Enable a Remote Desktop connection with this member-submitted admin script

by Guest Contributor | Mar 03, 2006 3:50:00 PM

Tags: Servers, Guest Contributor, Win2000, remote desktop

Takeaway: TechRepublic asked members to submit their favorite network administration scripts and this is one of the responses. This script allows an administrator to remotely enable the Remote Desktop connection.

By Manes Claude

TechRepublic asked members to submit their favorite Network Administration scripts for possible publication. One of the latest to make a submission was Manes Claude. This contribution to TechRepublic earned Manes Claude $100 and the satisfaction derived from seeing those scripts published.

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Earn $100 for your admin script

Let us pay you for your original scripts so that we can publish them as downloads on TechRepublic and allow your fellow IT professionals to benefit from your scripting savvy. We only ask that you put in the appropriate comments to your scripts so that it's easy to tell what the script is doing and which variables might need to be customized. Send us your original admin scripts and we'll pay you $100 for each one that we publish as a TechRepublic download.

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Editor's note: This script is included in the downloadable Zip file for your convenience.

In their own words

Find enclosed a "small" script that allows an administrator to remotely enable the Remote Desktop connection. 

As an admin, you might need to connect remotely to a server in order to perform some specific management tasks. You normally use the Remote Desktop connection. However, from time to time, you realize that the feature is not enabled on the specific server you want to connect to and this server is not located on your site but located on a remote site where nobody can really perform the operation for you.

To solve this problem, I use this small script, which simply changes a registry key on the remote server and performs a reboot. When the machine is rebooted, I'm able to connect using the Remote Desktop Connection utility

Listing A

'======================================================
'Script_Name :Enable_RDP_Remotely.vbs
'Description : This script enables the Remote desktop functionality remotely
'         The script perform registry changes. In order to apply those changes
'         a reboot is required......
'Date : 19/11/2005
'Version: 0.1
'Written by : Claudio Manes (aka Griffon)
'Remarks and Limitations : Works for WinXP and Windows 2003 Servers.
Win2000 has not been tested Yet
'         A Reboot is required           
'======================================================


  'Error Handling, Declare Constants and Variable...
  '---------------------------

  On Error Resume Next

  Const HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE   = &H80000002
  dim vbYesNo
  dim vbQuestion
  vbYesNo  = 4
  vbQuestion = 48

  'Create inputbox in order to collect the computer Name
  '----------------------------

  StrComputer=InputBox("Enter Name of the Remote Computer...","Connect to Remote Computer")

  'Connect to the Remote Registry using WMI space
...We assume that you have administrative rights
  '---------------------------------

  Set oReg=GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & _
        strComputer & "\root\default:StdRegProv")
  
   'Error handling...if not able to connect to the remote machine...you will be notified
   '---------------------------------------------------------

  If Err.Number <> 0 Then
      MsgBox "Error. Computer not accessible...Possible reasons" & vbcrlf & vbcrlf &_
           "1.the computer name is incorrect" & vbcrlf & _
             "2.the computer is not running... " & vbcrlf & _
           "3.the currently logged-on user has no admin rights"& vbcrlf & vbcrlf &_
           "End of Script",64,"An Error occured"
          WScript.Quit()       
    End If   
 
  'to enable remote desktop,
  'registry key HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\fsDenyTSConnections
  'should be set to 0
 
  strKeyPath = "System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server"
  strValueName = "fDenyTSConnections"
  dwValue = 0
  oReg.SetDWORDValueHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,strKeyPath,strValueName,dwValue

 
  'Ask the User if he wants to reboot the machine right now or do it later....
  '-------------------------------------
 
  retry= msgbox ("A Reboot is required in order to apply the changes" & vbcrlf & _
             "Do you want to reboot the remote computer Now ?",52,"Reboot the Remote Machine")

  Select Case retry
   
    Case vbYes
      'WMI Code used to reboot the remote computer
      Set oWMI = GetObject("winMgmts:\\"& strComputer)
      Set colComputers = oWMI.ExecQuery("SELECT * FROM Win32_OperatingSystem")
      For Each refComputer In colComputers
        If refComputer.Reboot() <> 0 Then
            WScript.Echo "Reboot failed"
        Else
            WScript.Echo "Computer rebooted"
            WScript.echo " Action completed sucessfully "
        End If
      Next
    Case vbNo
        WScript.Echo("Changes will not be applied for the moment")
    End Select

Print/View all Posts Comments on this article

Member-submitted script to activate remote desktop Mark W. Kaelin | 03/03/06

Another way Stalemate | 03/07/06

now THATs the key cillbat@... | 03/07/06

null Stalemate | 03/23/06

yet another way (GPO's) hig | 03/07/06

The excellent PSEXEC it@... | 05/10/06

RE: Enable a Remote Desktop connection with this member-submitted admin script amarquez_60@... | 07/04/07