Remote Desktop App That Doesn't Do A 'Client' Install

[AstroCreep]

Evening,
So I started working at a new place a couple of months ago, and we use this remote desktop/support app called "Omniquad Instant Remote Control". In theory, it's pretty cool, but in practice it is pretty buggy and hasn't had a program update in a few years.

What the app does is allows you to connect to any PC on your domain and it drops a 'Host File' on to the target system, but no software actually runs on the client-side; it's all run on the support-provider's side.

What I want is something similar. He doesn't like VNC (I think VNC raped his mom or something) and he really doesn't want anything that needs to be run on the user's systems (because they all run a lot of crap already).
Does anyone have any suggestions?

Please don't recommend GoToMyPC or LogMeIn, as neither of those will work either; we have had the need to 'remotely monitor' a user's system while they use it, without their knowledge. (and we don't want anything that requires a monthly 'service fee').

Any thoughts/input/suggestions are welcome. Personally, I'd like to just use UltraVNC or Dameware and be done with it.

 

[stash]

What OSs do you need to connect to?

 

[AstroCreep]

Windows XP...potentially Vista (in the future).

 

[Nothinman]

What's wrong with the remote desktop support already in them?

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: Nothinman
What's wrong with the remote desktop support already in them?

Or remote assistance. Or if you already have SMS implemented in your environment, use it to remote in.

 

[AstroCreep]

Remote assistance has too many steps; our users have pretty much been 'babied' for most of the time and requiring them to do the steps to use RA is too much.
I looked into using 'Unsolicited' RA, but that requires the user to click OK twice, which defeats the purpose of being able to connect 'without them knowing' (yeah, it sounds terrible, I know, but there apparently has been need in the past).

What is 'SMS' you're referring to, Jack?

 

[redbeard1]

It's not free, but I've got a couple of customers who swear by it. I'm not sure if it allows silent monitoring.

Dameware

 

[AstroCreep]

Originally posted by: redbeard1
It's not free, but I've got a couple of customers who swear by it. I'm not sure if it allows silent monitoring.

Dameware

It does allow 'silent' monitoring (can disable the icon with a licensed version), but it forces an installation on the remote system.

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: AstroCreep
Remote assistance has too many steps; our users have pretty much been 'babied' for most of the time and requiring them to do the steps to use RA is too much.
I looked into using 'Unsolicited' RA, but that requires the user to click OK twice, which defeats the purpose of being able to connect 'without them knowing' (yeah, it sounds terrible, I know, but there apparently has been need in the past).

What is 'SMS' you're referring to, Jack?

SMS. SMS has quite a few functions, and remote connectivity is definitely not it's main function, but it's there. The reason I ask is because it may already be implemented in your company. All you need to do is learn to use it's remote capabilities (which is pretty easy). But if you don't have SMS already implemented, forget about it.

 

[AstroCreep]

Originally posted by: JackBurton
...But if you don't have SMS already implemented, forget about it.

Is it a pain to get configured?

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: AstroCreep

Originally posted by: JackBurton
...But if you don't have SMS already implemented, forget about it.

Is it a pain to get configured?

SMS is big and it ain't cheap. You usually designate a whole server for SMS. It's not worth implementing for just remote access. And if it IS installed, you'll have an SMS agent installed on every machine that SMS needs to communicate with. So I don't know if that will be a problem for you.

 

[Brazen]

PCHelpware from UltraVNC can do install-less remote desktop control, but it requires user intervention at the remote computer. The only way to do it steathly is to have some service listening on the remote computer, waiting for connections which would necessitate an install - hence VNC.