SharePoint Uploader Service

A Windows background service that monitors a local folder and automatically uploads new or modified files to a SharePoint document library using the Microsoft Graph API. Includes a GUI installer for easy configuration and deployment.

How It Works

• uploader_service.py — A pywin32-based Windows service that watches a folder with watchdog. When a file is created or modified, it authenticates via MSAL (client credentials flow) and uploads the file to SharePoint. Files under 4 MB use a simple PUT; larger files use Graph API's chunked upload session. Temporary files, Thumbs.db, and ~$ Office lock files are ignored. A 15-second debounce prevents duplicate events during writes, and a persistent upload registry (uploaded_files.json) prevents re-uploading unchanged files after a service restart.
• installer_gui.py — A tkinter GUI that collects your Azure AD credentials and folder paths, writes a config.ini, copies the service executable to Program Files\SharePointUploader, and registers/starts the Windows service — no command line required. If a previous installation is detected, the form is pre-populated from the existing config.ini so you don't have to re-enter credentials on updates.

Prerequisites

Azure AD App Registration

Before deploying, you need an Azure AD (Entra ID) app registration with the following Microsoft Graph application permissions (not delegated):

• Sites.ReadWrite.All or Files.ReadWrite.All

Grant admin consent after adding the permissions. You will need:

Field	Where to find it
Tenant ID	Azure Portal → Entra ID → Overview
Client ID	App Registration → Overview
Client Secret	App Registration → Certificates & Secrets
SharePoint Site ID	Graph Explorer: GET /v1.0/sites/{hostname}:/sites/{site-name} → copy id
Document Library ID	Graph Explorer: GET /v1.0/sites/{site-id}/drives → copy the drive id

Python Dependencies

pip install pywin32 msal requests watchdog pyinstaller

Flag	Purpose
--onefile	Produces a single portable .exe
--windowed	Suppresses the console window for the GUI
--add-data "dist\uploader_service.exe;."	Bundles the service exe into the installer

The final installer will be at dist\installer_gui.exe.

Installation

Windows All-in-one

1. Run the build_installer.bat The build_installer.bat will compile both the installer_gui.exe and the uploader_service.exe into a single installation SharePointUploaderSetup.exe

The installer will:

• Stop and remove any existing version of the service
• Copy uploader_service.exe to C:\Program Files\SharePointUploader\
• Write config.ini with your settings
• Register and start the SharePointUploaderService Windows service (set to auto-start)

Uninstalling

Run the installer again and click Uninstall Service. This stops the service, removes its registry entry, and deletes the install directory.

Configuration

The service reads config.ini from its install directory. The installer writes this file automatically, but you can edit it manually if needed:

[Settings]
tenant_id         = your-tenant-id
client_id         = your-client-id
client_secret     = your-client-secret
sharepoint_site_id      = your-site-id
document_library_id     = your-drive-id
monitor_folder          = C:\Path\To\Watch
sharepoint_target_folder = Optional/Subfolder
log_file          = service.log

After editing config.ini manually, restart the service:

sc stop SharePointUploaderService
sc start SharePointUploaderService

Logs

The service writes logs to service.log in C:\Program Files\SharePointUploader\. Check this file to verify uploads or diagnose errors.

An uploaded_files.json file is also maintained in the same directory. It records the size and modification time of every successfully uploaded file so the service can skip unchanged files across restarts. You can delete this file to force all files to be re-uploaded on the next service start.

Service Management

sc start SharePointUploaderService
sc stop SharePointUploaderService
sc query SharePointUploaderService