User Manual

Chapter 7

Advanced Features

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NetSupport PC-Duo enables you to start an application on individual Clients and Groups of Clients.

This facility could be used to execute a setup application and install software on Client PCs.

Executing Applications on a Client

You can execute an application on any Client PC even if you are not connected to it before starting the application.

To Execute Applications on Individual Clients:

1. Right-click the Client on which you want to execute an application.
2. Choose the Execute at Client command from the shortcut menu.
3. In the Execute Application dialog, enter the path, name and any parameters for the application you want to execute, then click the Execute button.

The application is executed on the Client PC. After a few moments, the result of the operation are displayed in the bottom section of the Execute Application dialog.

Executing an Application on a Group of Clients

To Execute Applications on a Group of Clients:

1. Right-click the Group that contains the Clients on which you want to execute an application.
2. Choose the Execute at Client command from the shortcut menu.
3. In the Execute Application dialog, enter the path, name and any parameters for the application you want to execute, then click the Execute button.

The Control attempts to execute the application on all Clients in the Group. After a few moments, the results of the operation are listed in the bottom section of the Execute Application dialog.

Capturing the Print Output on Client PCs

The Print Capture feature enables you to redirect the printer output from a Client PC to the printer at the Control. Use this feature when you are running an application on a Client, but want to redirect printed output to a printer used by the Control.

You can configure the Print Capture facility before or while you are connected to a Client.

To Capture a Client's Print Output:

1. In the Control window's List View, right-click the Client to display the shortcut menu.
2. Choose the Client Settings command from the shortcut menu.
3. In the Settings for Client dialog, click the Print Capture and Replay tab.
4. Select the Enable Print Capture check box to enable the print capture options.
5. Select a print capture option to redirect the print output. Choose:

   Capture to Printer to redirect the print output to a printer. To select a different printer, click the Change button.

   Capture to File to redirect the print output to a file. Enter a filename with an extension of PRN, or click the Browse button to locate an existing file.

6. Click the OK button to return to the Control window.

The Print Capture feature may already be enabled by the Profile used by your Control. For more information, see "Using Control Profiles".

Rebooting And Logging Out Clients

When you are connected to a Client, you can reboot or log the user off their Client PC by sending the equivalent of an Alt+Ctrl+Del key press. If the Client is running Windows NT4, 2000, or XP, this action causes the Client to log off. If the Client is running Windows 95, 98, or Me, this action causes the Client to reboot.

To Reboot or Log Out Clients:

1. Select the Clients, or Group which you want to log out or reboot.
2. Right-click the selection to display the shortcut menu, then choose the Reboot / Logout command. The selected Clients or Group are rebooted or logged out.

   Alternatively, if the View window is displayed for the Client you want to reboot, you can also click the Reboot button in the View window Toolbar to reboot the Client.

To shut down a Client rather than reboot it, display the View window for the Client, then click the Start button and choose the Shutdown command in the Client's View window. The Client automatically disconnects after a few moments.

Power Management

Wake-on-LAN technology in NetSupport PC-Duo enables you to activate and switch off remote PCs using the Power On and Power Off commands in the Client menu.

To use the Power Management features, you must first configure the Client PCs.

Client Requirements for Remote Power Management

You may need to set up the following hardware, BIOS and operating system features before using power management on remote PCs:

• A network card, which supports Remote Power Management (sometimes called Wake-on-LAN). Note that many older cards and low-cost cards do not support Power Management.
• A motherboard which supports Power Management.
• A dedicated Power Management cable installed and connected from the network card and the motherboard.
• In the PC's BIOS Power Management, you must enable the LAN Wakeup option or its equivalent.
• Some network cards provide configuration utilities, which enable you to specify the Power Management settings. These options are sometimes dependent on the operating system being used.

Using Power Management

The Power On facility only works with Clients for which the MAC Address is known by the Control application.

A Client's MAC Address is picked up by the Control application when you connect to the Client. (This only applies to TCP/IP Clients.)

To check whether the MAC Address is stored for a Client, view the Details tab in the Client Properties dialog.

A known Client is listed in the Control PC's CLIENT.NSM file, along with its MAC Address.

To Activate a Remote PC:

1. In the Control application's Client View, select the PCs you want to activate.
2. Choose the Client, Power On menu command.

To Shut Down a Remote PC:

1. In the Control application's Client View, select the PCs you want to deactivate.
2. Choose the Client, Power Off menu command.

To activate or deactivate a Group of PCs:

1. Select the Group from the Tree View
2. Choose Power On or Power Off from the Group menu.

   You can perform Power Management operations from within NetSupport PC-Duo Scripts. See "Power Management Scripts" for more details.

Working With User-Defined Tools

You can integrate external tools and applications with the NetSupport PC-Duo Control application. These tools can then be accessed using the Tools, User Defined submenu in the Control window. NetSupport PC-Duo Scripts can also be configured as User Defined Tools.

You can customize the NetSupport PC-Duo Control Toolbar and add a Tools button that enables you to access your User Defined Tools more easily.

Adding User Defined Tools

To Add a User Defined Tool:

1. In the NetSupport PC-Duo Control window, choose the Tools, User Defined, Edit menu command. The User Defined Tools dialog is displayed.

2. Click the Add button.

3. In the Add Tool dialog, enter the text you want to use as the menu command name in the Menu Text box.

   In the Menu Text box, you can prefix a letter of the name with an ampersand (&) character, so that you can use the letter as a shortcut to activate that menu command when the menu is displayed.

4. To reference a file as your User Defined Tool, click the Browse button to select the file.
5. Enter any parameters you want to pass in the command line in the Arguments box.
6. Select the Wait for program to finish check box if you want the NetSupport PC-Duo Control to be inactive while the tool is running.

   If the Wait for program to finish check box is selected, the NetSupport PC-Duo Control displays a message to inform you that the Tool is running, and gives you the option of stopping the Tool and returning to NetSupport PC-Duo Control. (However, it is better to stop an active Tool by closing the Tool itself, rather than by terminating it from this message dialog.)

7. Click the OK button. The tool is displayed in the User Defined Tools dialog.
8. Click the Close button. The Tool is now accessible from the Tools, User Defined submenu.

   You can specify a NetSupport PC-Duo Script as a User Defined Tool, using the Add Tool dialog's Script tab.

Editing and Deleting User Defined Tools

To Edit a User-Defined Tool:

1. From the Tools menu, choose the User Defined, Edit command to display the User Defined Tools dialog.
2. In the Tools list, select the User Defined Tool you want to edit.
3. Click the Edit button. The Edit tool dialog is displayed, enabling you to change the Tool settings.
4. Click the OK button to return to the User Defined Tools dialog.

To Delete a User-Defined Tool:

1. Choose the Tools, User Defined, Edit command to display the User Defined Tools dialog.
2. In the Tools list, select the Tool you want to delete.
3. Click the Delete button to delete the selected Tool, then confirm this action.

   See "Customizing The Toolbar", for information on how to add a Tools button to the Control window Toolbar.You can then display the User Defined Tools dialog by clicking the Tools button, and choosing Edit from the drop-down menu.

Copying Tool Settings to other Control PCs

If you want to use your user-defined tools settings on any Control, you can copy the settings. The User Defined Tool settings are stored in the TOOLS.NSM file, located in your NetSupport PC-Duo installation directory. You can copy this file to another PC's NetSupport PC-Duo installation directory to transfer the User Defined tools settings to it. After doing so, the PC receiving this file will need to restart the NetSupport PC-Duo Control to access the new User Defined Tools.

Defined Tools may not work on another PC because the User Defined Tools may use path and file references which are specific to one PC. If you copy the TOOLS.NSM file to another PC, use the Edit Tool dialog's Browse button to verify the file paths for each of the User Defined Tools.

Performing a System Snapshot

NetSupport PC-Duo's System Snapshot feature enables you to quickly obtain a detailed inventory of your NetSupport PC-Duo Clients' hardware configurations.

This detailed hardware inventory includes information about their CPU type and speed, memory, operating system, service pack information, printers, screen type and display driver, drive size and free space, network domain, network card and much more! This information is presented in the System Snapshot dialog, organized by category into a number of tabs.

You can view this information immediately and use it to assist users and resolve problems, and additionally print a copy of all the information. You can even save a copy of the information to a file.

To perform the System Snapshot operation on a Client, the PC must be running the NetSupport PC-Duo Client v4.15 or above.

If you are not connected to the Client from which you want to obtain a System Snapshot, NetSupport PC-Duo automatically connects and disconnects the Client to obtain the Snapshot information. (If you are already connected to the Client, the Client remains connected when the System Snapshot is complete.)

To Perform a System Snapshot:

1. In the NetSupport PC-Duo Control window, select the Client which you want to Snapshot.
2. From the Tools menu, choose the User Defined, System Snapshot command.

   The System Snapshot information is copied from the Client and a Message dialog displays the operation's progress.

   The System Snapshot dialog is then displayed.

   The information in this dialog is organized into several tabs. Right-click any of the tabs in this dialog to display a list of all the tabs in a shortcut menu. Click any of the tabs in the list to display the relevant information.

   Refer to "Troubleshooting the System Snapshot Feature" if you encounter any problems or error messages when attempting to perform a System Snapshot.

Printing the System Snapshot Information

You can print the System Snapshot information to generate a detailed hardware inventory report for a Client PC. You also have the option of saving the System Snapshot information as a text file.

To print the system snapshot information:

1. Display the System Snapshot dialog for the Client.
2. Click the Print button at the bottom of the System Snapshot dialog. A message dialog is displayed.
3. If you want to save the report as a text file, click the Yes button in the message dialog. The Save As dialog is displayed, enabling you to specify the name and location of the report file.
4. When the Print dialog is displayed, select the options then click the OK button to print the file. The file is printed and the System Snapshot dialog remains displayed.

Customizing the System Snapshot Feature

The System Snapshot Feature is pre-configured as a User Defined Tool. As such, you can change the name of the Snapshot's menu command as displayed in the User-Defined submenu. You can also edit the Arguments which are passed to the System Snapshot program.

To Customize the System Snapshot Feature:

1. In the NetSupport PC-Duo Control, choose the Tools, User Defined, Edit menu command.
2. In the User Defined Tools dialog, select the System Snapshot item from the list, then click the Edit button. The System Snapshot settings are displayed in the Edit Tool dialog.
3. If you want to change the name of the System Snapshot menu command, edit the text in the Menu Text Box. (Use the & symbol to identify the following letter as a shortcut for this menu command when the menu is displayed).
4. The Path value should usually be left unchanged. It refers to the location of the System Snapshot program file (HWINV.EXE), which is located in the NetSupport PC-Duo installation directory.
5. Use the Arguments value to specify the parameters that are passed to the System Snapshot program.

   By default, this setting is $CLIENTNAME$^. The $CLIENTNAME$ part of the argument refers to the currently selected Client when you start a System Snapshot operation. If you want to store the System Snapshot information files in a specific location, append the directory path after the ^ . However, because NetSupport PC-Duo defaults to looking for these files in the Client's installation directory, you should not need to change this parameter.

6. Select the Wait for program to finish check box to make the NetSupport PC-Duo Control window temporarily inaccessible while viewing the System Snapshot information.

   Deselect this option if you want to work with the Control while one or more System Snapshot dialogs are displayed.

Troubleshooting the System Snapshot Feature

The following messages may be displayed when attempting to perform a System Snapshot.

Incorrect password, please try again

Explanation: An incorrect user name or password was entered when the Control attempted to connect to the Client to retrieve the System Snapshot information.

User Action: You are reprompted to enter the correct user name and password for this Client.

Failed to connect to Client. Wrong username or password

Explanation: You cancelled an attempt to connect to a Client after failing to enter the correct user name and password.

User Action: Try again with correct user name and password, as used to connect to the Client ordinarily using NetSupport PC-Duo.

Command line provided: ^ Usage:Client^ [Directory]

Explanation: No Client was selected when performing a System Snapshot.

User Action: Select the Client in the NetSupport PC-Duo window and then perform a System Snapshot.

Hardware inventory files not found on Client. Cannot open [Directory]\LUHDWCHK.LOG

Explanation: The Hardware inventory files used to perform the System Snapshot cannot be found on the Client. Check the path which is displayed-this path should be the location of the Client's NetSupport PC-Duo Installation directory. If this is not the case, then edit the System Snapshot settings using the User Defined Tools dialog- these settings may contain an incorrect directory at the end of the arguments line. See "Customizing the System Snapshot Feature" for more information. Alternatively, the Client PC may not be running the NetSupport PC-Duo Client v4.15 or above, and therefore you will not be able to perform a System Snapshot on this Client.

User Action: Take appropriate steps to upgrade the Client to the latest version.

Application [Directory]\HWInv.exe not found. Check path and try again.

Explanation: The HWInv application is not in the directory specified in the Tool definition.

User Action: Update the Tool path, or move HWInv.exe to the specified location.

Importing Clients, Groups And Remote Networks

You can import existing Client, Group and Remote Network information from a previous version of NetSupport PC-Duo.

If you have already created some Clients or Remote Networks, they are replaced by any matching entries that are imported here. If you import a Group which already exists, then any additional Group members are added, but any existing Group members will not be removed.

You import Client, Group and Remote Network information using the Import Wizard.

Starting the Import Wizard

To Start the Import Wizard:

1. In the Control application window, choose the Tools, Import CLF/GLF Files menu command. The first Import Wizard dialog is displayed.
2. Read the information in the dialog, then click the Next button to continue.

Specifying the Location of the Files to Import

The second Import Wizard dialog enables you to specify the location of your previous version of NetSupport PC-Duo, as well as the location of the file WCONTROL.INI, which stores additional information about the previous version's Clients, Groups and Remote Networks.

If you do not specify a directory for WCONTROL.INI (usually located in your operating system directory, such as \WINDOWS or \WINNT), the Import Wizard attempts to find this file for you:

• If the file is found, the Import Wizard uses it to determine the network transport for the Clients you are importing.
• If the file is not found, you can still import the Client and Group information, but you must specify the transport information details.

To Specify the Location of the Files to Import:

1. In the second Import Wizard dialog, click the Browse button in the top half of the dialog to specify the location of your previous version of NetSupport PC-Duo.
2. If you know the location of the WCONTROL.INI file, use the Browse button in the bottom half of the dialog to specify the location. (If you don't know the location of this file, then leave the text box empty.)
3. Click the Next button to continue.

Selecting the Information to Import

After you have specified the location of the previous version of NetSupport PC-Duo, use the third Import Wizard dialog to select the Clients and Group Information you want to import. This dialog contains a list displaying the Client and Group information it has found.

To Select the Information to Import:

1. In the third Import Wizard dialog list, select the items you want to import.
2. If any of the selected items do not have a specified network transport, click in the check box to display a check symbol and display the Import - Set Transport dialog. Use this dialog to specify the network transports.
3. When you have checked all the items you want to import, and they have a network Transport, click the Next button to continue.

Using the Import - Set Transport Dialog

The Import - Set Transport dialog is displayed only if you need to supply network transports for the Clients, Groups or Remote Networks you are importing using the Import Wizard.

The contents of the file you want to import are displayed in the list. When you are importing a Remote Network file, the list in the Set Transport dialog displays more information about the contents of the file.

To Specify Network Transports:

1. For each item in the Import - Set Transport dialog, select its entry in the list, then select a Transport option in the bottom left corner of the dialog.
2. When you have specified network transports for all items in the list, click the OK button.

Confirming the Import Details

The final Import Wizard dialog enables you to check the information you have selected to import.

To Confirm the Import Details:

1. Read the information in the final Import Wizard dialog:

   If the information to be imported is correct, click the Finish button to Import the files.

   If you want to change which Client and Group information is imported, click the Back button to return and specify the information you want to import.

2. When the Import Wizard has finished importing the Client and Group Information, a message dialog is displayed to inform you of how many Clients, Groups and Remote Networks have been imported. Click the OK button to close the message.

Customizing The Toolbar

The Customize Toolbar dialog enables you to select which buttons you want to display in the Control window's Toolbar.

You can also use this dialog to customize the View window's Toolbar.

To display the Customize Toolbar dialog:

• If you want to customize the Control window Toolbar, choose the View, Toolbar, Customize menu command in the Control window. The Customize Toolbar dialog is displayed.
• If you want to customize the View window Toolbar, right-click a View window, and choose the Customize command from the shortcut menu.

  You can also display the Customize Toolbar dialog by right-clicking on the Control window Toolbar, then choosing the Customize command from the shortcut menu.

Using the Customize Toolbar Dialog

The Available Buttons list (on the left of the dialog) contains buttons which are available for adding to the Toolbar. (This list does not contain any buttons which are already featured on the Toolbar.)

The Current Buttons list (on the right of the dialog) shows you which buttons are currently featured on the Toolbar. The buttons in this list appear from top to bottom in the order the buttons appear on the actual Toolbar from left to right.

To add a button to the Toolbar, select the button from the Available Buttons List, then click the Add button. (The added button is featured in the Current Buttons list.)

To remove a button from the Toolbar, select the button from the Current Buttons List, then click the Remove button. (The removed button is featured in the Available Buttons list.)

To change the position of a button on the Toolbar, select a button in the Current Buttons list, then use the up arrow and down arrow buttons (on the right of the dialog) to change the position of the button in the Toolbar.

To add a small gap to the left of a Toolbar button, select the appropriate button in the Current Buttons list, then click the Separator button.

To reset the Toolbar to the default buttons, click the Reset button. In the confirmation dialog, click the Yes button.

When you have finished customizing the Toolbar, click the OK button to return to the Control window.

Applying a New Authorization Key

You can apply a new NetSupport PC-Duo authorization key using the License Manager dialog.

To Apply a New License Key:

1. Click the Start button in the Windows taskbar to display the Start menu.
2. Display the Programs, PC-Duo submenu, then choose the Apply a Key command.
3. In the Licence Manager dialog, ensure the General tab is selected.
4. Enter the new authorization key in the Authorization Key text box at the bottom of the General tab.
5. Click the Generate button to apply the key and close the License Manager dialog.

Uninstalling NetSupport PC-Duo

If you want to uninstall NetSupport PC-Duo, you can do so using the Uninstall PC-Duo icon in the Start menu's PC-Duo folder. The Client application must be de-activated before NetSupport PC-Duo can be uninstalled.

Usually, you do not need to uninstall NetSupport PC-Duo before installing a new version.

To Uninstall NetSupport PC-Duo:

1. Ensure no NetSupport PC-Duo applications are running, such as the Control Application, Script Agent or Script Editor.

   If the NetSupport PC-Duo Client application is running, then display the Start menu and choose the Programs, PC-Duo, De-activate PC-Duo Client to deactivate it. (For more information, see "Deactivating a Client".)

2. Click the Start button in the taskbar to display the Start menu, then choose the Programs, PC-Duo, Uninstall NetSupport PC-Duo command.
3. When the message box is displayed, asking you to confirm this action, click the Yes button, then follow any prompts which are displayed to uninstall NetSupport PC-Duo.

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