How to Run UFTP Daemon as a Windows Service with AlwaysUp

UFTP is an encrypted multicast file transfer program. The UFTP client daemon (UFTPD) runs headless, waiting for clients to connect and request files.

The UFTP Windows package includes the free srvany & instsrv utilities that can run UFTPD as a service, but AlwaysUp can do a much better job of launching and controlling the UFTP daemon at boot.

To run UFTPD as a Windows Service with AlwaysUp:

1. If necessary, download the UFTP Zip package and extract it to a folder.

   We extracted to C:\UFTP on our Windows Server 2019 machine so that location will appear throughout this tutorial:

   

2. Compose your UFTPD command line and make sure that the program operates as expected. If not, UFTPD won't work as a Windows Service either!

   For this tutorial, we'll use the following command line — which sets a temporary folder to support file transfer resume (while sticking with most of the defaults):

   uftpd.exe -T C:\UFTP\Temp

3. Download and install AlwaysUp.

4. Start AlwaysUp.

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

   

6. On the General tab:

   • In the Application field, enter the full path to the UFTPD executable, uftpd.exe. Since we installed UFTP in C:\UFTP, we'll specify:

     C:\UFTP\uftpd.exe

   • In the Arguments field, enter the parameters to uftpd.exe.

   • And in the Name field, enter the name that you will call this application in AlwaysUp. We've stuck with the default — Uftpd.

   

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

   

8. We're now done configuring UFTPD as a service, so click the Save button to record your settings. In a couple of seconds, an application called Uftpd will appear in the AlwaysUp window. It is not yet running though and the state will be Stopped:

   

9. To start UFTP, choose Application > Start "Uftpd" from the menu. The state of the entry should transition from Stopped to Running and the UFTP daemon should be available in a few seconds.

   Click the green "Running" circle to see a few details of the UFTPD process:

   

10. That's it! Next time your computer boots, your UFTPD service will be launched immediately, before anyone logs on.

    Feel free to edit the entry in AlwaysUp and add more advanced options. For example, boost the priority of the UFTP daemon process, send an email if the server crashes, and much more.

Download & Import the UFTPD Settings File

For your convenience, we have provided an AlwaysUp Settings File with all the settings recommended in this guide.

To use the file:

1. Download Uftpd_alwaysup.xml to your computer. Please make a note of where you save it.

2. In AlwaysUp, select Application > Import from the menu.

3. Choose the file you downloaded in step 1.

4. Make the following adjustment in the Add Application window:

   • On the General tab, in the Arguments field, delete the placeholder text and enter the command line parameters to the uftpd executable. Be sure to quote any value that contains a space.

5. Click Save to record your new UFTPD service.

UFTP Daemon not working properly as a Windows Service?

• Enable verbose logging by adding the "-x" parameter to the uftpd.exe command line. Hopefully UFTP will tell you what is going wrong.

• 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 UFTP. 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!