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Add ability to run ScreenConnect in WinPE

Shannon Brooks

7 years ago
updated 6 years ago
Considering for Future Release

We use Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) to deploy our windows installs. Sometimes we build a Windows PE disk with a custom image and ship it off to a remote site so they can reload their workstations. It would be really handy if we could put ScreenConnect into one of our WinPE builds so when they boot off the disk it automatically calls home and starts a support session. Then we could get the remote installation connected to VPN and kicked off.

I think to make this work we would need a x86 and x64 build of ScreenConnect that can run in WinPE.

Replies 11

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anonymous

7 years ago
Under Review

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Thomas-Louis Laforest

6 years ago

I already to it on x86 image. All automated with MDT image creation.

Just need a x64 version of the client for the x64 image and this is a done deal in all cases.

I can share my recipe with you for the x86 integration (it will integrate on the x64 image too, but one boot you get the system mismatch error as WinPE do not support WOW64)

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anonymous

6 years ago
Considering for Future Release

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Shannon Brooks

6 years ago

Quote from Thomas-Louis Laforest

I already to it on x86 image. All automated with MDT image creation.

Just need a x64 version of the client for the x64 image and this is a done deal in all cases.

I can share my recipe with you for the x86 integration (it will integrate on the x64 image too, but one boot you get the system mismatch error as WinPE do not support WOW64)

I would love to see the recipe. Even without x64 it would still help since you can install x86 from x64... it just means there are twice as many drivers to download though :-P

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Thomas-Louis Laforest

6 years ago

Step 1.

Follow step 2, 3, 4 and 5 on this web site : http://www.markcollins.ca/blog/screenconnect-windows-pe with this change :

You put all the file in a folder on the computer where you create the boot image with MDT

(You will get a folder on the computer you create the image that look like this : Exemple :

MDT Folder to add\

ScreenConnect\SC\ (will the file of ConnectWise control)

ScreenConnect\remote.txt (I personaly also change the first &c= so I can a way to filter for the session for WinPe.

My remote.txt look like this :

?e=Access&y=Guest&h=MYURL&p=MYPORT&k=MYKEY&t=&c=WinPE&c=&c=&c=&c=&c=&c=&c=

ScreenConnect\ScStart.bat that has

:: remote support starting
for %%p in (Z Y X W V U T S R Q P O N M L J I H G F E D C) do if exist "%%p:\ScreenConnect\Remote.txt" set /p SCVar=<"%%p:\ScreenConnect\Remote.txt"
for %%p in (Z Y X W V U T S R Q P O N M L J I H G F E D C) do if exist "%%p:\ScreenConnect\Remote.txt" start "ScreenConnect" "X:\ScreenConnect\SC\ScreenConnect.WindowsClient.exe" "%SCVar%"

Ex :

Step 2

In MDT, right clik on your deployment share, Properties, Windows PE, x86

In Extra Directory to add select your MDT Folder to add.

In Feature, make sure to select .NET Framework, Windows Power Shell, MDAC (from memory I add it for SC, but it may not be requered)

Step 3

Change your Unattend_PE_x86 (and x64) to start the script that start Connectwise Control.

It is in C:\Program File\Microsoft Deployment Toolkit\Template\

I chanage the RunSynchronous section to add this :

Hope this help.

Thomas-Louis Laforest

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izzyIT

6 years ago

Quote from Thomas-Louis Laforest

Step 1.

Follow step 2, 3, 4 and 5 on this web site : http://www.markcollins.ca/blog/screenconnect-windows-pe with this change :

You put all the file in a folder on the computer where you create the boot image with MDT

(You will get a folder on the computer you create the image that look like this : Exemple :

MDT Folder to add\

ScreenConnect\SC\ (will the file of ConnectWise control)

ScreenConnect\remote.txt (I personaly also change the first &c= so I can a way to filter for the session for WinPe.

My remote.txt look like this :

?e=Access&y=Guest&h=MYURL&p=MYPORT&k=MYKEY&t=&c=WinPE&c=&c=&c=&c=&c=&c=&c=

ScreenConnect\ScStart.bat that has

Ex :

Step 2

In MDT, right clik on your deployment share, Properties, Windows PE, x86

In Extra Directory to add select your MDT Folder to add.

In Feature, make sure to select .NET Framework, Windows Power Shell, MDAC (from memory I add it for SC, but it may not be requered)

Step 3

Change your Unattend_PE_x86 (and x64) to start the script that start Connectwise Control.

It is in C:\Program File\Microsoft Deployment Toolkit\Template\

I chanage the RunSynchronous section to add this :

Hope this help.

Thomas-Louis Laforest

Thanks! Does this work for WinPE x64?

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Thomas-Louis Laforest

6 years ago

Quote from izzyIT

Thanks! Does this work for WinPE x64?

No that the issue of this thread.

WinPE x64 do not support WOW64, as such he can not run x86 application and the connect wise control client is only x86 at this point.

If you update the Unattend_PE_x64 and the x64 windows in MDT you will get a annoying "Processors missmatch" error.

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Phillip Banks (Computer Guy)

6 years ago

I need to be able to have a client boot a WinPE image from [disc/flash]; in order to repair/troubleshoot issues with Windows. So would be nice to remote into Windows installation disc; or any WinPE custom disc... Why is this so hard; when network is already active/loaded in WinPE...

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Thomas-Louis Laforest

6 years ago

Quote from Phillip Banks (Computer Guy)

we do that with the MDT x86 image.

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Shannon Brooks

6 years ago

I have used the above procedure to create a PowerShell script that can be integrated into MDT, but again it still only supports x86... which requires additional drivers. It would really be nice to have an x64 build of ScreenConnect.

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