connecting to a machine via RD without passwords

[Brian McCabe]

Hi -

I have a machine at home that i would STRONGLY prefer to be able to
connect to via Remote Desktop without having to configure the user ID
to have a password. The reason is simple - there is no keyboard
attached to the machine and thus entering the password after the remote
session disconnects is impossible. Why does it have no keyboard, you
ask??? Because its only job is to play back avi files. it is attached
to my home theater system.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[Brian McCabe]

No takers?? FYI, this machine would not be accessible outside my
network - my regular desktop is the machine that the router forwards
UDP port 3389 requests to. So if you're thinking security is a really
major issue with what I want to do, it's not.

Please help!

 

[Sooner Al \(MVP\)]

No takers?? FYI, this machine would not be accessible outside my
network - my regular desktop is the machine that the router forwards
UDP port 3389 requests to. So if you're thinking security is a really
major issue with what I want to do, it's not.

Please help!

You can use a combination of the XP Power Toy "Tweak UI" and the information
in this KB article to do what you want. Setup Tweak UI for auto login for
your account...

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q281262

This is from a simple Google search by the way...

--

Al Jarvi (MS-MVP Windows Networking)

Please post *ALL* questions and replies to the news group for the
mutual benefit of all of us...
The MS-MVP Program - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights...

 

[Brian McCabe]

Let me see if I can make this more clear.

When a person remotes to another machine and then ends the remote
connection, the machine that was remoted to is now "locked" in that the
password must be entered in order for the machine to be used again.

What I would like to see happen is that when I disconnect the remote
session, the machine I was remoting to simply goes back to the desktop
- or at least goes to the screen where the username must be clicked to
move to the desktop, either option would be fine. I do NOT want any
password to have to be entered, since there is no keyboard attached to
the machine.

After implementing your suggestion, I have confirmed that the
combination of tweakUI and the mmc snapin does not accomplish this.
According to the dialog in the tweakUI tool, the password would be
bypassed on system STARTUP, but there is no indication the password
would be bypassed at any time other than this. I have remoted to the
machine in question, ended the remote session, then looked at the
remote machine in person and, lo and behold, it still demands the
password.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Let me see if I can make this more clear.

When a person remotes to another machine and then ends the remote
connection, the machine that was remoted to is now "locked" in that
the password must be entered in order for the machine to be used
again.

What I would like to see happen is that when I disconnect the remote
session, the machine I was remoting to simply goes back to the
desktop - or at least goes to the screen where the username must be
clicked to move to the desktop, either option would be fine. I do
NOT want any password to have to be entered, since there is no
keyboard attached to the machine.

After implementing your suggestion, I have confirmed that the
combination of tweakUI and the mmc snapin does not accomplish this.
According to the dialog in the tweakUI tool, the password would be
bypassed on system STARTUP, but there is no indication the password
would be bypassed at any time other than this. I have remoted to the
machine in question, ended the remote session, then looked at the
remote machine in person and, lo and behold, it still demands the
password.

No can do. Not in the way you describe it (steps anyway.)

You can push the console back to the local screen when you 'end' your
connection - but only if that connection was already in existence.
So - in theory - if you setup the machine to automatically log on at boot -
never lock with screensaver - and then you only remote into the system with
the same user it automatically logs in as - then you can always push the
console back to the local screen - never actually locking it. But all it
takes is one invalid disconnect (one where you did not push the console
baclk to the local session) or one connection with another user account to
screw that all up. In order for the screen to come back you HAVE to push
the console back to the local session that was in use before your remote
logon took it over (same username/password.)

The command?

tscon 0 /dest:console

On the remote machine.

Your other option is to use something like UltraVNC - so the screen never
locks - ever. Anyone sitting in front of the console will see and can
intefere with what you are doing. This option can be used with the
automatic logon OR the no password for accounts scenario.