>We don't need to recompile in order to run the service as a Console app for debugging purposes. Our project is a Console app project and here's what my code looks like:

I have done pretty much what was needed to use this infrastructure. I find it interesting. As you said, the control is given to a console app instead of straight to a Windows Service. That is why you are then able to have it run as a console app as well. I changed my project properties to a Console app but I had to adjust manually some things in the Application.Designer.vb and Resources.Designer.vb files. I believe this is a bug in the VS 2012 interface when switching the project type.

I am wondering however how you workaround this situation:

"No accessible 'Main' method with an appropriate signature was found in 'MyProject.Main'."

Because, initially, this is what I had and when I succeeded to have it working as a Windows Service, this went away. Now, that I have changed it back to this design, I have this situation back. This is the only situation remaining before I can do a test. I resolved all other errors.

My entry point is like this:

Imports System.ServiceProcess

Public Class Main

    Shared oWindowsService As WindowsService = Nothing

    Public Sub New()
    End Sub

    Private Shared Sub Main()

        ' If this from the Windows Service
        If Not Environment.UserInteractive Then
            Dim loWindowsService As ServiceBase()
            loWindowsService = New ServiceBase() {New WindowsService()}
            ServiceBase.Run(loWindowsService)
        Else
            oWindowsService = New WindowsService()
            oWindowsService.Start()
            Console.ReadLine()
            oWindowsService.Stop2()
        End If

    End Sub

End Class

Partial Public Class WindowsService
    Inherits ServiceBase

    Public Sub New()
        CanStop = True
        CanShutdown = True
        CanPauseAndContinue = False
    End Sub

    Protected Overrides Sub OnStart(args As String())
        ' startup code here
        'Console.WriteLine("Done With OnStart");
    End Sub

    Protected Overrides Sub OnStop()
        ' stop code here
    End Sub

    Protected Overrides Sub OnShutdown()
        ' TODO: There may be a bug in the .NET Framework in that this method
        ' is not being called on system shutdown for SYSTEM account services.
        ' Not sure when/if it will be fixed, but I'm putting code here to stop
        ' stuff on the off-chance that it will be called eventually.

        ' stop code  here
    End Sub

    ' These 2 methods are only used when not runnning as a Service, for testing from a Console window.
    Public Sub Start()
        Me.OnStart(Nothing)
    End Sub

    Public Sub Stop2()
        Me.OnStop()
    End Sub

End Class