Step-by-step instructions for running Automatic PDF Processor as a background Windows service
This tutorial shows how to set up Automatic PDF Processor as a Windows service that runs
permanently in the background - without any user being signed in and without the program window being open.
This is the right mode of operation for servers and for machines that need to process PDF files around the clock.
The service uses the program PDFProcessor.exe, which is installed alongside the regular program.
You then only start the main window occasionally to maintain profiles or review the logs.
At a glance
- Difficulty: Advanced (administrator rights required)
- Time required: approx. 15 minutes
- Prerequisites: The program installed, a Windows user account for the service, a Command Prompt running as administrator
- Result: Automatic PDF Processor processes PDF files permanently in the background, even with no user signed in
Note: This tutorial covers the most common case - running as a classic Windows service.
Other modes of operation (scheduled task, headless mode) and all command-line parameters can be found in the
program help.
Step 1: Choose a dedicated user account for the service
Create a dedicated Windows user account for the service (or use an existing user or domain account).
The service will later run under this account.
Do not use the "Local System" account. The reason: credentials, connections and permissions in
Windows are always tied to a specific user. If the service runs as "Local System", it cannot reach exactly these things:
- Network drive connections (mapped drives such as
H: are set up per user).
As of version 2.5.0 the program automatically resolves the associated network path, so drive letters entered
in a profile also work in the service – provided the service account is allowed to access the share.
- Network printers (printer connections are set up per user – relevant for the "Print" task)
- Saved passwords for encrypted PDF files (stored in the program per user)
- The license (stored per user account)
In addition, the main window would otherwise permanently show the message "External processor not active",
even though the service is in fact working correctly - because the window and the service only recognize each other when
both run under the same user.
Recommendation: Set up a dedicated account such as APP-Service and assign a password
that does not expire.
Step 2: Set up the program once under this account
Sign in to Windows once with the service account and start the regular program
(AutomaticPDFProcessor.exe). Configure everything here:
- Enter the license.
- Create or import profiles and verify them with a test run.
- If used: connect network drives, add network printers and store
passwords for encrypted PDF files.
This step is important: the license, drive connections and saved passwords are stored for exactly this user account.
The service can later only use what was set up here under its account.
Step 3: Enable the "External processor" option
So that the main window and the service do not interfere with each other, enable the matching option - still signed in
under the service account:
Open Options → Processing and, at the bottom under External processor, tick the box
"Background processor is managed externally (e.g. as a Windows service)".
What this option does: The main window assumes that the service handles the processing. It therefore no
longer starts or stops its own processing process and only serves to configure the program and display the logs. Without
this option, the window would start its own processor on each launch and get in the way of the service.
New as of version 2.5.0: When you enable the option, the program checks whether a matching Windows
service is already set up. If none exists yet, a note points this out - which is normal at this stage, because you
create the service in the next step. If the service already exists but is not running, the program offers to start it
directly and set it to automatic startup.
Then close the program with OK.
Step 4: Create the service
Open a Command Prompt as administrator and create the service with sc.exe. Adjust the path
to PDFProcessor.exe to match your installation location (the default is
C:\Program Files\Automatic PDF Processor 2) and enter your service account from Step 1 at obj=:
sc.exe create "AutomaticPDFProcessorService" binPath= "\"C:\Program Files\Automatic PDF Processor 2\PDFProcessor.exe\" --service"
sc.exe config "AutomaticPDFProcessorService" obj= ".\APP-Service" password= "YourPassword"
sc.exe config "AutomaticPDFProcessorService" start= auto
binPath= points to PDFProcessor.exe with the parameter --service.obj= is the user account the service runs under - exactly the account you set everything up under in
Steps 2 and 3. For a local account write .\AccountName, for a domain account
Domain\AccountName.start= auto ensures the service starts automatically when Windows boots.
Important: There is a space after each of binPath=, obj=,
password= and start= - sc.exe requires it.
Step 5: Start and check the service
Start the service:
sc.exe start "AutomaticPDFProcessorService"
Alternatively, as of version 2.5.0 you can simply open Options → Processing again and confirm with
OK: since the service now exists, the program offers to start it and set it to automatic startup (one
confirmation as administrator is enough).
Then check that everything is running:
- In the Windows Services management console (
services.msc), "AutomaticPDFProcessorService"
should have the status "Running".
- If there are problems, the file
ServiceDiagnostics.log helps. It is located in the
application data folder of the service account:
%AppData%\Automatic PDF Processor 2\ServiceDiagnostics.log
It contains the startup messages and - during operation - the entry IsWindowsService=True. If it shows
IsWindowsService=False, the service is not running as expected.
The regular processing and error logs appear as usual in the main window under Log.
Step 6: Ongoing operation
From now on, the service processes PDF files permanently in the background - regardless of whether a user is signed in.
You only start the main window when needed, to change profiles or view logs; the actual processing stays with the service.
If you later want to stop or remove the service:
sc.exe stop "AutomaticPDFProcessorService"
sc.exe delete "AutomaticPDFProcessorService"