How to integrate VNC into your WINPE install

[DarrenP]

I used vnc-4_1_1-x86_win32 from www.realvnc.com to achieve this.

You are basically after the following files from the installer:

logmessages.dll
unins000.dll (not really required)
unins000.exe (not really required)
vncconfig.exe
vncviewer.exe (only req. if you want to remote control other desktops)
winvnc4.exe
wm_hooks.dll

You can get these files by simply installing VNC on an XP desktop and making a copy of the RealVNC\VNC4 dir.

I created the dir C:\MININT\RealVNC\VNC4 and staged the above files in this dir.

Now boot to WinPE and install the winvnc service:

C:\MININT\RealVNC\VNC4\winvnc4.exe -register

Now set a password for your WinVNC install:

C:\MININT\RealVNC\VNC4\vncconfig.exe

As the password is held (in encrypted format) in the registry, we need to save this setting for later use (as all changes to the reg are non-persistant due to the registry being held in memory when in WinPE). Using regedit, export the following key:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\RealVNC\WinVNC4

Save it as C:\MININT\RealVNC\VNC4\vncpwd.reg

Your exported file should look something like this:

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\RealVNC\WinVNC4]
"Password"=hex:HEXVALUE
"QueryConnect"=dword:00000000
"QueryOnlyIfLoggedOn"=dword:00000000
"ReverseSecurityTypes"="None"
"SecurityTypes"="VncAuth"

Now add the following lines to your startnet.cmd *AFTER YOU HAVE STARTED NETWORKING!*

C:\MININT\RealVNC\VNC4\Winvnc4.exe -register
regedit /s C:\MININT\RealVNC\VNC4\vncpwd.reg
C:\MININT\RealVNC\VNC4\Winvnc4.exe -start

And thats it! Im sure people who are more clever than me can work out what reg entires the VNC service requires and add them to the setupreg.hiv/winpe*.inf files, but it works.

Daz.