I have a client that wanted to be able to remotely access an employee’s computer, but didn’t want to use Windows XP’s remote desktop (long story why) . He also didn’t want to pay for commercial software, so I needed to find a freeware solution.
After doing some research, I decided UltraVNC was the best solution for my client. Using a few freeware tools, I was able to silently deploy the software, and the boss was able to view the employee’s screen in realtime. Here’s my solution:
Note: You will need to know the IP address/name of the target computer, and will need administrative rights to install UltraVNC.
1) Download the most recent stable version of UltraVNC
2) Install UltraVNC on the monitoring workstation (where you will be doing the viewing)
3) Download fastpush and noicons from Dark Age. You only need noicons if you don’t want an icon in the system tray.
4) Extract fastpush (default is to a folder named fp82). Edit fp82.cmd and edit the line
set fplocation=d:\fastpush
to reflect the location you extracted fastpush to.
5) Use vncenc.exe to generate a password to paste into fp82\common\machine.ini or vnc4.ini (see here for more info)
From a command prompt, to generate the password type
vncenc.exe yourpassword
6) Extract noicons, and paste it’s five files into the fp82\real412 directory
7) To install UltraVNC on the remote machine, execute fp82.cmd. The syntax I used was (type as a single line):
fp82.cmd 10.128.1.8 /vnc /user administrator userpassword /log /noshortcut /firewall /noview
“10.128.1.8″ is the IP address of the remote machine (could use dns or netbios name as well),
“administrator” is the account to use to install with
“userpassword” is the administrator account’s password.
“noshortcut” doesn’t create shortcuts to vnc on the remote machine
“firewall” creates the exceptions for VNC in the remote Windows firewall
“noview” doesn’t install the VNC viewer on the remote PC.
You should now be able to use VNC to view and interact with the remote PC.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Don’t know if this would be of any use to your situation, but I’ve found STRCM by System Tools to be an effective freeware tool for deploying VNC. Works well in an AD environment. It starts and stops the VNC service dynamically. Computer naming becomes even more important though.
There is a also a nifty utility called Gencontrol that does something similar, but with an older wrapped version of VNC. Not updated very often.
I’d follow the steps. But I got some error. Part of it is like this;-
*** CHECKING SHARE ACCESS ***
Error: Access is denied.
Remote system drive found okay [].
Error: Access is denied.
Windows location found okay [].
Error: Access is denied.
Program files location found okay [].
*** CHECK REMOTE PROGRAM FILES FOLDER ***
*** WARNING! ***
Access could to the remote Program Files location could not be confirmed.
Please check that the folder below exists:
“\\10.0.*.***\$\”
What is the actual problem here?..
Thanks.
The “access is denied” messages make me think the account you are using does not have adequate permissions on the remote machine. Are you using an account with administrator rights on 10.0.*.***? Is is a local or domain account? Which OS is the remote machine? Maybe the remote machine has a firewall that is blocking the installer?
- Julie
Thank you for responding me.
I’m have administrator rights to that computer with local account. The remote machine’s OS is Windows XP SP2. Is it possible that the Win XP SP2 firewall interfered with the installation?. How can I bypass that firewall?.
Thanks.
Thanks for this post – worked like a champ!
This is working like a dream.
You dont have any other scripting programs to install other software products?
I have the same problem as BigBurn only I know that the firewall is not a problem because it is not using one…. it’s my dummy test server…. so, what is the problem when it says
access to the remote program files location could not be confirmed
“\\\$\”
???
Or you could just use Gencontrol
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Internet/Remote-Utils/GenControl.shtml
Why waste your time with all that mess, just get TeamViewer
http://www.teamviewer.com/index.aspx
The idea here is that you don’t need remote access to the machine to set it up.
It is a silent remote install.
Microsoft Security Essentials detect the VNC files contained in the fastpush download as threats on June 16 2010
All that for vnc? jeepers. Here are the Mac steps.
1. Enable screen sharing on the target Mac.
2. On you Macy type vnc://IPoftarget into “go” menu.
3. There is no three.
THANKS A TON. I was stuck with remotely installing VNC because the only way I knew, ie after doing RDP and then installing the VNC client, was not working at all.
Easy steps…top notch results.
Those getting authentication errors, make sure that the domain name is included with the user name while running the command
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