Discussion:
net start/stop
Chris Hundley
1999-04-29 16:58:36 UTC
Permalink
Hello all, very new to VNC.

I am trying to convince my boss that VNC could be our solution to remote
admin of about 8 servers and 30 workstations (all Windows NT). All is
going well in testing but I hit a snag today. For security reasons, we
won't have WinVNC running as a service on the machines. Instead, we are
using the RCMD command to start WinVNC. The first problem I had was that
I cannot get WinVNC to start by issuing the RCMD command. Here is what
I'm doing...
C:> RCMD \\SERVERNAME C:\Progra~1\ORL\VNC\WinVNC.exe -run

If I use this same syntax to run notepad, it runs correctly, but WinVNC
will not function. The WinVNC.exe shows up in system processes, but I
can't connect to it and the icon doesn't appear.

To get around this problem, I've resorted to installing the WinVNC
service and starting it manually through RCMD, like this:
C:> RCMD \\SERVERNAME net start WinVNC

This works just fine... successfully starts the service, and I can
connect. Then, when I'm done, I can issue the command
C:> RCMD \\SERVERNAME net stop WinVNC

When this command executes on the host, a Dr. Watson error comes up
every time. I need to solve this problem quickly or it will be byebye to
VNC on our network. I really like the software and would appreciate it
if anyone can help with this.

Thanks in advance!

Chris



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James [Wez] Weatherall
1999-04-29 17:25:49 UTC
Permalink
Post by Chris Hundley
Hello all, very new to VNC.
I am trying to convince my boss that VNC could be our solution to remote
admin of about 8 servers and 30 workstations (all Windows NT). All is
going well in testing but I hit a snag today. For security reasons, we
won't have WinVNC running as a service on the machines. Instead, we are
using the RCMD command to start WinVNC. The first problem I had was that
I cannot get WinVNC to start by issuing the RCMD command. Here is what
I'm doing...
C:> RCMD \\SERVERNAME C:\Progra~1\ORL\VNC\WinVNC.exe -run
If I use this same syntax to run notepad, it runs correctly, but WinVNC
will not function. The WinVNC.exe shows up in system processes, but I
can't connect to it and the icon doesn't appear.
To get around this problem, I've resorted to installing the WinVNC
C:> RCMD \\SERVERNAME net start WinVNC
This works just fine... successfully starts the service, and I can
connect. Then, when I'm done, I can issue the command
C:> RCMD \\SERVERNAME net stop WinVNC
When this command executes on the host, a Dr. Watson error comes up
every time. I need to solve this problem quickly or it will be byebye to
VNC on our network. I really like the software and would appreciate it
if anyone can help with this.
In this situation, the first thing I would check is that Service Pack 3 is
installed completely on the offending machine. Some Dr Watson errors have
been caused in the past by inconsistent DLLs. Other than that, is there
any useful info in the Dr. Watson message regarding where the crash
occurred?

I don't know what the semantics of RCMD are, since I've never used it - is
it completely equivalent to the Start->Run menu item, or does it do other
stuff too?

Cheers,

James "Wez" Weatherall
--
Laboratory for Communications Engineering, Cambridge - Tel : 766513
AT&T Laboratories, Cambridge, UK - Tel : 343000


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Chris Hundley
1999-04-29 21:09:24 UTC
Permalink
The Dr. Watson error doesn't give much info, and the funny thing is, it
doesn't write an error log like it usually does.

RCMD is a way of running a dos command remotely. If I'm on the host machine, I
can navigate to C:\Program Files\ORL\VNC\ and type "WinVNC.exe", it runs fine.
With RCMD, I should be able to do the same thing. I connect to the machine and
run the command and it just hangs. Almost all other software functions
correctly when started in this manner (notepad, calculator, etc.).

Chris
Post by James [Wez] Weatherall
Post by Chris Hundley
Hello all, very new to VNC.
I am trying to convince my boss that VNC could be our solution to remote
admin of about 8 servers and 30 workstations (all Windows NT). All is
going well in testing but I hit a snag today. For security reasons, we
won't have WinVNC running as a service on the machines. Instead, we are
using the RCMD command to start WinVNC. The first problem I had was that
I cannot get WinVNC to start by issuing the RCMD command. Here is what
I'm doing...
C:> RCMD \\SERVERNAME C:\Progra~1\ORL\VNC\WinVNC.exe -run
If I use this same syntax to run notepad, it runs correctly, but WinVNC
will not function. The WinVNC.exe shows up in system processes, but I
can't connect to it and the icon doesn't appear.
To get around this problem, I've resorted to installing the WinVNC
C:> RCMD \\SERVERNAME net start WinVNC
This works just fine... successfully starts the service, and I can
connect. Then, when I'm done, I can issue the command
C:> RCMD \\SERVERNAME net stop WinVNC
When this command executes on the host, a Dr. Watson error comes up
every time. I need to solve this problem quickly or it will be byebye to
VNC on our network. I really like the software and would appreciate it
if anyone can help with this.
In this situation, the first thing I would check is that Service Pack 3 is
installed completely on the offending machine. Some Dr Watson errors have
been caused in the past by inconsistent DLLs. Other than that, is there
any useful info in the Dr. Watson message regarding where the crash
occurred?
I don't know what the semantics of RCMD are, since I've never used it - is
it completely equivalent to the Start->Run menu item, or does it do other
stuff too?
Cheers,
James "Wez" Weatherall
--
Laboratory for Communications Engineering, Cambridge - Tel : 766513
AT&T Laboratories, Cambridge, UK - Tel : 343000
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Bryan Pendleton
1999-05-01 06:44:54 UTC
Permalink
Post by Chris Hundley
The Dr. Watson error doesn't give much info, and the funny thing is, it
doesn't write an error log like it usually does.
RCMD is a way of running a dos command remotely. If I'm on the host machine, I
can navigate to C:\Program Files\ORL\VNC\ and type "WinVNC.exe", it runs fine.
With RCMD, I should be able to do the same thing. I connect to the machine and
run the command and it just hangs. Almost all other software functions
correctly when started in this manner (notepad, calculator, etc.).
I don't know anything about RCMD either, but, I'd imagine, it probably
starts the process running as the user who ran the RCMD (so, whatever user
you're logged in to the local NT workstation as).... if this isn't the same
one as the server is logged in to (ie, and different than whoever owns the
desktop when the desktop is not logged in to a user), might it be that you
_can't_ run WinVNC remotely to get access to the desktop?

And, what's the weakness to running as a service, anyway? If you _ever_ use
it, you're vulnerable.


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Mauriks, Paul
1999-04-30 00:29:14 UTC
Permalink
Why not install Winvnc as a service but have it set to manual startup. Then
when you need to use it you can go into server manager (srvmgr) and start
the service.
When you've done using it then just stop the service.

Of course then you are using NT's default security mechanisms.

-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Hundley [mailto:***@premierepages.com]
Sent: Friday,30 April 1999 1:58
To: vnc-***@uk.research.att.com
Subject: net start/stop


Hello all, very new to VNC.

I am trying to convince my boss that VNC could be our solution to remote
admin of about 8 servers and 30 workstations (all Windows NT). All is
going well in testing but I hit a snag today. For security reasons, we
won't have WinVNC running as a service on the machines. Instead, we are
using the RCMD command to start WinVNC. The first problem I had was that
I cannot get WinVNC to start by issuing the RCMD command. Here is what
I'm doing...
C:> RCMD \\SERVERNAME C:\Progra~1\ORL\VNC\WinVNC.exe -run

If I use this same syntax to run notepad, it runs correctly, but WinVNC
will not function. The WinVNC.exe shows up in system processes, but I
can't connect to it and the icon doesn't appear.

To get around this problem, I've resorted to installing the WinVNC
service and starting it manually through RCMD, like this:
C:> RCMD \\SERVERNAME net start WinVNC

This works just fine... successfully starts the service, and I can
connect. Then, when I'm done, I can issue the command
C:> RCMD \\SERVERNAME net stop WinVNC

When this command executes on the host, a Dr. Watson error comes up
every time. I need to solve this problem quickly or it will be byebye to
VNC on our network. I really like the software and would appreciate it
if anyone can help with this.

Thanks in advance!

Chris



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Chris Hundley
1999-04-30 15:05:32 UTC
Permalink
Yep, that's what I'm doing now, and the problem is that when I stop the
service, I get a Dr. Watson on the host machine.

Chris
Post by Mauriks, Paul
Why not install Winvnc as a service but have it set to manual startup. Then
when you need to use it you can go into server manager (srvmgr) and start
the service.
When you've done using it then just stop the service.
Of course then you are using NT's default security mechanisms.
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Friday,30 April 1999 1:58
Subject: net start/stop
Hello all, very new to VNC.
I am trying to convince my boss that VNC could be our solution to remote
admin of about 8 servers and 30 workstations (all Windows NT). All is
going well in testing but I hit a snag today. For security reasons, we
won't have WinVNC running as a service on the machines. Instead, we are
using the RCMD command to start WinVNC. The first problem I had was that
I cannot get WinVNC to start by issuing the RCMD command. Here is what
I'm doing...
C:> RCMD \\SERVERNAME C:\Progra~1\ORL\VNC\WinVNC.exe -run
If I use this same syntax to run notepad, it runs correctly, but WinVNC
will not function. The WinVNC.exe shows up in system processes, but I
can't connect to it and the icon doesn't appear.
To get around this problem, I've resorted to installing the WinVNC
C:> RCMD \\SERVERNAME net start WinVNC
This works just fine... successfully starts the service, and I can
connect. Then, when I'm done, I can issue the command
C:> RCMD \\SERVERNAME net stop WinVNC
When this command executes on the host, a Dr. Watson error comes up
every time. I need to solve this problem quickly or it will be byebye to
VNC on our network. I really like the software and would appreciate it
if anyone can help with this.
Thanks in advance!
Chris
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James [Wez] Weatherall
1999-04-30 15:18:01 UTC
Permalink
Post by Chris Hundley
Yep, that's what I'm doing now, and the problem is that when I stop the
service, I get a Dr. Watson on the host machine.
Were you logged in as Administrator when you installed WinVNC (obviously
you were when you did winvnc -install to servicify it but perhaps not
while doing the InstallShield bit?)

Cheers,

James "Wez" Weatherall
--
Laboratory for Communications Engineering, Cambridge - Tel : 766513
AT&T Laboratories, Cambridge, UK - Tel : 343000


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Chris Hundley
1999-04-30 18:01:21 UTC
Permalink
Yep, logged in as admin whenever I'm installing software...

Chris
Post by James [Wez] Weatherall
Post by Chris Hundley
Yep, that's what I'm doing now, and the problem is that when I stop the
service, I get a Dr. Watson on the host machine.
Were you logged in as Administrator when you installed WinVNC (obviously
you were when you did winvnc -install to servicify it but perhaps not
while doing the InstallShield bit?)
Cheers,
James "Wez" Weatherall
--
Laboratory for Communications Engineering, Cambridge - Tel : 766513
AT&T Laboratories, Cambridge, UK - Tel : 343000
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James [Wez] Weatherall
1999-04-30 18:06:33 UTC
Permalink
Post by Chris Hundley
Yep, logged in as admin whenever I'm installing software...
And you've reinstalled the Service Pack and that didn't help?

James "Wez" Weatherall
--
Laboratory for Communications Engineering, Cambridge - Tel : 766513
AT&T Laboratories, Cambridge, UK - Tel : 343000


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Chris Hundley
1999-04-30 20:35:18 UTC
Permalink
That's my next step. The only problem is that it's a web server getting
constant traffic, I hate to restart it.

Chris
Post by James [Wez] Weatherall
Post by Chris Hundley
Yep, logged in as admin whenever I'm installing software...
And you've reinstalled the Service Pack and that didn't help?
James "Wez" Weatherall
--
Laboratory for Communications Engineering, Cambridge - Tel : 766513
AT&T Laboratories, Cambridge, UK - Tel : 343000
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