enabling remote desktop without admin rights

[graysky]

Topic says it all... is there a way to do it is the question.

[N1K]

ASFAIK only administrators can do this..

[chilifrei64]

The only way is to use a live CD and import the system registry and change the registry key to allow it. .. otherwise.. cannot be done

[graysky]

The only way is to use a live CD and import the system registry and change the registry key to allow it. .. otherwise.. cannot be done

Now you've peaked my interest. Several questions:

1. When you refer to a Live CD... is that something like knoppix flavor of LINUX or is there a win32 you'd recommend?

2. Have you successfully done this without corrupting the system, and if so can you point me to a good resource?

Thanks man!

[nmX.Memnoch]

Do you want to allow non-admins to be able to logon to an RDP session?

Or are you trying to turn on RDP, but aren't an admin?

[graysky]

Do you want to allow non-admins to be able to logon to an RDP session?

Or are you trying to turn on RDP, but aren't an admin?

The later. I can do it ad hoc with Tight VNC since that app doesn't require any reg changes/installer but even on a gigabit LAN, VNC is sloooow compared to the built in RDP. Any thoughts?

[chilifrei64]

You could use either Winternals live CD($$$$) or you can use BartPE for a win32 live CD.

Then you will want to load the registry hive located under c:\windows\system32\config

It should be either the system or software file..

Then you will browse to HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server, now find the Reg_DWord called fDenyTSConnections and set the value = 0 (zero)

save and reboot the PC.. this should enable it.

[graysky]

@chilifrei64: Thanks very much -- very cool suggestion. BartPE rocks. One question about this for you though... what utility within the BartPE can I use to load that hive? I didn't see anything in the plugins that referred to a registry editing application. I'm pretty sure regedit won't do that... ideas?

Edited March 27, 2006 by graysky

[nmX.Memnoch]

The only thing is....it doesn't change the fact that once you turn it on you won't be able to login with RDP.

Only Administrators have that access by default...and well, since you're not an Administrator you can't add yourself to the "Allowed to logon through Terminal Services" policy. I don't think that information is kept in the registry.

[graysky]

You're right about that, mmx. Next question would be how to trump that in an offline fashion? Can this be done?

[Nakatomi2010]

What's preventing you from being able to access the Administrator account?

I know that if you log off of your current account and are sitting at the welcome screen if you hit ctrl+alt+del twice in a row it'll switch to a classic Windows 2000 login prompt where you can type in Administrator and get access that way... Though it doesn't work in Home Edition....

If it's a password problem you can do a search for an NT Password removal utility which boots of a floppy and allows you to remove passwords from other accounts....

Edited March 28, 2006 by Nakatomi2010

[nmX.Memnoch]

It's quite possible he's in a domain environment where his systems people haven't enabled RDP. In such a case he wouldn't know the Administrator password (and the account would probably be renamed anyway).

I'd chop my users' hands off if I found them trying to hack my settings. You'd better believe it'd get 'em fired in a heartbeat.

Having said that, I'll provide no more assistance in this matter because he's probably doing something he isn't supposed to be...

[graysky]

Thanks for the help up to this point. I suppose I'll keep using VNC. Approaching this from another angle: is there a stand-alone client/server version of the remote desktop feature within XP? Maybe something along the lines of extracting this and turning it into a standalone app somewhat analogous to what BartPE does to the /i386 directory of WinXP?