Saturday, August 7, 2010

Concurrent RDP on Windows XP 64-bit Using Same User Account

In this post, I will give you step-by-step guide to make you be able remote desktop concurrently to Windows XP Professional Edition 64-bit with only one user account. It's a little different with my previous post, where it only be able to do remote desktop concurrently using different user account.

Step 1.
Disable remote desktop.
a. Right-click on My Computer -> Properties -> Remote (uncheck both boxes).
b. Then go to Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services and double click on Terminal Services and change the startup type to disabled.

Step 2.
Get files.
a. Get the files here Antiwpa-V3.4.6 for X64 and X86.zip (source) TS-NoRestr-Patch-x64.rar (source). If the links don't work the sources will, the site is AntiWPA and you need to register to download the files.

b. Extract the zip file to a new folder and run AntiWPA3.cmd (just double click) it will apply the patch.

c. Extract the rar to a new folder (single word no spaces [I used "new"] c:\windows\new) in c:\windows double click the TSfix.reg file and click ok.

Step 3.
Get the windows XP 64-bit disk and reboot from disk. Then go to the recovery console and type 1 for C:\WINDOWS

code:
cd system32
copy winlogon.exe winlogon.exe_backup
cd ..
cd new
copy winlogon.exe c:\windows\system32
y
exit

Step 4.
a. When the computer reboots reboot in safemode by hitting F8 at the right time, choose regular safemode.

b. Login as an administrator and make sure that terminal services are still off as set in Step 1.

c. make a backup of c:\windows\system32\termsrv.dll and c:\windows\system32\dllcache\termsrv.dll (dllcache is a hidden folder, so make sure you already change the setting to show hidden/ system files)

d. replace those two files with the termsrv.dll from the rar (which has been extracted to c:\windows\new in Step 2)

e. 'Click Start, then “Run…”, type “gpedit.msc” (without quotes) and press ENTER;
open Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Terminal Services;
double click “Limit number of connections”, choose “Enabled” and set the maximum number of concurrent connections you want to allow'.

reboot to normal.

Step 5.
a. Log on to the normal windows XP 64 bit and enable the remote desktop similar to Step 1
b. Switch the Terminal Services to manual also similar to Step1.
c. Reboot

Step 6.
Try it out, you should be able to have multiple logins using remote desktop to the same system without kicking each other off.
I tried by creating on user account 'testing', and I can make all 10 colleagues in office login using the same user account :)

Please give some comments, or if you have difficulties just let me know, so I can edit the post accordingly. Thanks.

4 comments:

  1. Let's say I have a legit version of x64 xp. Why would I need to run antiwpa? I actually have followed your tutorial but simply skipped the antiwpa in part 1. After this the computer failed to log into windows with a wpa error code 0x8007007e. After reinstalling sp2 everything went back to normal. I don't feel comfortable using antiwpa if I don't have to. What is it doing and why?

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  2. Hi, thanks for your comment.

    I'm using a legit version of x64 XP and I didn't feel comfortable as well. The background of this tutorial is I have to make a Windows gateway for all of my staff(s) in order to use Windows application and accessing remote equipments (only this gateway granted the access to do it). If only I have legit version of Windows Server, I wouldn't need to do this, as Windows Server is accessible concurrently by default :)

    I have to apply AntiWPA, because it's the part of the process. If you're not doing AntiWPA part, after you change the winlogon.exe, Windows will detect that the file is changed, and you'll get an error.

    Before I'm posting the tutorial, I've tried each step, doing trial and error, why I have to run this part etc.. etc.. the difference between x64 and 32bit is only at applying AntiWPA and replacing winlogon.exe, you can compare it with my other post about 32bit XP. Please cmiiw, looking forward for your reply. Thanks.

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  3. Yes I am basically doing the same. The problem I am running into is that any of the anti virus I use detects and deletes this file automatically. I have white listed the file and it still get detected. I have read that you can use a hex editor to slightly modify the header and rename the file but I've also read mixed results. I do have a question about this tutorial. Which reg key allows concurrent rdc's with the same user account? I definitely don't want this to happen. Concurrent sessions, yes but not on the same user name/account. That would be very problematic for me. Also, what other patches have you tried? I could not find very many. I know the 32bit patches use a server 2003 winlogon and termsrv, some don't use winlogon. Maybe this will be similar for x64. I'm going to beg for more in my budget for server 08 x64 in the near future, but until then I have to get this patched correctly as a solid fix however temporary it may be. I'm kind of thinking that antiwpa, however awesome people think it is, I kinda see it as potential security flaw.

    ReplyDelete
  4. sorry for the delay responding to your comment..

    yes, i agree with u that antiwpa is a kind of security flaws. i'm using avg free edition and it detect some files as a virus, when i move them, i cannot login to windows anymore :))

    i'm not thinking about which registry key, i'm thinking more about difference between termsrv.dll file used, because i see it's different version used at xp 64-bit and xp 32-bit. i just did some experiment, using termsrv.dll meant to 64-bit in xp 32-bit, but apparently Terminal Service won't run :p thanks, i will try to look into reg key deeper.

    my requirement is different from you, I need one account that can logged into concurrently :)

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Hi, for all of those who already put comments on my blog post, thanks.. really appreciate it. And for those who have not, just put your comments here :)