Remote Desktop in Home Premium?

Is there any hack out there that enables a computer with W7HP to act as the remote desktop server like there was for Vista HP? This is the one Professional feature that many home users want, and it seems kind of wasteful to recommend that people upgrade just for remote desktop.

PS: No, VNC is not an acceptable substitute.

 

Not with Window's RDP. If you want the feature, you gotta pay for it .

 

Home users tend to need help with their computer, so Remote Assistance is there. While IT are for actually using a computer from distance, where the other side you have no one, so they have both Remote Assistance (Of course), and Remote Desktop Host.

 

Dang, so they closed that loophole in Windows 7

To be perfectly honest, I have no idea what you're actually trying to say. When I read your post literally, you sound like you work in Microsoft's marketing department. When I read your post from a more cynical perspective, you sound like a tech elitist who looks down on anyone that's not in IT.

 

I don't work for Microsoft, and I don't look down to anyone. I was just trying to explain the way Microsoft set the features with the editions.

Let me try and re-explain better.

This only focuses on the remote desktop host feature of Windows, and excluding all other features, to make this post short. This also is based on Microsoft perspective. If it was my perspective, it would be Ultimate edition for all for the price of Home Premium, because you never know when a needed feature would be required later on in the next couple of years, but that is just me.

Home Edition, is intended for those who don't care about remotely accessing their desktop, as they don't need to, or can't (only have 1 computer, for example), and don't tend to go to friends place and perform such task. Most (the average users, and not the: tech elites, computer enthusiasts, IT, computer scientists or engineers) people, they don't manage others systems, they don't even really manage their own system, let alone from distance. Don't believe me, go to your local BestBuy, and ask people about that, they won't won't get the need for such feature (remotely accessing their computer, and it won't surprise me for them to see as a security whole rather than feature).

Professional edition, is intended for computer enthusiast, IT's and alike, because they do manage computer form distance, they know how to use strong password, and protect their system adequately (well configured router, knows what it's being installed from the system, have exceptional skills in detecting malware from goodware before installing it, doesn't use expired anti-virus licenses, and so on and so forth). I am not saying that the others are idiots, I am saying that they have a lack of education, and even if they have this education level to be ready to use this feature, they simply won't care, because they don't need it.

However, what Home Edition has, is remote assistance feature, witch is designed to provide help to someone else in need remotely. Yes, the other side needs to accept the connection, providing some basic security for those without even a router at home (computer to modem directly connected).

If you choose the wrong edition, or tried to use some-sort of loophole because you wanted to save a few dollars, you can upgrade your edition with "Windows Anytime Upgrade" found in the Control Panel. Of course you pay, of course it will cost you more ten if you just purchased the correct edition the first time. If your Windows 7 is few day;s old, you can see with Microsoft in way to return (and deactivate the key) and purchase the correct edition that fits best your needs... I am not sure it will work.. but it's a try.

 

Personally I would be glad to see the hole plugged. It is an invitation for people with no good intent to hack or monitor systems. IE you have a wife or girlfriend and want to spy on her activity inside her system or any of a million other exploits.

Those who need the feature should have a version with the feature advertised in it and then use it accordingly. Hacks are exactly that, Hacks and can then lead to other hacks or cracks. And it isn't the home user that wants the feature, it is the IT person that wants to get into the system remotely. If there is a cost difference for the IT person visiting the site the Home User can then decide if they want the upgrade and associated responsability of having the feature.

With Windows 7 the OS is so stable there should be much less of a need for an IT person to have to make a visit. Even yet less reason to take over the system. Remote Assistance should be more than adaquate for those rare occasions an IT person needs to get in and work the system.

I look at computers about the same as a diary or personal journal. I respect others privacy in this same manner. I wouldn't even open the book even though I may not go to pages that are not meant for my eyes. Nor would I want a hack on my or other computers that would allow others this access, no matter who it is!

 

Microsoft segments products the way they do in order to maximize profits, not in order to best suit each user's (or even group of users') needs. The fact that just about everyone, technically inclined or not, ridiculed Vista's 1000000 slightly different editions says more than I ever could on that issue.

Besides, this isn't about me - all of my computers run either W7 Ultimate or Server 2008 R2 Enterprise, both of which have remote desktop. This is about what I should recommend to savvy users who don't have such extensive access to Microsoft software and actually have to pay for Windows. Essentially, people who mostly fit within the "home user" category (single CPU, no domain, no need for IIS, etc), but who also use remote desktop occasionally. See below for an example.

Err, just what definition of "hack" are you thinking of? The Vista hack simply flipped a bit in termserv.dll and added a few registry keys in order to trick Windows into thinking that you had upgraded to Professional/Ultimate and enabling remote desktop, the same way it would if you had used Windows Anytime Upgrade. I don't see how this is any less secure than someone running an actual copy of Vista Professional or Ultimate. Or was there some security hole with Windows Anytime Upgrade that would enable jealous people to spy on their girlfriends or wives if they upgraded from Home Premium to a higher edition?

Also, this has nothing to do with IT professionals, who generally have much more sophisticated tools for long-distance problem solving than anything that comes with Windows anyway. Many people who have netbooks either have used or wish they could use remote desktop at some point, usually when they're at a coffee shop and realize their netbook doesn't have the program they need at that moment.

 

Heuuu, YEA! It's called being a business. Every company does this.
When you go buy a TV, does a company has ONLY 1 model? NO! You have several, and you pay a lot more in between for additional connection, and better panels. The only company that does not do this, are coops. In such case the company goal is not to make profit. Where basically 100% profit goes back in the company, and everyone is on a set salary based on a state/province/country laws.

Assuming you have 1 edition... then it will be the price of the Ultimate edition, simple as that. And, why would you pay for feature that you will NEVER use. You think my mother cares about remote desktop, and bit-drive encryption, and join on a domain. All she wants, is surf the web, some level of security, and run Microsoft Office suit for her work.

Is that so?
Let's have a look at XP editions:
- Windows XP Home Edition
- Windows XP Professional
- Windows XP Professional 64-bit Edition (sold separately form the 32-bit version)
- Windows XP Professional 64-bit Itanium's Edition
- Windows XP 64-bit 2003 Edition
- Windows XP Tablet PC
- Windows XP Media Center
- Windows XP Media Center 2004
- Windows XP Media Center 2005 (you can the original, or 2004 or 2005 edition in stores or OEM web site.. and why it's not a service pack?!)
- Windows XP Embedded Systems Edition
- Windows XP Embedded (not the same version as above)
- Windows XP Home Edition ULCPC (ULCPC means: Ultra Low Cost Personal Computer, or if you want: netbooks)
- Windows XP Embedded for Point of Service Edition
- Windows XP Fundamentals for Legacy PCs Edition

Oh And let's not forget Windows XP Starter edition for emerging markets... the list is so long, might as well include it.

I am no math professional, but I think they are a bit more edition than the
of Vista's or Windows 7 (look I'll even stretch all editions that you can get on this planet, and still have less!)

- Windows Vista Home Basic
- Windows Vista Business Edition
- Windows Vista Enterprise Edition (Actually business edition, for those who need 1000 licenses+ of the Business edition, you have to contact Microsoft to negotiate/arrange a price)
- Windows Vista Ultimate edition
- Windows Vista starter edition (for emerging markets)

Windows 7 is the same, but the Home Basic has been moved to emerging markets, and starter edition for netbooks only.

So, get the Professional edition.
You need arguments?
- It comes with Remove Desktop. This allowing me to remotely access your computer safely and securely your computer from distance, when you need help, while you are away. All you need to do is be behind a well configured router (which you have, because I put one), a strong password, and leave the computer turn ON (not sleep or off), when you need me my assistance to have a look at your computer while you are away from the computer.
A cool thing, is that if you forget any documents at home, you can go to any computers powered by Microsoft Windows (TM), and you can connect to it, providing you know your system internet address, and of course your password. When you come home, you see on the log-in screen the last computer that log-in via Remote Desktop. It says it right under your profile icon. So that you know if anyone not-trusted came in, and if that is the case, something can be arranged accordingly, just tell me.

- Pro edition, comes with XP Mode, this will give you some level insurance that your favorite program (other than Microsoft Office, and web browser) will continue to work under Windows 7.

- (for laptop users, who can print from their laptop at different locations), Professional edition also provide location aware printing. Meaning based on where you laptop is (it knows based on the wireless connection you connect too), Windows will changed you default printer accordingly (once told which printer to set as default for each location). So, now you don't have to worry, which printer to print as you forgot which one is the closest to you. (BTW, this is great for people who have 2 or 3 homes (mom place, dad place, own place), and university (if the university allows laptop printing)

- File Encryption. Have important documents that you want to protect again unauthorized users?, Well thanks to your strong password that we put in for remote desktop, you can safely encrypt your critical files. You selected files/folders will be safe from robbers or hackers, unless they know your account password. But, the account password is strong, and Windows 7 is secure, so they can't figure it out.

- Do you do a lot of presentations on your laptop, then you will love Presentation Mode, that can be enabled by a click on the Mobility Center (Win+X). This disables your screen saver, change your background to something else (in the case you have tendency to do that, because your backgrounds are not safe for work), and set a volume level for your speakers. These "presentation mode" settings are changed once. Once configured, you apply these setting just by turning on presentation mode, which is done by a mouse click. When your presentation is done, and your laptop is disconnected from the projector, you can tun off presentation mode, again by one click, and return to your old settings.

- All the features of Home Premium are in Professional as well.


There... now you have arguments to why go to Windows 7 Professional edition.

It sucks to only have to need 1 feature from one edition. :/
But it's life, I too want to buy a certain car, with a manual transmission, but I have to get the fancy menchy model to get it, else it's automatic transmission only.

Yup, but in many instances, like Remote Desktop-like programs, they suck in comparison.

Nothing stops you to order your system with a different edition.
Beside, you need your home computer turned on, and not even sleeping. Most people have either. If you don't plan ahead, most people computer are a sleep or turned off. Especially that they have to purposely disable auto-sleep feature, doesn't help in accessing your home computer for these unpredictable moments. Oh and you need to config your router to open the correct port and know your home PC IP address with you.
Don't get me wrong, it's doable, I do it, and I used to do it A LOT when I did not have a laptop. The high-school/college computers where soooo slow, it was faster for me to do remote desktop on these slow machines and be able to get stuff done (and use my OS of choice, and my programs). But these are things that needs to be plan ahead of time.

 

Since you're more interested in scoring points in a debate club than in actually suggesting any sort of solution, and I have no interest in arguing for argument's sake, I think I'll stop here.

Then again, I think I've already dragged out this discussion for way too long, as Greg Ross pretty much answered the question in the first reply.

 

How do you want me to help you.. you specifically you wanted Remote Desktop and NOTHING else.. no VNC's or anything? What do you want me to suggest?
I told you that you can upgrade your Windows with Windows Anytime Upgrade, as you want remote desktop and nothing else. You made a bad edition selection, and your bashing Microsoft for it, while it's clearly states the difference between editions.

Windows 7 too expensive? Well you have the Upgrade versions, and you had the COUNTLESS crazy specials offers and for students and pre-orders.
If you decided to skip them all, than really I don't know what to say.

 

I'm the type of tech enthusiast who likes looking for little tricks and workarounds just for the sake of knowing about them. For the most part, these little things are largely meaningless (like knowing how to change the login screen background in W7, or the god mode folder), but occasionally, they can come in handy.

At any rate, if I was interested in the official Microsoft answer, I would've just called or emailed them

Besides, it's also clear that you're too busy making assumptions to actually listen to (or read, to be precise) what I'm actually stating. I did previously mention that this issue doesn't directly affect me, after all. My motivations for making this topic were 75% because of intellectual interest and 25% because of a recent conversation with a friend.

 

Pardon me if I missed it but why exactly would the homer users you describe in your prior posts want or need Remote Desktop Connection?

Or is this simply for your own knowledge as you've just stated in the previous post above me?

 

Your own definition, It was a hack! People in my house could be sitting there totally unaware the OS was doing this to them as the OS was not designed to alow this to happen, Nuf said on that subject................

If you have a netbook and need RD get the upgraded version. Have you ever heard of paying for what you are using? Maybe you don't like that Microsoft charges extra money for the capability, I can understand that. Unfortunately we live in a society they can do this. Maybe it is fortunate because if they didn't get paid you wouldn't have that hardware let alone the software you use.

Microsoft offers to users a way to upgrade or you could consider getting a laptop/netbook with the OS version you need to begin with. Being a software writer, amongst other things, I am highly insensed by your willingness to obtain illegal options within any software.

The fact you discuss a hack to make the OS think it is something it isn't should CLOSE THIS THREAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Forever_Melody: It's 75% for the sake of knowledge, 25% because the issue actually came up last week. I gave an example on page 1.

TANWare: Your latest bout of paranoia is absolutely hillarious. I actually laughed. Actually, your earlier bout of paranoia was funny too, but I was being too polite to point it out back then.

Moral of the story: As amusing as this thread has turned out to be, I don't think I'll be asking any more non-hardware-related intellectual questions at NBR. Aside from the hardware forum, where there's still the occasional interesting new trick that pops up from time to time like dual IDA mode, it seems like everyone with a genuine interest in technology has left NBR.

 

Only because YOU don't like the answers being given. Just because no one has a hack to enable a feature that Microsoft only included in a higher priced version of the OS, you think everyone with an interest in the software side of things have left. The ones who have left are the ones who would help you with what amounts to an illegal hack giving you something you didn't pay for.

Gary

 

Paranoia in the world of security is a good thing, thanks for the compliment. Much appriciated............

 

Teamviewer.

No need to argue.

Edit:

You know, Microsoft would include more features with Windows if people quit suing them for being so innovative. Seriously. Businesses are just pissed that they can't milk their software for infinity before another company comes and stomps them out. The whole Browser ballot is a good example.

 

We are done here.