Configuring the WinScry Service to Run as a Domain User
IMPORTANT. All of the real "work" in WinScry is done by the WinScry Client MS Windows Service (See Running the Monitor Service). What is important to know (and is often forgotten) about Microsoft Windows Services is that by default and by design they DO NOT have access to any network resources. Microsoft Windows Services run in their own memory space separate from normal Windows Users who have to log in to Windows to perform tasks, this is why Windows Service applications can start when the computer powers up and don't need to wait for someone to actually log in to the computer/server.
This can mean that MS Windows Service applications cannot access resources and features which normal users can when they log in. Some of the types of things that might be affected by this are:
•Internet Access. This is vital for WinScry, without internet access it cannot send Alert Emails or refresh it's data from the WinScry Web Service (which it does every 4 hours).
•Network Shared Folders, NAS drives, Mapped Drives. This means that for Folder Alert Conditions that want to monitor a network shared folder or NAS device it is very likely that the WinScry Service will not be able to "see" those folders unless you take special action.
•"Trusted" Access to SQL Server. If you want to create alerts which monitor a database (see Database Conditions) you have to create a SQL Connection Profile. Part of that connection profile is which type of security it should use to log in to SQL Server. The options available are to EITHER use a MS SQL Server Login and Password, OR to use the "Trusted Connection" which uses your Windows Login as the SQL Server login. The only problem is that, by default, the WinScry Service DOES NOT USE a Windows Login, but instead runs under the built-in "Local System" account which (most likely) DOES NOT have a trusted connection to SQL Server.
The steps below are usually sufficient to resolve these issues.
 MS Windows Services Snap-In (Click to Zoom)
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Step 1. Open the MS Windows Services Snap-In
Before you begin, you should make sure that the WinScry Windows Service has been installed and is not running.
In the Tools menu on the main window you can find an option to Open the MS Windows Services. Clicking that will open the MS Windows Services Snap-In.
In the Services list scroll down and select the WinScry System Alerts (Client) (see Screenshot).
RIGHT CLICK on the WinScry service and select Properties from the right-click menu. This will bring up the Service properties and you can proceed to Step 2.
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 'Log On' Properties (Click to Zoom)
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Step 2. Configure the WinScry Service to Run as a User
In the Service Properties Window click the Log On tab.
In the Log On tab check the This Account box.
From here you can just type in the domain user, the password, confirm the password and click the OK button, but you will probably find it MUCH easier to click the Browse button to open the Select User Window.
 Select User (Click to Zoom)
In the Select User window you can enter the domain user you want the service to run as and then click the Check Names button. If you've entered the username correctly then Windows will replace what you typed with the fully qualified domain notation for the user.
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 WinScry Service Running as a User (Click to Zoom)
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Step 3. Make sure that it worked!
After you have selected the domain user the service should run as click Ok to return to the MS Windows Services Snap-In. All that remains is to make sure that it worked.
Select the WinScry System Alerts (Client) (see Screenshot). In the Log On As column of the services list you should now see the domain user you selected rather than the default value (Local User).
RIGHT CLICK on the WinScry service and select Start Service from the Right-Click menu. If you made an error setting the "Run-As" user then the Service will not start and will display an error message to that effect.
If the service starts successfully, then all that you have to do is wait for your alert emails to see if this solved the problem. You can speed this process up by resetting the monitor.
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