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In an effort to save local resources I elected to try the built-in Remote
Assistance feature of Windows XP instead of installing some 3rd party remote
agent software we've used in the past (Altiris Carbon Copy).
So far, this technology is failing. Here is what I have configured so far:
Through a single GPO linked to the OU where the computers live I've enabled
the Offer Remote Assistance and Solicited Remote Assistance policies,
included the users and groups needed to have the RA access, configured WF to
allow port 135 and also excepted the HelpCtr.exe and Helpsvc.exe programs as
well as sessmgr.exe. I have also set the Remote Desktop Help Session Manager,
Remote Access Auto Connection Manager and Remote Access Connection Manager
services to automatic startup and started all 3. I created a shortcut to
point to Offer RA (I'll spare you the path; it about a block long) which gets
me to a Help and Support window titled Offer Remote Assistance with an area
to include a PC name or IP address. So far so good. I enter the IP (or FQDN,
NetBIOS name) and click Connect. I get a connection and a drop down list of
users that are available to assist. Cool, right? Wrong; when I click Start
Remote Assistance I'm presented with a dialog box (Remote Assistance -
Webpage Dialog) stating that "A program could not start. Please try again."
OK, WHAT program could not start???
I've since found several proposed solutions throughout the net and its
newsgroups all of which have failed to fix the issue.
Ran sessmgr -service
Changed the RPC to start with local system instead of network service
Enabled all disabled services
Turned off the windows firewall (has nothing to do with the FW since the
error is the same regardless)
Short of a sacrificing a chicken or something, I've run out of ideas. This
technology should work but it doesn't.
All CPUs I've worked with on this issue are:
Windows XP professional SP2 (all patched to date)
Members of the same domain
on the same subnet
Running IE6 SP1 for Win XP
Black
Solicit remote assistance works from the users end as long as I don't
configure exceptions for port 135 and the help and support programs (helpctr,
helpsvc, sessmgr). As soon as I do that, I get A program could not start...
This issue is posted everywhere with greater and lesser detail than I’ve
provided so it's obviously common.
MS PSS/MS MVPs: Are you out there? Can you help a brother out?
Thanks in advance
JPenrose MCSE/A [2K;2K3]
In an effort to save local resources I elected to try the built-in Remote
Assistance feature of Windows XP instead of installing some 3rd party remote
agent software we've used in the past (Altiris Carbon Copy).
So far, this technology is failing. Here is what I have configured so far:
Through a single GPO linked to the OU where the computers live I've enabled
the Offer Remote Assistance and Solicited Remote Assistance policies,
included the users and groups needed to have the RA access, configured WF to
allow port 135 and also excepted the HelpCtr.exe and Helpsvc.exe programs as
well as sessmgr.exe. I have also set the Remote Desktop Help Session Manager,
Remote Access Auto Connection Manager and Remote Access Connection Manager
services to automatic startup and started all 3. I created a shortcut to
point to Offer RA (I'll spare you the path; it about a block long) which gets
me to a Help and Support window titled Offer Remote Assistance with an area
to include a PC name or IP address. So far so good. I enter the IP (or FQDN,
NetBIOS name) and click Connect. I get a connection and a drop down list of
users that are available to assist. Cool, right? Wrong; when I click Start
Remote Assistance I'm presented with a dialog box (Remote Assistance -
Webpage Dialog) stating that "A program could not start. Please try again."
OK, WHAT program could not start???
I've since found several proposed solutions throughout the net and its
newsgroups all of which have failed to fix the issue.
Ran sessmgr -service
Changed the RPC to start with local system instead of network service
Enabled all disabled services
Turned off the windows firewall (has nothing to do with the FW since the
error is the same regardless)
Short of a sacrificing a chicken or something, I've run out of ideas. This
technology should work but it doesn't.
All CPUs I've worked with on this issue are:
Windows XP professional SP2 (all patched to date)
Members of the same domain
on the same subnet
Running IE6 SP1 for Win XP
Black
Solicit remote assistance works from the users end as long as I don't
configure exceptions for port 135 and the help and support programs (helpctr,
helpsvc, sessmgr). As soon as I do that, I get A program could not start...
This issue is posted everywhere with greater and lesser detail than I’ve
provided so it's obviously common.
MS PSS/MS MVPs: Are you out there? Can you help a brother out?
Thanks in advance
JPenrose MCSE/A [2K;2K3]