Before you start:
- Download and install the latest version of the Viewer on the computer where you are going to run the configuration process.
- Download the latest MSI package of the Host. You do not have to install it — just download it.
- If you already have the Host installed and running on the Viewer PC — stop the Host (right click on the Host tray icon and select Stop Host).
Where to Use
The "One-Click" configuration option is used for quick installation by the user, without going through the Installation Wizard. The output .exe file is a self-extracting Host installer with your custom settings.
Helpdesk technicians often use this type of package to install the persistent remote module (i.e. Host) on the customer's PC quickly and with minimum effort on the customer's part.
Sample Goals
For the purposes of this tutorial, we will assume you have the following goals:
- Goal 1 Have the program generate an Internet-ID code and send it to your e-mail address.
- Goal 2 Use the default (public) Internet-ID server.
- Goal 3 Also generate a unique access password for each Host and send it encrypted via email.
- Goal 4 Disable asking for confirmation to install the Host.
- Goal 5 Enable notification panel.
- Goal 6 Protect the Host settings with a password.
Let’s see how you can configure the Host installer to achieve these goals.
Configuration process
Run the Viewer as an administrator, select Tools ➝ MSI Configurator:
Step 1: Select the path to the Host file
Specify the path to the downloaded Host MSI file and click Next.
Step 2: Select the type of distribution
Select One-Click package and click Next.
Step 3: Advanced options
"Internet-ID" tab
On the Internet ID tab do the following:
- Enable Set or update Internet-ID connection settings
- Enable Generate a new Internet-ID code and Send Internet-ID to email.
- Specify your email address (Goal 1).
- Select Automatically generate Host password (Goal 3).
- Select Use default (public) Internet-ID server(Goal 2).
Important!
For information on the options available in this tab please refer to this page.
"Other" tab
Switch to the Other tab and enable Do not ask for confirmation (Goal 4). Click Next.
Step 4: Settings update
Select Pre-configure Host settings and click Finish:
Select where you want to save the transitional .msi file and click Save:
The Host settings window will open:
Click Settings for Host and select Options:
In the Options window select Show notification panel (Goal 5). Click OK:
Click Settings for Host and select Settings protection:
In the Settings protection window enable Password protect settings. Enter and confirm settings protection password. Click OK and close the settings protection window:
Close the Settings window by clicking the X button at the top-right corner of the window. The configuration process will begin.
Select a destination for the final output file (Remote Utilities.exe). You can rename the file if needed. Click Save:
Configuration has been finished successfully. Click OK to close the configuration window.
Installing the Host from the one-click package
Let's see what will happen when you or your customer run the configured file on a target computer.
Copy the file onto the target computer and double click the file to run it:
In the User Account Control (UAC) prompt click Yes:
A digital signature is currently only available for the original (vanilla) Host. When you configure your custom installer the Host's digital signature is removed and the output file is unsigned. If you have a Code Signing Certificate you can sign the file on your own.
The installation process will begin in the background. Once it is finished, the Host icon will appear in the system tray and a message will be shown:
This is just an informational message that notifies the remote user about a remote control program (i.e. Remote Utilities) that has been installed on their computer. The message is only shown if you choose to generate an Internet-ID code during configuration. If you do not choose to generate an Internet-ID, e.g. you are going to use direct connection to access the Hosts, a completely silent Host installation is possible.
Connecting to the remote PC
During Host configuration you instructed the program to send the Internet-ID code and a randomly generated access password to the specified email address (see Goals 1 and 3 in the beginning of this tutorial).
Once the Host installation is completed on the target PC an email message with access credentials is immediately sent:
Because sending a password in plain text via email is not secure, the access credentials are encrypted. In the screenshot above the large block of text contains all your access credentials for the given Host, including its Internet-ID code, Internet-ID server and the access password - all in an encrypted form. Now you need to add a new connection to your Viewer's address book:
Open the Viewer, go to Connection, click Add using code and paste the code in the form. Click OK.
A new connection will be created in the address book.
The Internet-ID code and computer name were extracted from the encrypted block of text and can be seen in the General tab of connection properties. The Host computer name is used as the connection name by default, but you can change that.
The access password was also extracted from the encrypted text and added to the Security tab of connection properties:
To connect to the remote PC in the Full Control mode, right click on the connection entry and select Full Control from the menu:
A remote desktop window will open:
Note that when a remote session starts, a notification panel appears on the remote PC. You enabled the corresponding Host option during one-click configuration (Goal 5):
Use the same routine for each new remote PC that you want to add to your address book.
