Unattended remote access
For reaching a machine when there is nobody to accept the connection: servers, the office PC, or a relative's computer who is not comfortable with technology.
How it normally works, and when that is not enough
LineDesk's normal path is that you type the ID and the person on the other end accepts with one click. It is the safest model: whoever sits at the computer is the one who decides about their own computer.
But there are cases where nobody is there:
- A server or a billing PC that runs on its own.
- Your office computer, on a Sunday.
- A relative's computer you want to fix while they are out.
- Digital signage or production-line machines.
Unattended access exists for those cases: a fixed password that replaces the authorisation click.
Setting it up, step by step
All of this happens on the machine you want to reach, not on yours.
- Open LineDesk and go to Settings.
- Enable unattended access.
- Set a password. Read the security section below before choosing it — this is not a trivial step.
- Save, and note that machine's 9-digit ID.
- Configure Windows so it does not sleep: Settings → System → Power, and set sleep to "Never". A sleeping machine does not answer connections.
- Leave LineDesk running. It lives in the system tray next to the clock, so closing the window does not shut it down.
From your computer you now type the ID and use the "I have the password" button on the connection prompt. You get in without anyone having to accept anything.
Test it before you leave. Once configured, go to another machine and connect once. Discovering that a step was missing when you no longer have physical access to the machine is a far more expensive problem to solve.
Security: this is a key, treat it like one
Unattended access makes a password the only barrier between the internet and that computer. It is worth doing properly:
- Long, random password. Not the company name and not "Admin1234". Twelve characters or more, randomly generated.
- A different one per machine. If you reuse the same password across the fleet and one leaks, they all open.
- Store them in a password manager. Not in a spreadsheet called "passwords", not on a note stuck to the monitor.
- Rotate them when someone no longer needs access. Changing the password revokes that person instantly.
- Keep a list of which machines have unattended access enabled. An open door nobody remembers is a problem in itself.
- Turn it off when it is no longer needed. If it was for a one-off job, disable it afterwards.
How the password is stored
The unattended access password is never stored in plain text: it is stored derived with PBKDF2-SHA256 and a unique salt, both on the machine and on the signalling server. Passwords you save in your address book are encrypted with Windows DPAPI and tied to your user account, so that file copied to another machine is useless.
How to revoke access
Three ways, depending on urgency:
- Right now: from the LineDesk icon next to the clock, cut access. The session ends instantly and the other end receives the reason, so it stops retrying.
- Going forward: change or delete the unattended access password in Settings. Without that password, nobody gets back in without manual authorisation.
- Completely: disable unattended access. The machine reverts to the one-click accept model.
Common problems
"I cannot connect, the machine shows as offline"
- Check that it has not gone to sleep. This is the number one cause.
- Verify LineDesk is running. If someone quit it from the tray, it will not answer.
- Confirm the machine has internet.
"It rebooted and now I cannot get in"
After a reboot, Windows sits at the sign-in screen, and that screen cannot be seen or driven remotely: the Windows secure desktop is off-limits to any user-level program. On top of that, LineDesk needs a signed-in session to start.
For machines that must always be reachable, the usual answer is to configure automatic sign-in in Windows so that after a reboot they come back signed in with LineDesk running. Judge whether leaving a session signed in is an acceptable risk: on a server with restricted physical access it usually is; on a laptop that travels, it is not.
"It still asks me to accept"
Usually because the password entered does not match, or because unattended access got switched off. Check both in the remote machine's settings.
"I want to control a program running as administrator"
LineDesk needs to be elevated on the remote side, and that is decided when it starts: launch it with right-click → Run as administrator before the session begins. On an unattended machine, configure LineDesk to always start elevated.
A note on permission: setting up permanent remote access to a computer that is not yours requires authorisation from whoever is responsible for it. In a workplace, tell your IT team. On a relative's computer, explain what it means and that they can remove it whenever they like.