Remote automatic login

[sparkeh]

So I am trying to automate software installation for an RM schoolshare peer to peer network.

Using AutoIT, I can take care of the actual installation but you have to be logged in for the script to run, but I want to take it a step further so I can schedule an install, say overnight.

I am using MST Lanview which has an auto login feature which seems to work ok on domain networks (using the ctrl+alt+del login screen) but not on a non-domain machine that uses the welcome screen. It only seems to work on the last user to login, which is going to be a pupil or teacher which are limited accounts.

I also thought of using AutoIT to send a TAB+TAB+password to the welcome screen (and login to the manager account) but it seems you cannot send keys to the login screen.

I don't think that RDP is an option as this would be a nightmare to script (if even possible).

So, does anyone know if there is anyway to remotely log a machine on?

[kmount]

Using MSI's you could use psexec remotely to connect and execute msiexec?

[sparkeh]

Using MSI's you could use psexec remotely to connect and execute msiexec?

..................well, yes it you want to take a sensible approach.

*tears up all his coding*

[sparkeh]

Ah second thoughts, you need to add the correct shortcuts for pupils and teachers in RM ClassMate Manager, which is where AutoIT is useful.

*pastes coding back together and smoothes it out*

[kmount]

No experience of that, but on CC3 if its just using a shortcut bank it's easy enough to include that in the same batch file to create the install the app, create the shortcut etc.

[sparkeh]

Hmm ClassMate works by populating the teacher and pupil start menu with the shortcuts you specify.

The list appears to be held in an xml file, I guess I could rewrite the file to update it with new shortcuts.