| Author |
Message |
Roberto Hernandez
Guest
|
 Posted:
Tue Mar 23, 2004 2:27 am Post subject:
Enable Remote Desktop Sharing from command line |
|
|
Hello everyone,
I'm in charge of giving support to several users. In order
to speed things up, I'd like to enable remote desktop
sharing "on demand". That is, I don't want to have the
service running all the time. Instead I'd like to start
the service remotely when a user needs support. Once I'm
finished then I'll stop the service again.
After messing around with the registry for a while I found
that the following registry values have to be set in order
to start the service:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Conferencing\Mcpt]
"Fpx"=hex:01,00,00,00
"Plc"=hex:01,00,00,00
So I set these values using a logon script.
Next I ran the following command remotely:
"net start mnmsrvc"
and the service successfully started.
Unfortunately, when I try to establish a call from my
computer it fails. NetMeeting says it's "Connecting...",
but never actually does.
Does anyone have any suggestions? Do you know whether this
has been done before? Is it documented anywhere?
Thanks in advance,
Roberto |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Brian Sullivan MVP
Guest
|
| Posted:
Tue Mar 23, 2004 2:59 am Post subject:
Re: Enable Remote Desktop Sharing from command line |
|
|
Roberto Hernandez wrote:
| Quote: | Hello everyone,
I'm in charge of giving support to several users. In order
to speed things up, I'd like to enable remote desktop
sharing "on demand". That is, I don't want to have the
service running all the time. Instead I'd like to start
the service remotely when a user needs support. Once I'm
finished then I'll stop the service again.
|
So presumably you have remote access to the user's machine via some other
avenue?
| Quote: |
After messing around with the registry for a while I found
that the following registry values have to be set in order
to start the service:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Conferencing\Mcpt]
"Fpx"=hex:01,00,00,00
"Plc"=hex:01,00,00,00
So I set these values using a logon script.
|
This is a one time requirement?
You could run a .reg file containing those entries and use "regedit file" as
the command( I haven't really tried that though so I am not sure if it will
work).
A quick check indicates that a prompt will pop up asking if the .reg file is
used ( not sure if this can be worked around).
If you haven't successfully got it to work -- how do you know those are
values to change?
| Quote: |
Next I ran the following command remotely:
"net start mnmsrvc"
and the service successfully started.
Unfortunately, when I try to establish a call from my
computer it fails. NetMeeting says it's "Connecting...",
but never actually does.
|
Generally just starting the service won't do it -- it has to be activated by
the user.
| Quote: |
Does anyone have any suggestions? Do you know whether this
has been done before? Is it documented anywhere?
|
Why don't you want the service to run all the time? How are you going to
activate it when you need it?
--
Brian Sullivan
Meeting by Wire ( http://www.meetingbywire.com)
------------
Is your PC protected? --
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/default.asp |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Roberto Hernandez
Guest
|
| Posted:
Tue Mar 23, 2004 5:29 pm Post subject:
Re: Enable Remote Desktop Sharing from command line |
|
|
| Quote: | -----Original Message-----
So presumably you have remote access to the user's
machine via some other
avenue?
|
Yes, W2K Support Tools (not installed by default but
available on the CD) is "remote" which allows you to run a
remote prompt if you have admin rights on the computer. I
use a similar program called "psexec" from
http://www.sysinternals.com which does the same thing. In
any case, that part works fine. I can execute programs in
the remote computer.
| Quote: |
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Conferencing\Mcpt]
"Fpx"=hex:01,00,00,00
"Plc"=hex:01,00,00,00
So I set these values using a logon script.
This is a one time requirement?
|
Not 100% sure, but everything seems to indicate it is.
| Quote: | You could run a .reg file containing those entries and
use "regedit file" as
the command( I haven't really tried that though so I am
not sure if it will
work).
|
That part is solved. Just run "regedit -s <file>".
| Quote: | If you haven't successfully got it to work -- how do you
know those are
values to change?
|
I don't know that those are the only values, that's why
I'm posting here. However, if these values aren't set you
can't start the service with "net start mnmsrvc"
| Quote: | Generally just starting the service won't do it -- it has
to be activated by
the user.
|
Not necessarily, I got it to work on one workstation with
no interaction from the user (so it's doable).
Unfortunately I can't reproduce it on other workstations.
What I can't figure out is what registry settings are
missing...
| Quote: | Why don't you want the service to run all the time? How
are you going to
activate it when you need it?
|
In order to activate it when I need it all I'd do is
use "remote" or "psexec" to execute the following command
on the remote PC: "net start mnmsrvc". Once I'm done I'd
run: "net stop mnmsrvc"
Three reasons for doing it this way:
1. Security - Why have the service listening for new
connections and open a door for someone else to control a
workstation? If I enable the service only when I need it
it'll be much more secure.
2. Convenience - I won't need to run around installing the
service on more than 130 workstations. The worsktations
won't have another process eating up resources.
3. Graphics - For some reason when the netmeeting service
is running desktop icons are displayed using 256 colors.
http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/win2000/1016717872
http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/win2000/1039541302 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Brian Sullivan MVP
Guest
|
| Posted:
Tue Mar 23, 2004 6:28 pm Post subject:
Re: Enable Remote Desktop Sharing from command line |
|
|
Roberto Hernandez wrote:
| Quote: |
If you haven't successfully got it to work -- how do you know those
are values to change?
|
Well the only thing I can think of is that there are more registry entries
required. I would watch the registry changes that happen when the "activate"
is chosen from the right click menu of the desktop sharing icon in the
system tray.
| Quote: |
I don't know that those are the only values, that's why
I'm posting here. However, if these values aren't set you
can't start the service with "net start mnmsrvc"
Generally just starting the service won't do it -- it has to be
activated by the user.
Not necessarily, I got it to work on one workstation with
no interaction from the user (so it's doable).
Unfortunately I can't reproduce it on other workstations.
What I can't figure out is what registry settings are
missing...
|
Perhaps that station had already activated the service ( once activated I am
pretty sure that "net start" and "net stop" will work).
| Quote: |
Why don't you want the service to run all the time? How are you
going to activate it when you need it?
In order to activate it when I need it all I'd do is
use "remote" or "psexec" to execute the following command
on the remote PC: "net start mnmsrvc". Once I'm done I'd
run: "net stop mnmsrvc"
Three reasons for doing it this way:
1. Security - Why have the service listening for new
connections and open a door for someone else to control a
workstation? If I enable the service only when I need it
it'll be much more secure.
|
I am not sure that is true -- you have already an opening to allow you to
access the machine's console. NetMeeting's desktop sharing is not less
secure than that -- authentication is required over an encrypted channel --
so it may in fact be more secure.
| Quote: |
2. Convenience - I won't need to run around installing the
service on more than 130 workstations. The worsktations
won't have another process eating up resources.
|
I guess I can't argue there.
OK -- I have not heard of or seen this phenomenon -- this actually happens
in your case? What SP of Win2000 are you running? SP 4 has the latest NM
version for Win2000.
--
Brian Sullivan
Meeting by Wire ( http://www.meetingbywire.com)
------------
Is your PC protected? --
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/default.asp |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Roberto Hernandez
Guest
|
| Posted:
Wed Mar 24, 2004 4:33 pm Post subject:
Re: Enable Remote Desktop Sharing from command line |
|
|
| Quote: | Well the only thing I can think of is that there are more
registry entries
required. I would watch the registry changes that happen
when the "activate"
is chosen from the right click menu of the desktop
sharing icon in the
system tray.
|
That's what I did for the mentioned registry entries. I
will catch the registry changes that go on when you open
netmeeting for the first time and write your name, email,
etc.
| Quote: | I am not sure that is true -- you have already an opening
to allow you to
access the machine's console. NetMeeting's desktop
sharing is not less
secure than that -- authentication is required over an
encrypted channel --
so it may in fact be more secure.
|
The console opening is there with every default windows
installation... I didn't change anything. The only way to
access that console is if you have admin rights over that
PC so I'm guessing there's some Kerberos authentication in
between. If that can't be trusted (maybe it can't...) then
the whole W2K security concept has to be tossed.
Without fail... Every time I install the service and
reboot it happens. I'm running W2K professional with SP4
and all the critical updates applied through a SUS server. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
Memberlist
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in