Remote shutdown problem

[fifer1943]

I have a desktop running Win 7 Home Premium upstairs, and another desktop running Win XP Home downstairs. I can remotely start up the downstairs computer using Wake On Lan, but I have problems shutting it down.

I tried the shutdown /i command, but keep getting the message "Access is denied. (5)". On both computers, I am the only user, so I do not use a username or password, and I seem to recall reading somewhere that the shutdown command can only be used remotely if both computers have (the same?) username and password. I cannot find confirmation of this.

I can use LogMeIn to shutdown the remote computer, but it would be nice to use the shutdown command.

Any ideas?

[ricktendo]

If you can browse to the PC over your local network then you can shut it down remotely...try this:

shutdown /m \\<name-of-pc> /s

Edited November 28, 2011 by ricktendo64

[fifer1943]

Thanks for your reply. I have tried that command, or something similar, without luck. I did try it again, but still Access is denied. (5).

I can browse my remote computer, and the NET VIEW command shows my shared folders etc. This is what is frustrating about this - I can access the remote computer to do almost anything I want, except use the shutdown command.

There are workarounds such as using LogMeIn, or a small utility call AMP WinOff, but why do I have a problem using Windows own programs? Microsoft does not seem to want to make things too easy for us!

[allen2]

The access denied is most likely because you are not authenticated as an administrator of the remote computer. You should try psshutdown as you can pass the needed user login/password.

[fifer1943]

Thanks Allen2, but I have tried psshutdown earlier - I probably should have listed all the steps I have tried. However, I did try it again, and it did not work. What is strange is that it claims that it cannot access my remote computer, but net view shows the shares on that computer! How can that be explained? See the attached screenshot.

Does any of this make sense?

[allen2]

Unless you disabled admin$ share on the remote computer, you won't connect to it unless you're using an admin account.

Try the following:

net use * /d /y
psshutdown \\basement -k -u basement\administrator -p password

with administrator the administrator account of "basement" computer (or any administrator account) and password the associated password.

If this stil doesn't work then it is by design as Microsoft is explaining it there.

Edit: I guess it won't work with xp home as the admin shares are disabled by default. There is a very unsecure solution.

Edited November 29, 2011 by allen2

[fifer1943]

Thanks again Allen2. I appreciate your suggestions.

I mentioned in my first post that since I am the only user, I do not use usernames or passwords, so your suggestion will not work.

I read the MS article, and although I understand what it says, I don't understand why it has to be this way. The administrator account only works in safe mode, while if there is only one user with an account with admin privileges, that really isn't an admin account. So when is an administrator really an administrator?

I suppose I could just create a username and password for my account on each computer, but it seems to be, on the face of things, creating extra steps that are not really needed - at least in my mind.

Your unsecure solution looks interesting, but quite complicated - I think I will avoid it!

I do have workarounds as I mentioned in my previous post. In fact they work quite well without having to jump through Microsoft's hoops. I still find it totally bizarre that net view can show me the shares on my remote computer, but shutdown or psshutdown cannot access the remote.

You have tried really hard to help me, but I think Microsoft's restrictions make it impossible to do what should be a very simple task. If I can wake up my remote computer with a simple command, without any complaints from Microsoft, why should it be so incredibly difficult to shut down the same computer with an equally simple command?

[allen2]

For the simple fact that MS disabled the administrative shares (in windows XP Home) used by most tools. The only way to fix this behavior is a little complex and very insecure. Of course, you could also install a telnet/ssh server service on the xp home (to be able to launch the shutdown after connecting to the service) but there is not a big difference between this and your logmein approach.

[fifer1943]

Thanks for the quick reply.

I wish I understood more about the ins ans outs of networking - it appears to be very complex.

You state:"For the simple fact that MS disabled the administrative shares (in windows XP Home) used by most tools."

Why was that done? Does MS assume that people using XP Home don't use networking, or that they are too ignorant about it to trust them with the administrative shares enabled? I assume that this is not true for XP Pro.

My inquiring mind would really like to be able to know exactly why XP Home users are shut out from using administrative shares - in fact I would like to know exactly what they are!

The question I posed in my last post still stands. Why should it be harder to shut down a remote computer than start it up - other than the fact that MS decided it should be this way? Steven Jobs was criticized for his "my way is the only way" philosophy, but is MS any better when it comes to this issue?

I really thank you for sticking with me; any criticism or frustration is not directed at you, but rather at MS for making life difficult for the average user.

[allen2]

Admin shares are disabled on XP home because they were used by many professional tools to deploy packages, remote control computer, etc...

As MS wanted to make a "home edition" that would only be used at home, they removed everything that could have been used in big businesses. So, in MS way of thinking, the home user can't have many computers and manage them remotely with simple commands (because an home user don't really need anything).

Of course they were completely wrong and so they created a few year later Windows home server. The first version was based on windows 2003 SP2(as presented there).

[fifer1943]

Thanks for that info. I'm sure someone at MS thought that it made sense.