---
title: IDM as a Windows service
description: You can install IDM to run as a Windows service so that it automatically starts and stops with Windows. You must be logged in as an administrator to install a Windows service.
component: pingidm
version: 8.1
page_id: pingidm:install-guide:install-windows-service
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingidm/8.1/install-guide/install-windows-service.html
keywords: ["Installation", "Windows Service"]
---

# IDM as a Windows service

You can install IDM to run as a Windows service so that it automatically starts and stops with Windows. You must be logged in as an administrator to install a Windows service.

|   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| - | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
|   | On a 64-bit Windows server, you must have a 64-bit Java version installed to start the service. If a 32-bit Java version is installed, you will be able to install IDM as a service, but starting the service will fail.*Before* you launch the `service.bat` file, which registers the service within the Windows registry, make sure that your `JAVA_HOME` environment variable points to a valid 64-bit version of the JRE or JDK. If you have already installed the service with the `JAVA_HOME` environment variable pointing to a 32-bit JRE or JDK, delete the service first, then reinstall the service. |

1. Unpack the IDM-8.1.0.zip file, as described previously, and navigate to the `install-directory\bin` directory:

   ```
   C:\> cd openidm\bin
   C:\openidm\bin>
   ```

2. Run the `service.bat` command with the `/install` option, specifying the name that the service should run as:

   ```
   C:\openidm\bin> service.bat /install openidm
   ForgeRock Identity Management Server successfully installed as "openidm" service
   ```

3. Use the Windows Service manager to manage the IDM service.

   ![windows-service](_images/windows-service.png)Figure 1. Running as a Windows Service

4. By default, the IDM service is run by `Local System`, which is a system-level service account built in to Windows. Before you deploy IDM in production, you should switch to an account with fewer permissions. The account running the IDM service must be able to read, write, and execute only the directories related to IDM.

5. Use the Windows Service Manager to start, stop, or restart the service.

6. If you want to uninstall the IDM service, first use the Windows Service Manager to stop IDM and then run the following command:

   ```
   C:\install-directory\openidm\bin> service.bat /uninstall openidm
   Service "openidm" removed successfully
   ```

7. If desired, you can then set up IDM with a specific project directory:

   ```
   C:\install-directory\openidm\bin> service.bat /install openidm -p C:\project-directory
   ForgeRock Identity Management Server successfully installed as "openidm" service
   ```

You can also manage configuration details with the Procrun monitor application. IDM includes the associated `prunmgr.exe` executable in the `C:\install-directory\openidm\bin` directory.

For example, you can open the Windows service configuration application for IDM with the following command, where `ES` stands for *Edit Service Configuration*

```
C:\install-directory\openidm\bin> prunmgr.exe //ES/openidm
```

![windows-config](_images/windows-config.png)

The `prunmgr.exe` executable also includes the monitor application functionality described in the following Apache Commons page on the: [Procrun monitor Application](https://commons.apache.org/proper/commons-daemon/procrun.html). However, IDM does not include the Procrun service application.

For example, if you've configured IDM as a Windows service, you can start and stop it with the following commands:

```
C:\install-directory\openidm\bin> prunmgr.exe //MR/openidm
C:\install-directory\openidm\bin> prunmgr.exe //MQ/openidm
```

In these commands, `MR` is the option to *Monitor and Run* IDM, and `MQ` stands for *Monitor Quit*, which stops the IDM service.