Remote Desktop?

[SLR_65]

Forgive me, I'm new to the whole networking thing.

I noticed in the firewall that I could allow a Remote Desktop through.

I did a quick look up on what that was and it appears it may do something I would really like . . .

I hate having to pull the htpc out of the entertainment center to hookup a monitor, keyboard, and mouse to do upgrades and other tasks that require me to run programs on the htpc (I can easily move files on and off through the network).

It appears that the Remote Desktop would allow me to do that?

Or is there limitations to it? If so, are there other programs that would do that? (cheaply?)

Thanks!

Steve

[fuzzweed]

yes remote desktop is great for what you want, but your htpc will need to be running xp pro (or possibly some flavor of vista but i don't know about that) to act as the remote server.
xp home will do fine for the remote client.

Even better, google for a terminal server patch (note the the sp3 patch is different to the sp2 patch) - then create two user acounts on the htpc. One user acount can simaltaneously run GBPVR while you remote into the second user acount and do whatever admin you need to do to the PC.

edit: actually it looks like the patch I used on sp2 has been updated to run on sp3 too
http://www.kood.org/terminal-server-patch/

[SLR_65]

Oooooh, I'll have to do some research on this tomorrow!

I'm running XP Pro all around so that's no problem.

thanks!!!

[naador]

I personally like vnc for remote management of my pvr. Specifically I use Ultra VNC http://www.uvnc.com . The nice thing about vnc is you can use the gbpvr interface in with it. If you use remote desktop you can't run pvrx2. I do use remote desktop w/ the above mentioned multi user patch to monitor cpu usage and make changes to the system when the wife and kids are watching tv. The best of both worlds.

[johnsonx42]

fuzzweed, thanks for linking that patch; I'd been fixin' to look for that patch myself. question though, once you add a second user, windows stops at the login screen on boot-up. I've forgotten if and where you can set an automatic login? (99 times out of 100 I deal with windows on a network where a login is always required, so I forget some of this basic home type stuff).

to SLR65:

first, as fuzzweed said you need to be using XP Pro (or Vista Business I think, not sure if Home Premium has it).

Second, if your user account does not have a password you need to either set a password, or enable blank-password accounts to login over the network - start->run->gpedit.msc... local policies->security options->Accounts:limit local account use of blank passwords to console logon only->Disabled

by the way, if you're running Vista, the remote desktop will actually allow you to run the gb-pvr user interface, and even watch tv though remote desktop (probably be a bit choppy though). XP can't do that, remote desktop runs at a more basic graphical level.

if you want a solution for XP home, or you want a way to log directly in to the running user account with no disruption, check out TightVNC.

edit: I guess I type too slow, your response and another obsoleted half of what I said...

[fuzzweed]

I've forgotten if and where you can set an automatic login?

start -> run 'control userpasswords2'. uncheck users must enter a password. apply. enter defualt user details........

[naador]

for auto login to windows start>run

control userpasswords2

[psycik]

Remote desktop while it allows you to see the machine on windows XP, you can't see the gbpvr application.

VNC will allow this. Under vista however, I think RDP works similarly to VNC.

[InVermont]

On my GB-PVR box, I run RealVNC(http://www.realvnc.com/). No patches, no worries. It is free, and does a good job.
I can't watch video over it, but am able to run the PVRX2 interface well enough.
Lately, for any Remote Desktop stuff I've been running MS Live Mesh (free, access from anywhere you can run IE, no config at the firewall/router) but it has habit of locking the remote machine on login/logoff.
Which is kind of useless for a PVR.

[fuzzweed]

Can you watch TV over VNC? I always found you just got a black screen...