Enabling Help Desk Options for MS-DOS Clients

• Microsoft Systems Management Server versions 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2

SUMMARY

Help Desk Options for MS-DOS clients are disabled by default. This article discusses proper methods to enable Help Desk Options for an MS-DOS Remote client.

MORE INFORMATION

Help Desk Options can be enabled by an MS-DOS client using the -v option of USERTSR and USERIPX, or by modifying the SMS.INI on the client. Help Desk Options enabled using the -v option of USERTSR and USERIPX (USERIPX is used only with Novell IPX clients) are not saved, so the next reboot results in selected options being disabled again. Help Desk Options enabled by modifying the SMS.INI are permanent.

Method 1: Using -v Option of USERTSR and USERIPX

To enable options using the -v command of USERTSR or USERIPX:

1. Make sure USERTSR or USERIPX has already been loaded in the CLIENT.BAT file because the -v options are not available until USERTSR or USERIPX has already been loaded.

2. Run USERTSR or USERIPX with a -v option for every Help Desk Option you would like to enable. Available options are:

         VIEW - Allows Remote Control of the client
         FILEXFER - Allows File Transfer to/from the client
         EXECUTE - Allows Remote Execution of commands on the client
         REBOOT - Allows Remote Reboot of the client
   

         Example:
   

         USERTSR -vVIEW -vREBOOT -vEXECUTE
   

   NOTE: To disable a Help Desk Option, enter a -v option preceded by NO. For example:

         USERTSR -vNOVIEW -vNOREBOOT -vNOEXECUTE
   

Method 2: Modifying SMS.INI File

To enable options in the SMS.INI:

1. Change the properties of the SMS.INI file from read-only, hidden, and system using the following MS-DOS command:

         attrib c:\sms.ini -r -h -s
   

2. Open the SMS.INI file in Notepad and change the entries in the Sight section from "No" to "Yes" (without the quotation marks):

         [Sight]
         Allow Takeover= <No | Yes>
         Allow Reboot= <No | Yes>
         Allow File Transfer= <No | Yes>
         Allow Remote Execute= <No | Yes>
   

3. Save the changes and set the properties of the SMS.INI to read-only, hidden, and system using the following MS-DOS command:

         attrib c:\sms.ini +r +h +s