I'm currently investigating alternatives to using VNC to provide remote access to a series of machines. For some reason the customer does not want to run VNC, I've not yet figured out why this is, it may be that they can be persueded/convinced it's acceptable.

Anyway, the problem is I'm looking at XP remote desktop which comes installed (although not enabled) on every machine deployed on the project. I've tried it in the office and whilst it certainly works, I would like to share the active desktop on the machine ala VNC. Is this possible? I know very little about XP (and I'd like to keep it that way) so I don't know wether this can be done or not. Could someone tell me yes or no?

If not, can anyone recommend an alternative that's either free or cheap?

Thankyou, VNC it is then.

One thing we do with our customers if they don't want to open the port in their firewall is run the VNC listening viewer on our end. Then, whenever they have a support issue that requires a VNC session, we just tell them to right click on the server icon, select "Add New Client" and type in our hostname.

Works quite well and seems to satisfy the more paranoid net admins. Just make sure you have port 5500 open on your end if you want to do this.

It actually is.

Unsolicited Remote Assistance does that, but requires destination user approval.

I understand you don't want to know much about Windows and VNC is most likely easier to get up and running, but just in case this helps:

On Source machine:
Start, Help and Support, Under "Pick a task" select tools, On the left menu: offer remote assistance, then type destinatio IP or hostname.

On destination machine: remote support must be enabled:
Right click on "my computer", properties, Remote, Allow users to connect remotely to this computer, Allow Remote Assistance Invitations to be sent to this computer.
also
Start, Run: "gpedit.msc", Computer COnfiguration, Administrative Templates, System, Remote Assistance, double click on "Offer Remote Assistance", Enabled, then, below, select "Allow helpers to remotely control", then click on "Show", add users you want to enable to control destination machine (DOMAN\Username or DOMAIN\groupname).

If you use Windows Firewall, you would also have to add the following exceptions to the Windows Firewall local or group policy.
Add the following entry to the Windows Firewall Port exceptions:
TCP port 135
The following entries to the Windows Firewall Program exceptions:
%WINDIR%\SYSTEM32\Sessmgr.exe
%WINDIR%\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\Helpsvc.exe
%WINDIR%\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\Helpctr.exe

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Otherwise, I find Ultr@vnc (ultravnc.sourceforge.net) the best incarnation of VNC in Widnows even though I don't think I tested all those around. It does perform poorly as compared to the above in terms of speed. Still good, though, and free as well.

I vaguely recall having used NetMeeting once in similar situation.

I'm pretty sure if all the workstations are a member of a domain, and you have full domain admin rights, you can just run this from your run screen, and the user won't have any clue you’re watching them. That's the main reason I disable it on every single one of my personal computers, and just enable remote desktop.

hcp://CN=Microsoft%20Corporation,L=Redmond,S=Washington,C=US/Remote%20Assistance/Escalation/unsolicited/unsolicitedrcui.htm

I just disabled a firewall on a machine in one of our domains, and tested it, to no avail.
Could you be more specific? If that is the case that is a major security hole and privacy infringement, here, and it would be of great help to know!

You are saying that, with default windows configuration on one machine in a domain (and firewall disabled /open on interested ports, of course), Domain Admin with full rights should be able to simply run that (which calls the unsolicited help connection) and access the destination machine in "view" mode?

My test took place to/from machines updated to SP2 + following fixes.

Thanks in advace.



Edit:

Quote:
I vaguely recall having used NetMeeting once in similar situation.

Remote Assistance does come with file transfer / chat utility. Netmeeting can also be used as part of the assistance "package". I don't remember cfg details at that regard, however, since I never needed webcam or other Netmeeting features when remote controlling a desktop.

I'm currently investigating UltraVNC, it seems to satisfy the customers requirements although I'm having a few problems with the encryption plugin (as in I can't make it work). It certainly has some really cool features.