ChrisControl, Connect to ANY remote System! Options

[chall32]

Well, here we go with another GUI tool Wah-hey!


Want to connect to that remote system? Unsure if there is any remote control software loaded on the remote system?

ChrisControl can help! All you need is the remote server IP address or hostname and a valid username and password for the remote system

ChrisControl works by scanning the remote system to see if either RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol aka Terminal Services) or VNC (Virtual Network Computing) servers are installed and running.

- If RDP is found then the ChrisControl connects to the remote system via RDP client
- If VNC is found then the ChrisControl connects to the remote system via VNC client
- If neither are found then (here is the clever bit!) ChrisControl will prompt the user to remotely install VNC Server onto the remote system. ChrisControl will then install VNC server, start and connect to the remote system via VNC

ChrisControl has two further tickbox options:
- The option of uninstalling VNC server when fininshed
- The option of connecting to the console session of the remote system (only supported by Windows 2003 and XP)

Whats more is that ChrisControl ships as one convenient file - no other files are required!

PEBuilder instructions:
- Extract zip file into PEBuilder plugins folder
- PE build away!

Further help and info can be obtained by launching ChrisControl and clicking "Help"

Screenshot:


ChrisControl can be downloaded from my website: http://www.chall.plus.com/winpe

Current version = v1.7 - See post #196

UPDATE:
OK - So how does ChrisControl work?? - See HERE - It's not rocket science.. Honest!!!

This post has been edited by chall32: Mar 1 2007, 11:59 AM

[chall32]

Hmmm... 184 views and no comments - is my autoit scripting getting better? (probably not!)

Or is everyone still confused?
Put simply - even if the machine you are connecting to isn't running any remote control software at all, this tool will install VNC server on it for you!
It will even uninstall VNC server when you have finished!

GREAT for desktop support people!
GREAT for those of us who have to remotely access servers and desktops that are physically located over the other side of the country!

ChrisControl updated to v0.4.

2 small changes:
- Added timeout for cancelled VNC connections
- Hide ChrisControl window during remote control sessions

Download URL in post #1

[Rootman]

Well no joy. I try the remote control and it sits there with the Installing VNC dialog . I am trying from my desktop to my laptop, both are on a MS domain and I am administrator of both machines locally as well as domain admin.

Here are some problems / suggestions (beyond it not working):

· Doesn't seem to use VNC when the RDP check box is UNchecked. This would be a nice feature if it worked. Sometimes I actually have to show someone something on the real console rather than a virtual console, hence VNC should be used even though RDP is available.

· The "Installing VNC" dialog is not modal, the main ChrisControl box can be moved around under it.

· No way to cancel and install when it sticks - despite your new "timeout" feature.

· I really like UltraVNC for the toolbar, chat and plugins. Is there a way to make your ChrisControl work with another VNC version?

· A way to make setting(s) permanent, i.e. keep the RDP checkbox UNchecked all the time. An INI file? Perhaps combined with the above feature request?

· The CONNECT button should be the default so that it connects when stabbing ENTER after typing in a name / username / password.

· The IP / hostname should remain in the dialog after disconnecting (perhaps it does, I haven't managed to make a connection yet) so I know who I WAS connected to so I can re-connect after like say a reboot?

I am always on the lookout for things to make my life as an admin easier.

I've regularly use 2 other utils that do the VNC thing:

Gencontrol ( http://www.gensortium.com/products/gencontrol.html )which hasn't been updated since 2003

and

STRCM ( http://www.systemtools.com/free_frame.htm click FREE TOOLS in lower lh corner and STRCM) which has lots of options.

[cool400]

@chall32

Hmmm...did I understood you right that your ChrisControl checks if a VNC-software is running on the remote-system and - if one is present, e.g. UltraVNC-server running on the remote-system - it connects to this PC?

If so, it isn't working for me! I have UltraVNC-server running on my home-PC and I'm able to connect to it via UltraVNC-viewer. Now I tried your ChrisControl instead of the UltraVNC-viewer, but it is unable to connect to my home-PC using my dyndns.org-adress (it works with UltraVNC-viewer)...

Could you tell me what's going wrong?

Best regards

cool400

[chall32]

@Rootman

Cheers for the suggestions! I'm busy updating ChrisControl now! Comments & answers in blue.
=====
Well no joy. I try the remote control and it sits there with the Installing VNC dialog . I am trying from my desktop to my laptop, both are on a MS domain and I am administrator of both machines locally as well as domain admin.
Strange.. are you entering a username and password or are you leaving the boxes blank?

Here are some problems / suggestions (beyond it not working):

· Doesn't seem to use VNC when the RDP check box is UNchecked. This would be a nice feature if it worked. Sometimes I actually have to show someone something on the real console rather than a virtual console, hence VNC should be used even though RDP is available.
Originally I wanted ChrisControl to always connect via RDP if possible. However, I'm now thinking that it may be a good idea to have a 'protocols section' where you can choose which protocol ChrisControl should use.

· The "Installing VNC" dialog is not modal, the main ChrisControl box can be moved around under it.
Agreed - however I don't think that there is a way around this other than making the dialogue boxes "movable" as well..

· No way to cancel and install when it sticks - despite your new "timeout" feature.
Agreed - I'll look into this.

· I really like UltraVNC for the toolbar, chat and plugins. Is there a way to make your ChrisControl work with another VNC version?
Yep - I've ditched TightVNC for UltraVNC for v0.5.

· A way to make setting(s) permanent, i.e. keep the RDP checkbox UNchecked all the time. An INI file? Perhaps combined with the above feature request?
Yep - ChrisControl uses an ini file for it's connection history so this shouldn't be a problem at all.

· The CONNECT button should be the default so that it connects when stabbing ENTER after typing in a name / username / password.
Agreed - Will fix for v0.5.

· The IP / hostname should remain in the dialog after disconnecting (perhaps it does, I haven't managed to make a connection yet) so I know who I WAS connected to so I can re-connect after like say a reboot?
Matter of taste here - I prefer a nice blank box when launching the app. There is a dropdown on the host field which will display sucessful connection history.

Re Gencontrol - that was really my original inspiration for ChrisControl - Gencontrol with a added bonus of 1) specifying a username & password 2) connecting via RDP if the remote host is running it.

====
@cool400

I think tis is because ChrisControl uses TightVNC!

ChrisControl v0.4 and below use TightVNC rather than UltraVNC. ChrisControl v0.5 (when I finish making all the modifications outlined in my reply to Rootman above) will use UltraVNC.

[Rootman]

Strange.. are you entering a username and password or are you leaving the boxes blank?

Tried it both ways. I was logged into both with the same domain credentials with accounts listed as local admin on each machine.

The "Installing VNC" dialog is not modal, the main ChrisControl box can be moved around under it. 
Agreed - however I don't think that there is a way around this other than making the dialogue boxes "movable" as well..

It just gets confusing if you click the main dialog and it raises to cover the "installing VNC" mini dialog. Why not dim all the buttons / dialog on the main window and just add the busy dialog in the bottom of the main dialog?

[ewieldra]

sounds rather cool ...

i'll also take a look

thnx

emiel

[CWorks]

can't wait till v0.5 comes out
have same problem as cool400

[Former_sage03sxt_post]

does it work thru firewalls?


SaGE

[chall32]

@All,

Here we go then!

v0.5 is now available on my website!

v0.4 to v0.5 Change log:
- Use UltraVNC instead of TightVNC,
- Make Connect button default button
- Grey GUI controls when connecting
- Write and read tickbox data to/from ini
- Added RDP & VNC protocol selection tick boxes
- Better handling of VNC installation errors
- Replace stopvnc.bat with new vncremove.exe to close winvnc removal popup on host
- Status dialogue added to main GUI to replace popups
- Lots of minor code changes and bugfixes

This is more of an interim release than a fully blown "release candidate", mainly because there is still a couple of outstanding things I would like to include:
- Ability to cancel a VNC install halfway through
- Better use of the system tray icon (add menu)
- Re write help file to reflect changes above

Screenshoot of updated GUI and download URL for v0.5 are both in post #1

[Joshua]

@chall32
your website says:
ChrisControl - [v0.4] - An RDP + VNC Remote Control Tool, with remote VNC installation - Screenshot - Source Code - Help

but download version is correct v0.5.

Joshua

[chall32]

@All - one other thing I forgot to mention - due to changes in the construction of chriscontrol.ini, I recommend you delete any old versions of chriscontrol.ini before running ChrisControl v0.5. The ini can be found in your %temp% folder. If you don't delete your old chriscontrol.ini, v0.5 won't update it correctly

@Sage - Depends if you have ports 3389 & 5900 open on your firewalls

@Joshua - Oooops! Updated local site htm file, but forgot to post updated htm. Fixed now!

[chall32]

@All,

Still plugging away at this one

v0.7 is now available on my Website!

Change log v0.5 to v0.6
- Grey Host, Username & Password labels when connecting
- Enabled "PollFullScreen" in VNCreg.reg to increase VNC screen refresh performance
- Added additional info to TrayTips
- Added default VNCHooks settings to VNCreg.reg

Change log v0.6 to v0.7
- Added TrayToolTips for info when floating mouse pointer over tray icon
- Improved VNC removal function using sc.exe instead of psexec.exe
- Removed vncremove.exe & removevncreg.reg as these are not required when using sc.exe
- Added OS check upon lauch of ChrisControl
- Include Ntsc.exe to cover missing sc.exe on Win2k and NT4 systems
- Improved VNC install function to use sc.exe instead of psexec for service install
- Fixed history drop down problem on NT4 & Win2k
- Fixed tick box problems on NT4 & Win2k
- Fixed hostbox clear after "no" to VNC install
- Added tray menus (Info, Show Session & Close Session)
- Swap history load so that most recent are listed in drop down first
- Identify if running from CD-ROM and use built-in Ntsc.exe rather than O/S version

I think I'm getting close to a full blown release here. I'm so confident, I've started to distribute ChrisControl to the guys at work also, so I'll be getting lots of feedback in addition to that given by everyone on the forum. Cheers in advance guys - your feedback is ALWAYS welcome.

BartPE Tip: When specifying a username under BartPE, you will need to specify <domain> or <remote system name>\<username>
I've done 99% of my testing under a "base level" (no XPE or other shell) version of BartPE, and I've found that this is always the case.

As usual you can download from http://www.chall.plus.com/winpe/

[ewieldra]

@chall32
thnx .. thnx.. thnx..

i've got only one request.. would it be possible to specify the range to scan voor remote hosts. because is possible to run vnc on different ports..

so it would be nice if one can set the range to scan for...
rdp default = 3389.. set range 10 would result in scan vor rdp hosts from 3379 to 3399

thnx

Emiel

[Rootman]

NOW THAT"S WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT!

Bravo, good job. This will be VERY helpful!

Tried it on a few PC's and it worked fine. Will thump on it more next week.

Thanks!

[chall32]

@All,

Here we go then:

v0.8 is now available on my Website!
Not many chages this time around:

Change log v0.7 to v0.8
- Added extended VNC port scan option tickbox - now scans from port 5900 to 5910 (updated screenshot in post #1)
- Added Start up tray menu

Note:
Due to a minor change in the construction of chriscontrol.ini, (an additional line in the ini to track the extended port scan tickbox) I recommend you delete any old versions of chriscontrol.ini before running ChrisControl v0.8. The ini can be found in your %temp% folder.

@ewieldra - Is this what you meant? Reading your post again - I'm not 100% sure now!

@Rootman - cheers now thats the kinda feedback I like!

[ewieldra]

@chall32

thanks your the man ..
that's what i meant.. but could it be possible to add the value your selfs..

and to scan up and down

so an extended VNC port scan option tickbox with a value box


Emiel

[chall32]

@chall32

thanks your the man ..
that's what i meant.. but could it be possible to add the value your selfs..

and to scan up and down

so an extended VNC port scan option tickbox with a value box
Emiel

How about ChrisControl looking to see what port VNC and RDP services are running on and then connecting to that port?

Should be pretty easy to do

[ewieldra]

@chall32

YEZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZz

thnx.. you're the man

Emiel

[gonzomann]

Nice package!