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User Manual

Chapter 4

Connecting and Viewing

The PC-Duo Control application enables you to access PCs on your network which are running the PC-Duo Client.

You can also work with Client PCs on remote networks in the same way.

The Control Application

The first time you start the Control application, a Welcome to PC-Duo message is displayed. This message box enables you to configure the PC-Duo Control application and read the Getting Started guide. (You can Configure the Control later. For more information, see "Using Control Profiles".)

If you don't want to view this message box again, deselect the Show this screen when PC-Duo starts check box.

To Start the Control Application:
  1. Click the Start button in the Windows Taskbar to display the Start menu, then display the contents of the Start, Programs menu.
  2. Locate the PC-Duo submenu, then click the PC-Duo Control command to start the Control application.

Navigating the Control Window

The Control Application Window consists of the following areas:

The Title Bar

The title bar is located at the very top of the Control window, and contains the application name and the name of the Control PC. The three buttons on the far right of the title bar enable you to minimize, maximize/restore, and close the Control Window.

The Menu Bar

The menu bar contains a series of drop-down menus which enable you to choose various tasks to perform.

The Toolbar

The Toolbar is the row of buttons situated below the menu bar. The buttons in the Toolbar enable you to gain quick access to commonly performed tasks.

To find out what a Toolbar button does, position the mouse pointer over it without clicking. A tooltip is displayed alongside the mouse pointer, containing a description of the button's function.

The Quick View Bar

The Quick View bar is the horizontal bar located below the Toolbar. It displays the names of currently connected Clients.

The Tree View

The Tree View (on the left of the Control window) enables you to view the various PC-Duo folders such as Clients, Groups and Remote Networks.

These folders are covered later in this chapter. Scripting is covered in Chapter 8, "Scripting".

The List View

The List View (on the right of the Control window) displays the contents of the currently selected folder in the Tree View as a series of icons.

The Status Bar

The Status bar at the bottom of the PC-Duo Control window displays information about the number of current connections, as well as about the selected item in the Tree View or List View.

Navigating the Tree View
Navigating the List View

Exiting the Control Application

To Exit the Control Application:
  1. Make sure you are not connected to any Clients (the Quick View bar should not contain any Client names).
  2. Choose the Network, Exit menu command or click the close button in the top right corner of the Control window to exit the Control application.

Identifying Available Clients

There are two main ways of identifying available Clients to which the Control application can connect:

If you have used a previous version of PC-Duo, you can import existing Client information. For more information, see "Customizing The Toolbar".

Browsing for Clients

You don't need to know the exact name of a Client to connect to it. The PC-Duo Control can browse your network to look for all available Clients, all Clients beginning with a specific set of letters, or for a specific Client.

To Browse for Clients:
  1. To open the Browse Network dialog, use one of the following methods:
    • Click the Browse button in the Toolbar.
    • Double-click the Look for Clients icon in the Browse List.
    • Choose the Network, Browse menu command.
  2. In the Browse Network dialog, enter the criteria you want to use in the text box:
    • To look for all Clients on the network, make sure the text box is empty.
    • To look for a specific Client, enter the Client name in the text box.
    • To restrict the search to Clients beginning with specific characters, enter the characters in the text field. For example, if you enter ADMIN, any Clients named ADMIN1, ADMIN_OFFICE and ADMINISTRATOR will be found.
    • To restrict the search to Clients who currently require help, select the Only Clients Requesting Help check box.
  3. Click the OK button to start browsing the network.
  4. When the Control has finished browsing the network, the available Clients that match the criteria you specified are displayed in the Browse List. (If no Clients are found, a message is displayed.)

    Clients to which you are already connected are indicated by a green arrow symbol alongside their icons:

For information on how to connect to a Client, see "Connecting to Clients".

Adding New Clients

An alternative to browsing for Clients is to locate Clients yourself using the Add a New Client dialog. This dialog consists of a number of steps in which you enter the Client information.

If necessary, you can also use the Browse facility within the Add a New Client dialog to assist you in identifying available Clients.

To Add a New Client:
  1. Click Clients in the Tree view to display Clients List.
  2. To display the Add a New Client dialog, double-click the New Client icon in the List View, or click the New button in the Toolbar and choose the Client command from the menu.
  3. The first stage of the dialog enables you to enter the Client name and location, or select the Client name from a Browse List.

If you know the Client details, enter the Client Name, select the Client Location, and make sure the check box is deselected. Click the Next button, then specify the Network Transport and Address information for the Client.

If you do not know the Client details, select the check box, then click the Next button. The Control browses the network for Clients; this may take a few moments. When the Browse operation has finished, select the Client you want to add from the Browse List.

You can perform a more selective Browse by entering part of the Client name you are looking for in the Partial Name text box, then choosing the Refresh button to look for just the Clients matching this criteria.
  1. Click the Next button to advance to the next stage in the Add a New Client dialog.

  1. If you want to enter extra information for the Client, select the Yes, enter more information option. Click the Next button, enter a Display Name and Description for the Client, then click the Next button again to enter a Contact and telephone Number for the Client.

    If you don't want to enter any extra information, select the No option.

  2. Click the Finish button. The Client is added to the Client list.

Adding VNC Clients

VNC (Virtual Network Computing) is a freeware application that enables you to view and interact with remote PCs over the Internet. In PC-Duo version 8.0 or later, Controls can connect to Linux and Apple MacIntosh systems running the VNC server application as though they are PC-Duo Clients.

To connect to a VNC Client:
  1. Click Clients in the Tree view to display Clients List.
  2. Double-click the New Client icon in the List View, or click the New button in the Toolbar and choose Client from the menu. The Add a new Client Wizard is displayed.

  1. Enter the Name by which you want to refer to the Client in the Control window, and select VNC Client in the Client type list.

    Click the Next button to continue.

  1. In the second Wizard dialog, enter the connection details of the VNC Client:

    Address specifies the IP Address of the PC you want to connect to.

    Screen number specifies the number of the virtual terminal the Control connects to. You do not need to change this number.

    Port number specifies the port you want the Control to use for communications with this Client. By default, port 5900 is registered for use by VNC.

    Click the Next button to continue.

  2. In the third Wizard dialog, select the video encoding option you want to use to display the Client screen:

    Raw Encoding sends raw pixel data without any further processing. This is the simplest encoding and allows any screen data to be drawn on the viewer.

    RRE Encoding Rise and Run-length Encoding creates compressed blocks of similar value pixels and sends them in small blocks of data. Each data block represents a rectangle.

    CoRRE Encoding Compact RRE is similar to RRE, except that data blocks are restricted to a maximum size of 255 by 255 pixels.

    Hextile Encoding splits each rectangle into 16 by 16 tiles. Each tile is then encoded as raw pixel data or using a method similar to RRE.

    Use CopyRect Speeds up the video display. It enables the viewer to copy a rectangle it has already received to another screen position and so avoids having to re-send that data.

    Click the Next button to continue.

  3. If you want to enter contact details for the Client and its the name and description, select the Yes option and click the Next button to continue.

    If you do not want to enter any extra information, or you want to enter the information later, select the No option and click the Finish button to make the Client available from the Control.

    VNC Clients count against your license connection limit in the same way as normal PC-Duo Clients.

Vector Networks does not supply the VNC Client software. However, it is available as a free download from the following URLs:

http://www.realvnc.com/

http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc/

Viewing Client Properties

You can view and amend a Client's properties using the Client Properties dialog. The dialog can contain up to four tabs:

General contains general information about the Client such as the Client name and network address.

Details contains more information about the Client such as a Description, Contact and Telephone Number.

System Information enables you to check the PC-Duo Client Version as well as the Platform on which the Client is running. This tab is displayed only while you are currently connected to the Client.

Help Requested is displayed if you have received a Help Request from the Client. For more information, see "Receiving Help Requests".

To View a Client's Properties:
  1. In the Control window's List View, select the Client whose Properties you want to display.
  2. Click the Properties button in the Toolbar.
  3. In the Client Properties dialog, use the different tabs to display the Client information.
  4. When you have finished, click the OK button to save your changes, or click the Cancel button to close the window without saving.

Amendments made to a Client's Properties using this dialog only affect the information about the Client which is stored by the Control. They do not affect the Client's own configuration. For example, amendments to a Client name in the Client Properties dialog only affect the way the Client is displayed in the Control window.

Connecting to Clients

When a connection is established between the Control and a Client, the Client appears as a button in the Quick View bar (the horizontal bar situated below the Toolbar). An arrow symbol is displayed alongside the Client icon in the List View to indicate the Client is connected.

There are several different ways of connecting to Clients. You can:

When you connect to a Client, you may need to specify a User Name and Password before you can access it.

Connecting to Clients in the Browse List

The Browse List contains the results of the last Browse operation and can be used to connect to any Clients identified during that operation.

To Connect to a Client in the Browse List:
  1. Click Browse in the Tree View to display the Browse List.
  2. Select the Client you want to connect to.
  3. Click the Connect button in the Toolbar.

If the Client connects successfully, it is displayed in the Quick View bar, and an arrow is displayed alongside the Client in the List View.

You can also use this technique to connect to Clients in the Clients List, provided those Clients are still available.

Using Quick Connect

You can use the Quick Connect feature to connect directly to a Client by specifying the Client name or network address.

Using Quick Connect is the easiest way to connect to an individual remote Client PC over the Internet. Provided you have established an Internet connection, you need only enter the Client PC's IP address in the Quick Connect dialog.

To Use Quick Connect:
  1. Choose the Client, Quick Connect menu command.

  1. In the Quick Connect dialog, choose one of the following options:

    Name and enter the name of the Client you want to connect to.

    User name and enter the Logon ID of the person you want to connect to. If the person is logged on to one Client, the Control connects immediately. If the user is logged in on more than one PC, choose the Client you want to connect to in the Select Client dialog.

    Address and enter the address of the Client you want to connect to.

    IPX network transport addresses are specified in the form >000001-12345678.

    TCP/IP addresses are specified in the form >192.168.100.20.

    NetBIOS uses the registered NetBIOS network name of Client PCs.
  2. Click the Connect button to connect to the specified Client. After a few moments, the Quick Connect dialog is closed, and the specified Client is displayed in the Connected List.

Connecting to Clients using Shell Extensions

Shell extensions enable you to access PC-Duo Control functions from within Windows Explorer. Use them to open a Control or Chat session directly from the selected Clients.

To connect to Clients from Windows Explorer:
  1. In Windows Explorer locate the Clients to which you want to connect in the My Network Places or Network Neighborhood folder.
  2. Right-click the Clients you want to connect to and choose:

    Remote Control to start a Share mode session.

    Chat to open a Chat session. (For more information, see "Using the Chat Feature".)

    Shell extensions are installed as part of the PC-Duo Control application and are enabled by default. You can enable and disable their use from the Control Interface folder in the Control Configuration. For more information, see "Using Control Profiles".

Disconnecting from Clients

When you have finished accessing, interacting with or controlling a Client, you can disconnect from it. You can disconnect from Clients in several ways:

Connecting to Clients using ActiveX

In addition to communicating with Clients from the PC-Duo Control, you can connect to and control them through a Web page using ActiveX. You can connect to any PC running the PC-Duo Client application using Internet Explorer 4.0 or later. You do not need to install the PC-Duo Control application to connect to a Client using this method. However, you must configure the Client before connecting to it. For more information, see "Configuring Clients for ActiveX Connections".

To connect to a Client using ActiveX:
  1. Open your Internet Browser.
  2. In the Address field, type:

    http://client(:port_number)/page.htm

    where:

    client is the IP address of the Client you want to connect to.

    :port_number is the server port specified for the ActiveX connection in the Master Profile (You do not need to include this number if you used the default port of 80).

    page.htm is the Web page with which you want to connect to the Client. Specify SECURE.HTM if you need to supply a user name and password to access the Client, otherwise specify VIEW.HTM.

    You can now view and work with the Client using the Web page you specified.

    If you use this procedure on a PC where PC-Duo is not installed, you are prompted to install an ActiveX Control file (PCIAX.CAB). Click Yes to accept the installation.

Connecting to Clients through a Web Server

The VIEW.HTM and SECURE.HTM pages only allow you to connect to Clients where ActiveX is installed.

If you want to host the ActiveX Control on a Web Server, you must copy the files from the Client's Web subdirectory to the Server, and connect to the Clients using VIEWER.HTM. This page allows you to access Clients running on any accessible PCs. For example:

http://www.mysite.com/pcduo/activex/viewer.htm

To connect to a Client using VIEWER.HTM:
  1. Open your Internet Browser and enter the address of VIEWER.HTM on your system.
  2. Enter the IP Address of the Client you want to connect to.
  3. If you are using a Security Key to control access to your Clients, enter the Security Key. (For more information, see Chapter 9, "Configuring PC-Duo".)
  4. If you want to encrypt and compress the information transferred between the Control and the Client, select Encryption and Compression.
  5. Click Connect to access the specified Client.
    The ActiveX Control does not have to be enabled on the Clients.

    VIEWER.HTM can also be used when the Client's IP address is different to the Client address used by the Control, such as when the Client is behind a firewall.

Viewing Clients

PC-Duo provides three ways to view a Client. All three modes allow you to view a Client PC using the Control application:

Share mode Enables you to control the Client PC with your mouse and keyboard, while still offering the Client the normal level of input.

Watch mode Enables you to view the Client PC passively.

Control mode Disables the Client PC's keyboard and mouse, providing you with total control of the Client PC.

To Display a View Window for a Client:

Double-click the Client you want to view, or select the Client from the List View and click the View Client button in the Toolbar.

A View window displays the Client screen. The name of the Client is shown in the View window's title bar. Alternatively, if the Client you want to view is already connected, click the Client's button in the Quick View bar to display a View Window for that Client.

You do not need to be connected to a Client before beginning a View session; the Control automatically connects to a Client when you start a View session.

Working with View Windows

When a View window is displayed, you can use the View window's Toolbar to perform various tasks on the Client PC:

Annotating the Client Screen

PC-Duo's Annotate function enables both Control and Client users to draw and write on the Client screen using the mouse. Annotate includes functionality typically found in basic drawing applications, such as save, clear screen, undo, typing and drawing tools, and it enables you to illustrate chats, point out problems, and highlight areas of special interest during View and Show sessions. (For more information on Show sessions, see "Showing the Control PC to Clients and Groups".)

To annotate a Client screen:
  1. Double-click the Client you want to view, to display a Client View window.

    Alternatively, if the Client is already connected, click the Client's button in the Quick View bar.

  2. In the Tools menu of the View window, choose Annotate Screen. The Annotate Toolbar is displayed on the Client desktop.

  1. Click the Tool button and select the annotate tool you want to use.
  2. In the View screen, move the mouse pointer to the position you want to start the annotation.
  3. Press and hold the left mouse button.
  4. Keeping the button pressed, move the mouse pointer on the Client screen. Release the mouse button to complete the drawing.
    To take a screenshot of an annotated screen, click Options in the Annotate Toolbar and select Save Screen.
  5. To close the Annotate session, click Options in the Annotate Toolbar, and select Exit.

Viewing a Client in Full Screen Mode

In Full Screen mode, the Client window fills the Control screen and the Viewing window Toolbar appears as a floating Toolbar.

To View a Client in Full Screen Mode:
  1. Display the View Window for the Client you want to view in Full Screen mode.
  2. Click the Full Screen button in the View window Toolbar. A message box is displayed.
  3. Read the information in the message box, then click the OK button. The View window fills the Control PC screen and displays a floating Toolbar.
  4. When you have finished viewing the Client in Full Screen mode, click the Full Screen button a second time to restore the window to its original size.

Working with Multiple View Windows

You can have multiple View windows displayed simultaneously, enabling you to view several Clients at a time.

To Display Multiple View Windows:

In the Control window or View window, choose the Window, Tile, View Windows menu command. All the View windows are arranged and automatically scaled so that you can see the entire PC screen of each Client.

Another way of viewing multiple Client PC screens is to use the Scan operation. For more information, see "Scanning Clients".

Using the Clipboard

You can use the clipboard to transfer data between Client and Control PCs.

To Transfer Data from a Control to a Client:
  1. On the Control PC, cut or copy the data you want to transfer to the clipboard.
  2. In the Control window, display the View window for the Client you want to paste text to.
  3. In the View window Toolbar, click the Clipboard button to display a drop-down Menu.

  1. Choose the Send Clipboard command from this menu.

    You can now use the View window to control the Client's PC to select an application and paste in the transferred clipboard contents.

To Transfer Data from a Client to a Control:
  1. Use a View window to control the Client PC, and cut or copy the data to the Client PC clipboard.
  2. Click the View window Toolbar's Clipboard button to display the drop-down menu, then choose the Retrieve Clipboard command.
  3. Paste the transferred clipboard contents into an application on the Control PC.
    You can also use the commands in the View window's Client, Clipboard submenu to send and retrieve clipboard data.

    Some data formats may not transfer as expected using the Clipboard facility.

    You can disable the clipboard facility on a Client using the Options tab in the Client Configurator's CLIENT32.INI dialog. For more information, see "Configuring Clients".

Displaying the View Settings for a Client

To display or amend the View settings for a Client, display the Client's View window, then click the Settings button in the View window Toolbar. The Settings dialog is displayed; the View settings are contained in the View tab.

To close the Client Properties dialog, click the OK button or Cancel button.

Scanning Clients

You can use the Scan operation to display the screens of selected Clients in a dedicated window.

To Scan Selected Clients:
  1. In the main Control window, ensure you are connected to the Clients you want to scan.
  2. Choose the Tools, Scan menu command to display the Scan dialog.

  1. The Scan dialog contains a list of connected Clients, with checks displayed alongside them to indicate they will be included in the Scan Operation. To exclude a connected Client from the Scan operation, click the check box alongside the Client.
  2. Drag the slider at the bottom of the Scan dialog to change the Scan Interval - this can be set to between 2 and 60 seconds (the currently specified Time is indicated below the slider).
  3. Select a display option to specify how you want the Client screens to be displayed. Choose:

    Display one Client at a time to display the Clients serially.

    Display multiple Clients at a time to tile the Client views. Select an entry in the list to specify the maximum number of Clients you want to display simultaneously.

  4. Click the Scan button to begin the Scan operation. The Scan window is displayed.
    You cannot select a Group and then choose the Tools, Scan menu command. However, you can select a specific Group in the Tree View to display all its member Clients in the List View, and then select all these Clients before choosing the Tools, Scan command.

Using the Scan Window

The Scan window automatically cycles through selected Client PC screens one at a time, in turn:

Working with Groups

Clients can be organized into Groups. Many of the operations performed on Clients can be performed on an entire Group, such as connecting to all the Clients in a Group simultaneously.

If you have used a previous version of PC-Duo, you can import existing group information. For more information, see "Customizing The Toolbar".

To Create a Group:
  1. Select Groups in the Tree View, then double-click the Create a Group icon.

    Alternatively, click the New Button in the Toolbar and choose the Group command in the drop-down menu.

  2. In the Add a group dialog, enter a Name and Description for the Group you want to create, then choose the Next button to go to the Group Members dialog.
  3. The Group Members dialog enables you to add Clients to the Group you have created:
    • To add a Client to your Group, select the Client in the Available Clients list, then choose the Add button. The Client is displayed in the Group Members list.
    • To add all the Clients in the Available Clients list to your Group, choose the Add All button. All available Clients are displayed in the Group Members list.
    • If you want to remove a Client from the group, select the Client in the Group Members list and click the Remove button. The Client is displayed in the Available Clients list.
  4. When you have finished adding Clients to your Group, click the Finish button. The new Group is displayed in the Group List.

Adding Clients to Groups

You can add Clients to existing Groups as necessary.

A Client can belong to more than one Group. For example, you may want to create Groups based on the various departments in an organization, as well as Groups based on the types of PCs used by your organization.

To Add Clients to a Group:
  1. Select Clients in the Tree View, so that the Clients List is displayed. (Remember, the Clients List shows the Clients to whom you have previously connected, or have manually added to the Clients List.)
  2. Select all the Clients you want to add to the Group.
  3. Right-click any of the selected Clients and select the Add to group option. In the Add to group submenu, select the group that you want to add the Client to. The Client is added to the Group.
    If there are more Groups than can be displayed in the Add to group submenu, choose the More command in this submenu to display the Add Client(s) to Group dialog.

Removing Clients from Groups

To Remove a Client from a Group:
  1. In the Tree View, select the Group from which you want to remove a Client.
  2. In the List View, right-click the Client you want to remove.
  3. In the shortcut menu, choose the Remove from Group command.

You can also remove Clients from a Group using the Group Members tab of the Group Properties dialog. For more information, see "Displaying Group Properties".

Renaming Groups

To Rename a Group:
  1. Select Groups in the Tree View, then select the Group in the List View.
  2. Choose the Group, Rename menu command. The Group name is displayed in a black border, enabling you to edit it.
  3. Edit the Group name, then press the Enter key to save your changes.

You can also rename the selected Group by clicking on it a second time, or by right-clicking on it and choosing the Rename command from the shortcut menu. (The black border is displayed and the Group name is selected, enabling you to rename the Group.)

Displaying Group Properties

You can view a Group's properties using the Group Properties dialog. This dialog contains two tabs:

General

displays the Group Name and description.

Members

lists the Clients that belong to the Group.

You can edit the information contained in these tabs. For example, you can use the General tab to change the Group's description, or use the Group Members tab to add and remove Clients.

To Display a Group's Properties:
  1. Select Groups in the Tree View, then locate the Group in the List View.
  2. Right-click the Group to display the shortcut menu, then choose the Properties command to display the Group Properties dialog.
  3. When you have finishing viewing the contents of the Group Properties dialog, click the OK button to close the dialog.

You can also display the Group Properties dialog by selecting the Group, then choosing the Group, Properties menu command.

Connecting to Groups

After you have organized Clients into Groups, you can connect to all of the Clients in a Group in one procedure.

To Connect to a Group:
  1. Display the Group to which you want to connect in the Tree View, or in the List View.
  2. Right-click the Group to display the shortcut menu, then choose the Connect command. The Control connects to all the available Clients in the Group. This may take a few moments.

You can also connect to a Group by selecting the Group, then choosing the Group, Connect menu command.

Deleting Groups

To Delete a Group:
  1. Display the Group that you want to delete in the Tree View, or in the List View.
  2. Right-click the Group, then choose the Delete command from the Shortcut menu.

You can also delete a Group by selecting it in the List View, then choosing the Group, Delete menu command.

When you delete a Group, it has no effect on the Clients that belong to the Group.

Viewing and Arranging Lists

The contents of the List View such as Clients, and Groups can be displayed in different formats and sorted in various orders to make them easier to view and find.

There are four types of view with which you can display the contents of the List View:

Large Icons

Displays the items as large icons above the item names, which are listed from left to right.

Small Icons

Displays the items as small icons to the left of the item names, which are listed from left to right.

List

Displays the items as small icons to the left of the item names, which are listed from top to bottom.

Details

Displays the items as small icons to the left of the item names, with related details for each item displayed in adjacent columns. For example, when viewing Clients in the List View, details such as the Client Status, Description, Client Version and Platform are displayed.

To Change the View Format:

Click the View button on the right of the Control window to display a drop-down menu.

Choose a command from this menu to apply a View format. (The current View type format is indicated by a circle.)

The View format can also be changed using the Large Icons, Small Icons, List and Details commands in the View menu or by right-clicking an empty part of the List View and choosing a command from the shortcut menu.

You can have different format settings for each type of list. For example, Clients may be displayed as Small Icons, while Groups are displayed as Large Icons.

When you position the mouse over an item without clicking, a Tooltip is displayed containing the item's details, irrespective of the current View format.

Changing the Sort Order

Items in the List View, such as Clients and Groups can be sorted into different orders:

To Change the Sort Order:
  1. Click the Sort button above the List View to display a menu.

  1. Choose a command from the menu to change the sort order. (The current sort order for the selected List is indicated by a check mark.)
  2. If you want to change the order direction, display this menu again and choose the Ascending command. This command is a toggle; if the Items are in ascending order, the Ascending command is checked.

You can also change the item order by right-clicking an empty part of the List View to display the shortcut menu, then choosing a command from the Arrange submenu.

When the List View is displayed in Details view, you can click on the column headings (such as Name and Description) to sort the order by the entries in that column.

Clicking on a column heading a second time toggles the order direction; the Current order direction is indicated by a small arrow on the right of the Column heading (an up arrow indicates the List is sorted in Ascending order).

The View, Columns menu command enables you to specify which columns are displayed, and in what order, in the Details View.

Showing the Control PC to Clients and Groups

PC-Duo enables you to show the Control PC's screen to individual Clients or to an entire Group. This feature is especially useful in a training environment as it enables all Clients to see the screen that is being demonstrated.

To use the Show feature on the Control PC, you must also have the PC-Duo Client application installed.

To Show the Control PC to Clients and Groups:
  1. Ensure you are connected to the Clients or Group to which you want to show your screen.
  2. Select the Clients or Group to which you want to show your screen.
  3. Click the Show button in the Toolbar.
  4. In the Show dialog, select the These Clients option, and deselect any Clients which you don't want to display your screen to.

  1. Click the Show button to begin the Show session.

    The Show dialog is retitled Showing to indicate that a Show operation is in progress, and both the dialog and the Control window automatically minimize (the Control application is displayed as a button in the Taskbar).

  2. When you have finished showing your screen, click the Control application button in the Taskbar to restore the Control window, then click the End button in the Showing dialog.

If you select the Show icon on task bar option at the bottom of the Show dialog, the minimized Control window is displayed as a small icon in the Taskbar's system tray.

Double-click this icon to display the Showing dialog.

If you are Viewing a Client while Showing the Control screen to another Client, you can show a Client's screen to another Client.

Using Annotate in a Show Session

The Annotate function enables you to draw and write on the Control screen during a Show session. Use it to illustrate training and highlight areas of special interest during sessions.

To annotate a Show session:
  1. Double-click the Annotate icon in the system tray or right-click the Show icon in the Show window Toolbar. The Annotate Toolbar is displayed.

  1. Select a Tool and Colour, and use the left mouse button to draw on the Control screen.
    Click the Suspend button if you do not want to show your the screen to the Clients as you draw. This freezes the Show session, but enables you to continue working in the background. When you have finished, click Suspend again to restart the Show and update the Show window at the Clients.

Arranging Windows

The Control window and any other PC-Duo windows (such as File Transfer and View windows) can be arranged using the commands in the Windows, Tile submenu.

To Arrange Multiple Windows:

Ensure the Control window is the active, then choose a command from the Window, Tile menu:

All Windows

arranges all PC-Duo windows, including the Control window, so that they fill the screen.

View Windows

arranges all View windows so that they fill the Control PC screen.

File Transfer Windows

arranges all File Transfer windows so that they fill the Control PC screen.

Close All Windows

closes all other PC-Duo windows except for the Control window.

When working with multiple File Transfer or View windows, refer to a window's title bar to check which Client is displayed in a window.

You can use the Window, Tile, All Windows menu command to similarly arrange all PC-Duo windows (including the Control window, any File Transfer Windows and any View windows).

Connecting to Remote Clients and Networks

As well as allowing you to take control of Clients on the local network, PC-Duo enables you to take control of Clients on Remote Networks.

If you have used a previous version of PC-Duo, you can import existing Remote Network information. For more information, see "Customizing The Toolbar".

Adding New Remote Networks

To Add a New Remote Network:
  1. Click the New button in the Toolbar to display the drop-down menu, then choose the Remote Network command.
  2. In the Add a Remote Network dialog, enter a Name and Description for the Remote Network you want to add, then click the Next button to advance to the next stage.
  3. Enter the phone number of the Remote Network in the Phone Number text box, then make sure the Network Transport settings for the Network you are dialing into are correct.
  4. Choose the Finish button to add the new Remote Network.

Connecting to Remote Networks

Before you can connect to a remote network, the Remote Network must have the appropriate Bridge module loaded on the Client PC you are dialing (see "Loading the Bridge on a Client"), and the PC-Duo Client application must be installed on the PCs you want to access on the Remote Network.

To Connect to a Remote Network:
  1. Ensure the Control PC is connected to a modem, the modem is turned on.
  2. Choose the Network, Remote, Dial menu command to display the Remote Networks dialog.
  3. Select the Remote Network to which you want to connect from the list, then choose the Dial button.

    When the remote connection is established, the Control can work with Clients on the remote network in the same way as on a local network.

    You can create several Remote Networks, but a Control can connect to only one Remote Network and only one Remote Client at a time.

Displaying Remote Network Properties

You can display the properties of a Remote Network using the Remote Network Properties dialog. This dialog contains the Name, Description, Telephone Number and Network Transport for the Remote Network.

To Display a Remote Network's Properties:
  1. Select Remote Networks in the Tree View, then locate the Remote Network in the List View.
  2. Right-click the Remote Network to display the shortcut menu, then choose the Properties command from the submenu.

    When the Remote Network Properties dialog is displayed, the Name, Description, Telephone Number and Network Transport details are displayed.

  3. When you have finished viewing the contents, click the OK button or the Cancel button to close the Remote Network Properties dialog.

You can also display the Remote Network Properties dialog by selecting the Remote Network, then choosing the Network, Remote, Properties Menu command.

Deleting Remote Networks

To delete a Remote Network:
  1. Select Remote Networks in the Tree View, then locate the Remote Network in the List View.
  2. Right-click the Remote Network then choose the Delete from the shortcut menu to delete this Remote Network. The Network Clients are removed from the list of known Clients.

Gateways

Gateways enable Controls to access multiple Clients across the Internet. Each Gateway provides a single IP address through which Controls connect to Clients on an internal network, and a configurable port to listen for Client-Control communications. Use Gateways when you want to allow external Control PCs to access Clients through an Internet Firewall.

To register a Gateway with a Control:
  1. Click Gateways in the Tree view to display Gateways List.
  2. In the List View, double-click Add a Gateway to display the Gateway Wizard.

  1. Enter the Name by which you want to refer to the Gateway, and a Description of what it is used for. Click the Next button to continue. The second Wizard dialog is displayed.
  2. In the Address field, enter the domain name or IP address of the Gateway.

  1. By default, Gateways use port 3085 to listen for communications between Clients and Controls. This is registered for use by PC-Duo. If you want to use a different port to transmit and receive PC-Duo data, enter the port number in the Gateway Port field.
    If you change the port number of a Gateway, you must also specify the same port setting for all Controls and Clients using the Gateway.

    Click the Next button to continue. The third Wizard dialog is displayed.

  2. Click the Set button to display the Security dialog. Enter the key. The key must be from 8 to 15 characters long and can contain any alphanumeric characters. Click the OK button to validate the key and save it.
    Gateway Keys control access to Clients. To access a Client through a Gateway, a Control's Gateway Key must match the Gateway Key specified for the Client and one of the Keys defined for the Gateway. For more information on specifying Gateway Keys for Clients, see "Configuring Clients for Gateway Connections".
  3. The encrypted key is displayed in the Gateway Wizard. Click the OK button to complete the Wizard and add the Gateway to the Control.
To update Gateway properties:
  1. In the Control's Tree View, right-click the Gateway you want to update, and choose Properties from the shortcut menu. The Gateway Properties dialog is displayed.
  2. Change the details you want to update, and click the OK button to save your changes and close the dialog.

Accessing Clients through a Gateway

When you have registered a Gateway with a Control, you can use the Control to access Clients across the Internet. Controls can perform actions on Internet Clients in the same way as Clients connected through internal networks.

Controls can access only those Clients that are configured with the same Gateway Key as the Control itself. The enables you to maintain Client security because you can control which Clients are available through the use of different Gateway Keys for different sets of Client users.

In addition, the Gateway Keys on Clients and Controls must both match a Gateway Key on the Gateway itself. This three-part security means that only authorized users can access your Clients through the Internet and prevents other users of PC-Duo from accessing PCs within your system.

To access a Client through a Gateway:
  1. In the Control's Tree View, expand the Gateways entry and click the Gateway through which you want to access the Client.
  2. In the Gateway View, double-click Browse Gateway to list the Clients that match the Control's Gateway Key and that are currently online.

    The Browse Gateway dialog is displayed.

  3. In the Browse Gateway dialog, enter the criteria you want to use to search for Clients:
    • To list all Clients that match the Control's Gateway Key, clear the text field.
    • To look for a specific Client, enter the Client name in the text field.
    • To restrict the search to Clients whose names begin with specific characters, enter the characters in the text field. For example, if you enter ADMIN, any Clients named ADMIN1, ADMIN_OFFICE and ADMINISTRATOR will be found.
    • To restrict the list to Clients that currently require help, select the Only Clients Requesting Help check box.
  4. Click the OK button to browse for Clients that are configured with the same Gateway Key as your Control. The Clients are displayed in the Browse View.

You can now connect to Clients by selecting their entries in the Control's Gateway View and selecting the Connect icon in the Control Toolbar. For more information, see "Connecting to Clients".

Monitoring Gateways

Each Gateway automatically tracks the connections made between Controls and Clients across the Internet. You can monitor the Internet connections made across a Gateway using the PC-Duo Gateway dialog.

To display the Internet connections for a Gateway:
  1. Double-click the Gateway icon in the Windows system tray, or right-click the icon and choose Open from the shortcut menu. The Gateway dialog is displayed.
  2. In the Gateway dialog, select the Clients tab to list the currently connected Clients. Select the Active Sessions tab to list the current Control sessions.
  3. When you have finished, click the OK button to close the dialog.
    You can also view the details of Internet connections in each Gateway's Event log. For more information, see "Configuring Gateways".

Starting a Control from the Command Line

PC-Duo applications can be started from the command line. This enables you to embed PC-Duo within other applications. Optional parameters also enable you to create customized shortcuts that automatically open a remote control View session with a specified Client.

To open the Control from a command line, navigate to the directory in which PC-Duo is installed, and type: 

 PCICTLUI

with any of the following parameters:

/CClient<Transport>

Specifies the name or IP address of the Client you want to connect to. If you specify the Client name, the Control must have previously connected to the Client. If you specify the Client's IP address, it must be preceded by the > character. For example: /C>90.0.0.32<TCP>.

The <Transport> parameter enables you to specify the transport with which you want to connect to the specified Client. You can specify IPX, TCP or NBn, using the numbered stack n from 0-7.

Repeat the /C option for each Client that you want to connect to.
/A

Opens a Control session and starts a Chat session with the Clients specified by the /C parameter.

/Dphone_number

Dials the specified Bridge on startup.

/E

Automatically ends the remote control session when the View window is closed.

/F

Prevents the user from changing Profiles

/Ggroup_name

Connects to all available Clients in the specified Group on startup.

/Lprofile_file

Loads a Control Profile from a configuration file.

/Nprofile_name

Loads the named Control Profile.

/Rreplay_file

Displays the specified Replay File.

/Uxxx

When /D is specified, this option specifies the Bridge protocol to be used. You can enter IPX, TCP or NBa, where a is the NetBIOS adapter number used by the Bridge.

/Vmode

Opens a PC-Duo Control session for the Clients specified by the /C parameter. Enter:

/W

Saves the Profile loaded through the /L option

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