Remotely Controlling Clients by Using SMS Remote Tools

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After you successfully connect to a client by using SMS Remote Tools, you can initiate a Remote Control session. During a Remote Control session, you can take control of a client by displaying a duplicate view of the client's desktop in a window on your desktop. You can then control the client by using your keyboard and mouse. If a user is at the client, the user can still use the local keyboard and mouse, so that you can work with the user interactively.

To start a Remote Control session, establish a Remote Tools connection. Then, in the Remote Tools window, click Remote Control.

Note

  • You cannot use an SMS Remote Control session and a Remote Desktop session simultaneously to control a client running Windows XP Professional. For more information, see article 304591 in the Microsoft Knowledge Base at https://support.microsoft.com.

After you have established a Remote Control session, the client's desktop appears on your screen in the Remote Control Client Viewer window, surrounded by a moving black and yellow border. Depending on how you have configured the Remote Tools Client Agent properties for the site, you might need the client user's permission to conduct the Remote Control session.

Note

  • A visual indicator appears either in the notification area or on the desktop of the client to alert the user that a Remote Control session is in progress.

In addition to controlling the client by using your keyboard and mouse, you can also use the command buttons in the upper-right corner of the Remote Control Client Viewer window to perform functions, such as simulating the ALT+TAB key sequence or opening the Start menu on the client. For more information about using the Remote Control Client Viewer window, see the SMS Help.

Note

  • When you start a Remote Control session, if the NUM LOCK key settings are different on the client and on the SMS Administrator console computer, you cannot change the NUM LOCK key settings of the client by using the SMS Administrator console keyboard. You can still enter numbers on the client by using the number keys at the top of the SMS Administrator console keyboard.

A Remote Control session can be helpful for resolving a problem that a user is experiencing. By initiating a Remote Control session, you can directly view the client desktop while the user demonstrates the problem. Often, watching the user attempt a task offers useful insight into specific errors that the user is making or reveals important details about the problem. Or, from your SMS Administrator console, you can demonstrate how to complete a task correctly by performing mouse actions and keystrokes while the user watches. With Remote Control, you can also view error messages exactly as they appear on the user's screen, instead of depending on the user to paraphrase the error message.

If a user has problems completing a task, you can establish a Remote Control session and conduct an individualized training session with the user. You can also conduct a session with a problem client, establish a second session with a client that works correctly, and then compare the registry settings or the results of running a file on the two clients.

A Remote Control session can be conducted without a user being logged on to the client, because the Remote Control Agent (Wuser32.exe) remains installed and running on clients. For more information, see the "Role of Wuser32.exe on Clients" section later in this chapter.

For More Information

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