Remote Windows Monitor and Administration in a Workgroup Setting
Here is how to remotely monitor and administer Windows XP Professional PCs that are in a Workgroup
(as opposed to in a Windows Domain).
By remotely monitor and administer, I mean to use the following tools on a Local PC to monitor
and manipulate settings on a Remote PC on a Workgroup:
- the System Monitor in the Performance management console to monitor remote counters;
- the Computer Management console to manipulate remote settings;
- the Registry Editor application to manipulate a remote registry.
Specifically I exclude:
- using the Remote Desktop Connection application to log into the Remote PC and perform
administration;
- using Performance Logs and Alerts on the Remote PC to record a log, and later view
the downloaded the log on the Local PC;
- setting up remote monitoring and administration in a Windows Domain.
Method
- Create the same Administrator Accounts and give them the same Password on both the Local
and Remote PCs. Later you can extend the remote monitoring capability to non-Administrators.
- Open TCP ports 139 and 445 for incoming subnet connections on the Remote PC. Likewise open
these ports for outgoing subnet connections on the Local PC.
- Authenticate user credentials. Carry out either method on the Remote PC: (Method 1)
Turn off Simple File Sharing;
(Method 2) Change Network access:
Sharing and security model for local accounts to Classic: Local users authenticate as
themselves.
- Start the Remote Registry
service on the Remote PC. Check also that the following services are started on the Remote PC:
"Remote Access Connection Manager, Remote Procedure Call (RPC), Server, Windows Management
Instrumentation, and Workstation".
- On the Local PC, start System Monitor,
Computer Management and Registry Editor and
connect to the Remote PC. Test your remote counters, remote computer management and remote registry.
To extend remote monitoring capabilities to non-administrator users on the Local PC, download this
purged Microsoft Knowledge Base document and follow its instructions on the Remote PC.
You can add individual users or a user group. A good user group to use is the
Authenticated Users group. Note that although non-administrator users can monitor and change many
counters and settings, security restrictions still apply to them locally and remotely.
Copyright © 2009 Alvian Tam.