FAQ

Remote connections
Why I can't get information from remote assets ? Why I can't get information from remote assets ? If you cannot access data on the remote computer, please check the following possible causes : WARNING! Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk. Consider backing up your registry before making these changes ... The remote computer is offline ! A remote connection requires network administrator rights. Make sure that the username and password you are using belongs to an administrator on the target asset. If the administrator credential is a domain member, be sure to specify both the domain and the username (DOMAIN\AdministratorName). In Windows XP Professional, you can no longer use admin accounts with blank passwords for remote administration and management. Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows NT do not support by default "Windows Management Instrumentation". You need to download the WMI Core from microsoft (Windows 95/98 or Windows NT 4.0) and install it. In Windows 9x and Windows Me, the WMI application need to be stored in the startup section and the DCOM connections enabled. Press 'Win+R', type 'regedit' and then press 'Enter'. Expand the key 'HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Ole'. Locate entries named 'EnableDCOM' and 'EnableRemoteConnect' then set their values to 'Y'. Expand the key 'HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\wbem\Cimom' and set the 'AutostartWin9X' value to '2', set the 'EnableAnonConnections' and 'SetupForDCOM' values to '1'. Add a link to the 'Winmgmt.exe' file into the startup directory (the file is stored in the '%WinDir%\System32\WBem' folder). Check if Windows services "COM+ Event System", "Remote Procedure Call (RPC)" and "Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator" are started. To enable this services, log on the target asset with an administrator account. Click 'Start', click 'Run', type 'services.msc' and then press 'Enter'. Right click on one of this service and choose 'Properties' on the shortcut menu. In the 'start mode' list, select 'Automatic' and then click on the button 'Start'. Finally, click on the button 'OK'. Repeat the procedure for the other needed services. If a Windows Firewall is enabled on the remote computer, a remote WMI exception should allow WMI traffic through. To add this exception, click 'Start', click 'Run', type 'cmd' then press 'Enter". At the command prompt, type 'netsh firewall set service RemoteAdmin enable' and then press 'Enter'. If necessary, you can open the DCOM port. To do that, type 'netsh firewall add portopening TCP 135 TCP135_DCOM. Finally, type 'Exit' to close the command window. On Windows Vista in a Workgroup, the remote User Account Control (UAC) needs to be disable. This is not recommended, but it is necessary when monitoring a workgroup computer. Disabling remote UAC does not disable local UAC functionality. To disable remote UAC, log on the target asset with an administrator account. Press 'Win+R', type 'regedit' and then press 'Enter'. Expand the key 'HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System'. Locate or create a DWORD entry named 'LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy' and provide a value of one (1). When the value of this entry is zero (0), Remote UAC access token filtering is enabled. Windows 95 and Windows 98 cannot connect to an Windows Server 2003. Windows NT computers cannot connect to an operating system newer than Windows 2000 (Windows XP, Windows 2003, Windows Vista, ...). Windows 2000 computers need Service Pack 2 to be able to connect on newer operating systems like Windows XP and later. Windows XP Home does not support remote management. Windows 2003 WMI Provider is an optional component. This provider needs to be installed to perform network inventory from this OS. Open the 'Add/Remove Programs' in the control panel, click 'Add/Remove Windows Component', select 'Management and Monitoring Tools', click 'Details', check 'WMI Windows Installer Provider' and then click the button 'OK'. Does the administrator password is secure ? Does the administrator password is secure ? Yes, the login of the administrator is stored and encrypted in memory. It is not saved to a file nor in the registry.
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Remote connections

Why I can't get information from remote assets ?

If you cannot access data on the remote computer, please check the following possible causes :

WARNING!
Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk. Consider backing up your registry before making these changes ...
- The remote computer is offline !
- A remote connection requires network administrator rights. Make sure that the username and password you are using belongs to an administrator on the target asset. If the administrator credential is a domain member, be sure to specify both the domain and the username (DOMAIN\AdministratorName).
- In Windows XP Professional, you can no longer use admin accounts with blank passwords for remote administration and management.
- Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows NT do not support by default "Windows Management Instrumentation". You need to download the WMI Core from microsoft (Windows 95/98 or Windows NT 4.0) and install it.
- In Windows 9x and Windows Me, the WMI application need to be stored in the startup section and the DCOM connections enabled. Press 'Win+R', type 'regedit' and then press 'Enter'. Expand the key 'HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Ole'. Locate entries named 'EnableDCOM' and 'EnableRemoteConnect' then set their values to 'Y'. Expand the key 'HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\wbem\Cimom' and set the 'AutostartWin9X' value to '2', set the 'EnableAnonConnections' and 'SetupForDCOM' values to '1'. Add a link to the 'Winmgmt.exe' file into the startup directory (the file is stored in the '%WinDir%\System32\WBem' folder).
- Check if Windows services "COM+ Event System", "Remote Procedure Call (RPC)" and "Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator" are started. To enable this services, log on the target asset with an administrator account. Click 'Start', click 'Run', type 'services.msc' and then press 'Enter'. Right click on one of this service and choose 'Properties' on the shortcut menu. In the 'start mode' list, select 'Automatic' and then click on the button 'Start'. Finally, click on the button 'OK'. Repeat the procedure for the other needed services.
- If a Windows Firewall is enabled on the remote computer, a remote WMI exception should allow WMI traffic through. To add this exception, click 'Start', click 'Run', type 'cmd' then press 'Enter". At the command prompt, type 'netsh firewall set service RemoteAdmin enable' and then press 'Enter'. If necessary, you can open the DCOM port. To do that, type 'netsh firewall add portopening TCP 135 TCP135_DCOM. Finally, type 'Exit' to close the command window.
- On Windows Vista in a Workgroup, the remote User Account Control (UAC) needs to be disable. This is not recommended, but it is necessary when monitoring a workgroup computer. Disabling remote UAC does not disable local UAC functionality. To disable remote UAC, log on the target asset with an administrator account. Press 'Win+R', type 'regedit' and then press 'Enter'. Expand the key 'HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System'. Locate or create a DWORD entry named 'LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy' and provide a value of one (1). When the value of this entry is zero (0), Remote UAC access token filtering is enabled.
- Windows 95 and Windows 98 cannot connect to an Windows Server 2003.
- Windows NT computers cannot connect to an operating system newer than Windows 2000 (Windows XP, Windows 2003, Windows Vista, ...).
- Windows 2000 computers need Service Pack 2 to be able to connect on newer operating systems like Windows XP and later.
- Windows XP Home does not support remote management.
- Windows 2003 WMI Provider is an optional component. This provider needs to be installed to perform network inventory from this OS. Open the 'Add/Remove Programs' in the control panel, click 'Add/Remove Windows Component', select 'Management and Monitoring Tools', click 'Details', check 'WMI Windows Installer Provider' and then click the button 'OK'.

Does the administrator password is secure ?