Maximum PC

Since most people here have multiple computers and may have them in multiple locations, I thought this would be an appropriate short how-to guide.

Here is a short and simple remote administration guide for people wanting a set-and-forget setup.

In this guide, I will demonstrate how to quickly and easily get remote administration up and running. This also works for Mac's, but I don't currently have a Mac to test this out on. I know this seems rather complicated, but it is worth it, especially if you have several computers you need to monitor. Take the extra time to get remote administration set up and you'll effortlessly be able to log in to the computers whenever necessary.

1. Download Team Viewer 4 from Here.
2. After the download, double-click to begin the installation.
3. On the main window, make sure it's set to Install and put a checkmark in the "Show advanced settings" checkbox. Click next.
   
   
   
4. On the next screen, select "personal/non-commercial use". This program is 100% free for non-commerical use. For commercial use, you must pay for it.
   
   
   
5. Put checkmarks in both of the terms of service checkboxes and click next.
   
   
   
6. Since we are using this for remote administration, make sure you select "Start automatically with Windows". Type in a password and confirm it, then click Next. Make sure to use the same password on all of your computers to make it easier.
   
   
   
7. You don't need to create a TeamViewer VPN, just click Next.
8. Leave the default installation directory, just click Next.
9. Let it create a Start Menu folder and click Install.
10. Double-click on the Team Viewer 4 icon.
    
    
    
11. Since you will be using Team Viewer on all computers using the same password, I recommend that you write down the ID in the left-hand pane of the program window. The ID's will be unique for each computer. I also recommend you keep a Notepad document or at least a piece of paper telling you which computer is which.
12. Repeat the above process for each of the computers you own. When you need to connect to the computer, just re-open the program and type in the ID and the password.

When you install this program as a service, all you need to do is go to a computer that has this program installed and fill in the appropriate ID and password to connect. The program will let you in automatically as long as the program is set to start as a service.

Excellent, thanks for this.

I'm heading off to college in the fall, and don't fully trust the fam to keep the farm running. This is just what I need.

I use a nifty tool called Radmin for my network

Say, that looks pretty nifty, and I see that it's cross-platform. I'll have to play with it and see.

GREAT tutorial, and THANKS!

-dex

It looks like you're running that in Vista. I recall that RealVNC doesn't work as a service in Vista. Good to know that program will!

I have used it with Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 (where the screenshots came from).

It probably also works for Windows 2000 and below too.

Wow. Just the thing that I needed. thanks!

Great work Hack!

I added this to the Thread of All Thread's How-To section.

Looks like an awesome tool for small environments. I use UltraVNC for larger environments since it allows us to use AD authentication and encrypted transmissions.

Team Viewer also uses encryption. Granted, I wouldn't use it in an extremely large environment. It's only free for personal use anyways, so commercial use is out.