How to Run BoxCryptor 24/7 as a Windows Service with AlwaysUp

BoxCryptor encrypts your files stored in the cloud. It supports all the major services, including Dropbox, Google Drive and Box.net.

To configure BoxCryptor as a Windows Service with AlwaysUp:

1. Download and install AlwaysUp, if necessary.

2. Download, install and configure BoxCryptor, if necessary. Ensure that your password is saved so that BoxCryptor will start without prompting for your credentials.

   

3. Start AlwaysUp.

4. Select Application > Add to open the Add Application window:

   

5. On the General tab:

   • In the Application field, enter the full path to the BoxCryptor executable, Boxcryptor.exe. If you installed BoxCryptor in the default location, this is:

     C:\Program Files\Boxcryptor\Boxcryptor.exe

     or

     C:\Program Files (x86)\Boxcryptor\Boxcryptor.exe

     if you are on a 64-bit system.

   • In the Name field, enter the name that you will call the application in AlwaysUp. We have used Boxcryptor, the default, but you can specify almost anything you like.

   

6. Click over to the Logon tab and enter the user name and password of the account in which you installed and configured BoxCryptor. BoxCryptor must run in this account so that it can find its settings.

   

7. Click over to the Startup tab and check the Ensure that the Windows Networking components have started box. This informs AlwaysUp that BoxCryptor needs TCP/IP networking support to do its work.

   

8. Click the Save button. In a couple of seconds, an application called Boxcryptor will show up in the AlwaysUp window. It is not yet running though.

   

9. Before we start BoxCryptor as a Windows Service, let's set it up to run automatically in the background.

   1. Start BoxCryptor normally from the desktop icon or Start menu if it is not yet running.

   2. Right-click on the BoxCryptor tray icon and select Settings.

      

   3. In the Boxcryptor Settings window that comes up, click over to the Advanced tab. From there:

      1. Uncheck the Start with Windows box
      2. Click the Show more settings link at the bottom to reveal additional options
      3. Check the Mount for all users box. This ensures that the BoxCryptor drive will show up even when BoxCryptor is running as a Windows Service.

      

   4. Now that you are done configuring BoxCryptor, stop it by right-clicking on its tray icon and selecting Exit.

      

10. To start BoxCryptor from AlwaysUp choose Application > Start "Boxcryptor". After a few seconds the state should transition to "Running" (as evidenced by the green circle icon, which shows additional details when you click on it).

    And even on Windows 10/8/7 and Server 2022/2019/2016/2012, where BoxCryptor will be running in the background in the isolated Session 0, you will be able to access your BoxCryptor drive and encrypted files via Windows Explorer.

    

11. That's it! Next time your computer boots, BoxCryptor will start up immediately, before anyone logs on. We encourage you to edit the entry in AlwaysUp and check out the many other settings that may be appropriate for your environment.

BoxCryptor not working properly as a Windows Service?

• Consult the AlwaysUp Troubleshooter — our online tool that can help you resolve the most common problems encountered when running an application as a windows service.

• From AlwaysUp, select Application > Report Activity > Today to bring up an HTML report detailing the interaction between AlwaysUp and BoxCryptor. The AlwaysUp Event Log Messages page explains the messages that may appear.

• Browse the AlwaysUp FAQ for answers to commonly asked questions and troubleshooting tips.

• Contact us and we will be happy to help!