Using UltraVNC for Remote Desktop Connection and Support

The first thing that you’l need to do is download and install the UltraVNC application for the computer that you want people to be connecting to.  It is available on the UltraVNC site.  Look for a link "stable version" or similar.  The file that I downloaded was UltraVNC-100-RC18-Setup.zip.

Unpack and install on the computer on which you’ll do the remote administering.

When you are installing it, you’ll be presented with a screen that asks if you want to "Register Ultr@VNC as a System Service" and if you want "Start or Restart Ultr@VNC Service".  Just leave all of those boxes blank.  Really all you need is the Viewer installed and running to accept connections.

After the installation finished. Right click on the Ultr@VNC icon in the tray and select properties. If the icon isn’t there than go to your Start Menu -> Programs -> UltraVNC -> Ultr@VNC Server -> Run Service Helper.

When the properties window comes up you want to do the following:

  • Check the Accept Socket Connections and put a password in the textbox (VERY IMPORTANT!!)
  • Select the "AUTO" radio button so that the server will pick the 5900 port.
  • Check the "Allow Loopback Connections" checkbox.
  • Check the "Remove Desktop Wallpaper" checkbox.

Press Apply and then OK. Try to connect to the server. If actually on the server when trying to connect, the screen will go into a loop and and keep displaying the same thing over and over again like two mirros looking at each other. If everything works this step is complete.

Then go to the How To Create page and download the custom.zip file.

You can add a custom background, icons, and a logo if you’d like.  The most important is the configuration in the helpdesk.txt.  Make sure to add the IP address of your VNC server

To set up encryption:

First, make sure that you have MSRC4Plugin_NoReg.dsm plugin and that you have placed it in the UltraVNC Program Files Directory.  Then run the viewer (click on the "Run Ultr@VNC Viewer" in the Program files dropdown for UltraVNC).  You should see the aforementioned .dsm listed in the "Use DSMPlugin" pulldown.

Select the plugin and click "Config"

It will most likely drop the .dsm file in the same directory as your UtraVNC executables, but if not, do a search for new_r4.key

To use encryption, make sure that you run the VNC server from a command prompt as follows:

vncviewer.exe -listen -dsmplugin MSRC4Plugin_NoReg.dsm

To have it listen on a specific port enter the following command:

vncviewer.exe -listen 80

I originally wrote this article back in 2006.  The following is the article updated to work with Windows 7 and 8.  I installed the Viewer on a Windows 7 Professional VM.

Yermo sent me a link to the UltraVNC site.  A very cool way to connect remotely to a Windows Desktop for customer support.  This will allow you to provide a customer with an one-click, outbound connection to your system that will then allow you to administer their computer remotely.

I’ve just set this up for us to use with customer support, creating a custom version.

Here’s how I did it . . .
The first thing that you’l need to do is download and install the UltraVNC application for the computer that you want people to be connecting to.  It is available on the UltraVNC site.  Look for a link “stable version” or similar.  The files that I downloaded were:

  • setup x64 1190 1.1.9.0
  • addons x64 1190 1.1.9.0

Unpack and install on the computer on which you’ll do the remote administering.

I installed the UltraVNC Server and UltraVNC Viewer from the pick list on the “Select Components” screen.

When you are installing it, you’ll be presented with a screen that asks if you want to “Register Ultr@VNC as a System Service” and if you want “Start or Restart Ultr@VNC Service”.  Just leave all of those boxes blank.  Really all you need is the Viewer installed and running to accept connections.

I also installed the addons and selected all of the items in the “Select Components” dialog:

  • Install mirror driver
  • Add encryption plugins
  • Add schook
  • W8hook
  • W8keys

After the installation finishes go to the Start menu and click on ‘All Programs -> Ultra VNC -> Ultra VNC Server.  It should start the server and put an Ultra VNC icon in the menu tray at the bottom right of your screen.

Right click on the Ultr@VNC icon in the tray and select Admin Properties.

When the properties window comes up you want to do the following:

  • Check the Accept Socket Connections and enter two different passwords, one in the VNC and another in the View-Only input box (VERY IMPORTANT!!)
  • Select the “AUTO” radio button so that the server will pick the 5900 port.
  • Check the “Allow Loopback Connections” checkbox.
  • Check the “Remove Desktop Wallpaper” checkbox.

Press Apply and then OK. Try to connect to the server, by opening up the UltraVNC Viewer and connect to localhost. If you are still on on the server when trying to connect, the screen will go into a loop and and keep displaying the same thing over and over again like two mirros looking at each other. If everything works this step is complete.

To set up encryption:

  • Go back to the UltraVNC Server Admin Property Dialog (see above)
  • Check “DSM Plugin, Use”, and then click on the dropdown and select “SecureVNCPlugin64.dsm”
  • Click on Config:
  • Add a passphrase
  • Click on Generate Client Auth Key and save

The next step is to generate the Viewer to distribute to those who want to make a connection to your server.

Then go to the How To Create page and download the custom.zip file.

You can add a custom background, icons, and a logo if you’d like.  The most important is the configuration in the helpdesk.txt.  Make sure to add the IP address of your VNC server

To set up encryption:

First, make sure that you have MSRC4Plugin_NoReg.dsm plugin and that you have placed it in the UltraVNC Program Files Directory.  Then run the viewer (click on the “Run Ultr@VNC Viewer” in the Program files dropdown for UltraVNC).  You should see the aforementioned .dsm listed in the “Use DSMPlugin” pulldown.

Select the plugin and click “Config”

It will most likely drop the .dsm file in the same directory as your UtraVNC executables, but if not, do a search for new_r4.key

To use encryption, make sure that you run the VNC server from a command prompt as follows:

vncviewer.exe -listen -dsmplugin MSRC4Plugin_NoReg.dsm

To have it listen on a specific port enter the following command:

vncviewer.exe -listen 80

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