths to suit your installation.
- Executable: The path to your hamachi-2-ui.exe file. For the purposes of this HOWTO, the path is C:\Program Files (x86)\LogMeIn Hamachi\hamachi-2-ui.exe.
- Working Directory: The directory containing the hamachi-2-ui.exe file. For the purposes of this HOWTO, the path is C:\Program Files (x86)\LogMeIn Hamachi.
- Parameters: None. Leave this field blank.
Also note that the service name cannot be "hamachi" as the Hamachi tunneling client is already using that name.
Step 4. Now click on the Settings tab.
If you DON'T want to see Hamachi running, uncheck the Interact with Desktop check box & select “Hidden” from the “Show Window” dropdown. For Hamachi to work properly, you must run it as the user that you used to install it. The service will not start properly if you do not set a logon account. Due to a Windows limitation, the account must have administrator privileges for the service to work correctly. In Windows Vista/7, the GUI can only be displayed in its own desktop via Interactive Services pop-up; this is a limitation in Vista and cannot be bypassed.
Step 5. Now click on the Lifecycle tab.
Uncheck Graceful Shutdown as Hamachi doesn't respond to it.
