Install unattended access without admin permissions
Installing unattended support on computers for which you are not the administrator requires a different process that if you are the administrator.
The process listed below can be helpful in the following situations:
- Remote agents installing unattended support when not connected to the local domain.
- Agents installing unattended support on cloned/imaged computers. The Remote Support unattended installer needs to generate a UUID (Universally Unique Identifier) during installation, which is unique for each computer. This means it must be installed after Windows has finished being imaged and named; otherwise, all your computers will have the same UUID, and only the last one will work.
Note: This process requires using a script created and run with AutoIT Editor.
What to do next:
For computers that are on Windows domains, the GPO (MSI) method is recommended for installation. For those that are not on Windows domains, however, this method is recommended because it provides the following benefits:
- It uses a "helper script" that is set to run at each logon, and it is smart enough to detect if the unattended installer is already running and to exit immediately if so.
- If it detects that the user doesn't have admin permissions, then it uses the credentials you specified without providing them to agents (they are encrypted through compiling).
- If Windows UAC (User Access Control) is enabled, then UAC will prompt "Allow yes/no" (as per UAC design) for this one-time installation. If you have UAC set normally, it will only prompt "yes/no."
Install Unattended Support without Admin Permissions
Note: If you ever installed the Remote Support unattended installer on your "golden image" computer (i.e., the source of your copies), then you must first remove the following UUID setting in the Registry Editor so that the new UUID that installs on each PC can generate a unique ID (by design, the uninstall process will not remove this, and a new installation will not change it): "HKLM\software\WOW6432Node\LogMeInInc\GoToManage | UUID=XXXX-XXX-XXXX-XXXX").
- Download the GoToAssist unattended installer from https://up.gotoassist.com and save to your hard drive (e.g., c:\temp).
- Create a "helper script" as follows, and save it to the same folder chosen in Step 1:
- Download the AutoIT Editor.
- Download the install-GoToAssist.au3 script file.
- Open the downloaded file using AutoIT Editor and modify the following lines:
$admin_username=[enter username]'$pwd='[enter password]'$domain='[if local user account, enter computername or "]'
- Encrypt the file by selecting Tools > Compile. The compiler runs at the bottom of the screen.
- To add the "helper script" for installing on cloned/imaged computers, proceed to Step 4. To package the "helper script" for distribution to remote agents, proceed to Step 5.
- To ensure that the program runs no matter who logs into the computer, create a registry entry as follows:
- Move the newly complied "helper script" (named Install-GoToAssist.exe) to your "golden image" computer.
- On that computer, open Registry Editor and go to Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run (any entries put in here are automatically run).
- Right-click and select New > String Value and select a file name.
- In Edit String window, specify a directory under "Value Data."
- To package the "helper script" into one file, do the following:
- Download ZipGenius or another compression program that can make self-extracting archives.
- Find the GoToAssist-Installer.exe file and newly compiled "help script" (named Install-GoToAssist.exe) in Finder.
- Select both files, right-click and create a zip file.
Note: The following steps may vary if you used a compression program other than ZipGenius.
- Right-click the zip file and select ZipGenius > Convert to EXE.
- Specify the title and click Next. Then specify a destination folder and click Next.
- Specify a message that will display on the screen when users log in. You can choose which buttons to provide them with, then click Next.
- Under "Execute a file between these," choose "Install-GoToAssist.exe" and click Next.
- Specify any additional options to suit your needs. Be sure to deselect "Allow to Disable Autorun" and click Start.
- Test by double-clicking the newly created single-package file. If everything was done correctly, the message you specified in Step 5(f) will appear and the script will run.
Article last updated: 29 August, 2024