System error 5 Access is denied when starting a .NET service

When I try to start a service I created in Visual Studio I receive the following error:

System error 5 has occurred.

Access is denied.

I am running the command line with elevated privileges, so it's not that problem. Is there any place I can look to see what error is occuring.


To get it to work I needed to add permissions to the output bin\debug folder for my service project.

The Local Service account didn't have permissions to the output .exe file, and this was why the error was occuring.


Had the same issue.

Fixed by running the service under "Local System Account"

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In my case the solution was even that simple: Run Command Prompt as administrator.