IF YOU == "have headache trying to deploy your python script as a windows service?":
    print("please follow along!")

Disclaimer

Steps below is tested on python 3.10 and windows server 2019

Preperations

• Download and install Inno Setup https://jrsoftware.org/download.php/is.exe
• Download and unzip NSSM - the Non-Sucking Service Manager https://nssm.cc/ci/nssm-2.24-101-g897c7ad.zip

Step by step

• Create a folder at C:\inno-setup
• Copy the nssm.exe from the unzipped NSSM directory .\nssm-2.24-101-g897c7ad\win64\ to C:\inno-setup\
• Create a python script inside C:\inno-setup\ called program.py
• Copy and paste the code below to program.py

import logging
import time

logging.basicConfig(
    level=logging.DEBUG,
    format='%(asctime)s :: %(levelname)s :: %(message)s',
    filename="debug.log",
    filemode="w"
)

while True:
    logging.debug("loop is running")
    time.sleep(1)

We then need to install pyinstaller

• Open Powershell or CMD and run pip install pyinstaller
• Using the same prompt run cd C:\inno-setup\
• Convert the python script to executable by using pyinstaller -w --add-data "nssm.exe;." .\program.py All your files and the executable are located at C:\inno-setup\dist\program\
• Copy the inno-setup.iss to C:\inno-setup\
• Double click on it to open it in the Inno Setup program

For future preferences; you can change the variables at the top of the script

#define MyAppName "my-service"
#define MyAppVersion "1.0"
#define MyAppExeName "program.exe"
#define SourceLocation "C:\inno-setup\dist\program"
#define OutputLocation "C:\inno-setup\output"

• Edit the line AppId={{80B065A7-2B18-4547-A87E-EC1B544881C2} remove the {80B065A7-2B18-4547-A87E-EC1B544881C2} so it looks like this: AppId={ (yes its correct).
• Place your cursor at the end of the {
• At the top menu go to Tools then Generate GUID
• At the top menu go to Build then Compile A output folder should now be created together with the setup file at C:\inno-setup\output\mysetup.exe
• Double click on it to install the program and service.

Your service should now be located at C:\Program Files (x86)\my-service\ Open the debug.log file to verify that the service is actually running.

Also verify the the service exist in the windows services. Go to Run and type services.msc You should have a windows service called my-service

Over and out

ELSE:
    return False