Remote Desktop without needing password?

[homestarmy]

Well I have a machine running XP MCE. I would like to be able to access it from my computer running XP Pro for various reasons.

Two problems:

1. I do not want to have the user to require a password, so I don't have to go to my keyboard everytime I log into the machine. That defeats the whole purpose of XP MCE and using the remote only.

Something hit me as I was typing this and it is probably the fix I bet. Make a second user profile that I can log into only for remote desktop that requires a password, and leave the first one without a password. Any better solution?

2. I would like to be able to access it without having my projector (what displays the image that the HTPC puts out) going to the blue screen that normally shows when a computer is being accessed by remote desktop.

I didn't think this was possible at first, but I was at work, and someone through the IT dept at my work was fixing a computer remotely, and you could actually watch him moving with the mouse and see exactly what he was doing on the comptuer screen. Maybe he wasn't using Remote Desktop? What kind of app would he be using, and is it something I could probably get myself (hopefully free)?

If I can accomplish that with only remote desktop, that would be optimal, because then I could control the computer via my Pocket PC and see what is going on on the big screen. This could be useful for so many reasons (actually most of which are obselete now that MCE is here and I can do most things with the remote).

Thanks very much for any information that can lead me to a better understanding of how to approach this. You guys are always helpful (well 90% of the time at least )!

 

[tyanni]

Your IT coworker was using (most likely) VNC, a free program that lets you do exactly what you want to do - connect to a machine remotely and control it. You can watch the mouse move, keyboard inputs, etc. - We use it at my work to help people when they call in for support. The two I know of are Tight VNC and Real VNC (which was the first, as far as I know - www.realvnc.com). Very easy to use, you install the server on each comp (or just the one you want to control remotely) and run a client on your controlling machine. The server can be installed as a service so it starts automatically when wndows boots up, before it even hits the login screen. You can either have it password protected, password protected but the password is saved and you just double click on a file and it connects, or have a blank password (not really rec.).

Do a google search for Pocket PC VNC, there is a client available for the pocket pc which SHOULD (I am not sure) let you connect to your machine also.

Tim

 

[eelw]

Instead of using Remote Desktop, you can use Remote Assistant.

 

[tyanni]

Except Remote Assistant requires an invite to be sent from the computer or account which requires assistance. This is a problem if he doesn't want to have to walk over to the machine and invite himself to connect.

 

[homestarmy]

Awesome! Thanks for all of the info! I will be looking into it!