Is MSSQLSERVER installed on server? Check from vb.net or c# with System.ServiceProcess

We often need to check whether SQL Server installed on the server before installing our application developed in VB.NET or in C#. To find out any service installed on your server, you have to use ServiceProcess class from System. You can’t directly call System.ServiceProcess in your VB.NET or in C#, you have to first ADD REFERENCE to your application from “.NET” tab of ADD REFERENCE dilog box. Once you are done with adding reference, you can call serviceProcess

VB.NET
Imports System.ServiceProcess

C#
using System.ServiceProcess

Basically, ServiceProcess will give an array of all processes running on the box, you have to identify your service from that array. Generally SQL Server installed with default instance, which is MSSQLSERVER, you can simply check that instance name from array, if client machine has not installed with SQL server with default instance than there one small ray of hope is, you can check array item with substring item “SQL”, this way is not 100% sure shot, if named instance is completely different and doesn’t contain “SQL” word at all, this method won’t work, you are out of luck in this case.

Let us have a look at code in VB.NET, however, you can simply modify your syntax and made it work in C# as well.

Imports System.ServiceProcess

Public Class Form1

    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load

        Dim services As ServiceController()

        services = ServiceController.GetServices()

        For i As Integer = 0 To services.Length

            If (services(i).ServiceName.ToLower() = "mssqlserver") Then

                Label1.Text = "Service Found!!!"

                Exit For

            End If

        Next i

    End Sub

End Class

Create one windows application in VB.NET, call System.ServiceProcess namespace and have above code in your Form1’s page load event. Result will be printed on the label1 of the form1.

Reference: Ritesh Shah
http://www.sqlhub.com
Note: Microsoft Books online is a default reference of all articles but examples and explanations prepared by Ritesh Shah, founder of http://www.SQLHub.com