Disableing remote control and Soft D components

[JetSetG]

Hello all,

I've been trying to answer this for awhile now, and I can't find anything. I've got a site with 1500 clients or so, and I'd like to restrict about 500 of those so they do not get remote control or software distribution, but all of the other components.

I've tried the uninstall strings for each component, but It of course restores the client to the site default after the refresh interval.

Any thoughts?




*Opinions expressed are mine, and not those of my employer

 

[snyderj]

This should help you.

Excluding Computers from Windows NT Remote Client Installation

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q207729

 

[JetSetG]

Thank you, snyderj.

Only problem I've got is that it's a corporate mandate to push smsman through the login script, and this kbarticle only applies to the remote client install service.

And I wan't to keep some SMS functionality, like hardware and software inventory.

Thanks again!

 

[snyderj]

To prevent Remote Control component from loading:
- Before remote control component is loaded, or after running %windir%\MS\SMS\clicomp\RemCtrl\rcuninst.exe to uninstall it, create a file called remctrl (no extension) under %windir%\MS\SMS\clicomp
- Alternatively, instead of uninstalling the client, replace the core file rcsvcs.exe, with an .exe that does nothing. This way SMS doesn't detect any problems, and when it is called nothing happens and the remote connection request will fail.

To stop Advertised Programs Monitor:
- Replace %windir%\MS\SMS\clicomp\SWDist32\bin\SMSMON32.EXE with a 32 bit windowless application that does nothing. This allows SMS to function normally, but ensures that no advertisement is detected and automatically displayed. This does allow the user to run Advertised Programs Wizard through the control panel to receive active advertisements. CCIM does not fix this condition since it only checks for presence of the file, not the correctness of the file.
SMSMON32.EXE is called by Launch32 process through the registry and through the control panel Advertised Programs Monitor. When APM detects an advertisement it pops up a dialog asking whether to open the Advertised Programs Wizard. This inoculation prevents APM from detecting an advertisement, thus not calling APW which actually runs the advertisement.

To stop Advertised Programs Wizard:
- Replace %windir%\MS\SMS\clicomp\SWDist32\bin\SMSWIZ32.EXE with a 32 bit windowless application that does nothing. CCIM does not fix this condition since it only checks for presence of the file, not the correctness of the file.
- You can uninstall the component by running APAUnIns.exe from %windir%\MS\SMS\clicomp\apa\Bin, then creating a folder called apa (no extension) under %windir%\MS\SMS\clicomp\apa.

To hide Advertised Programs in Control Panel:
- Add the string smscpl32.cpl with value of No to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\don't load (haven't tested at HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\don't load)
- Note: Swapping SMSAPM32.exe for a null exe causes problems opening control panel.

To uninstall software distribution component:
- Run SQDUnIns.exe from %windir%\MS\SMS\clicomp\SWDist32\bin. Create a file called swdist32 (no extension) under %windir%\MS\SMS\clicomp to prevent the component from reloading.

Options to prevent targeting to specific clients:
- Create a collection where membership is "All Clients" minus those clients with a certain attribute, such as presence of a particular collected file or system name.
- Create a collection for exclusion. This collection can be direct membership or based on a query of software inventory that checks for particular files to exist or not exist on devices. The exclusion collection can then be used as a limiter to other collections (not a "limit to collection", but WQL with WHERE NOT IN collection).
- The package could have logic to detect for presence of a file or registry entry on the device, so even if a device received an advertisement the package would exit by detection of a condition.