title: Ensure a windows service is started from Visual Basic .Net
body: <p>I have a WCF service being hosted in a Windows Service (using techniques discussed <a href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc949080.aspx#" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a>) and it works great. I'm now writing a (VB.Net) frontend app that needs to call that service, but I don't want my users having to fiddle around with the services snap-in and starting the service manually.</p>
  
  <p>Can I write some code to ensure the Windows Service is started, or start it if it isn't?</p>
  
  <p><strong>Edit:</strong> OF course, I can ensure the Service startup is set to automatic, but it doesn't need to be running all the time, and even then the frontend app still needs to be sure the service is running and start it if it isn't.</p>