Install the Dameware client agent service on Windows computers

For either Dameware Remote Support or Dameware Mini Remote Control, the end user's computer that you want to troubleshoot must have the Dameware client agent installed on it. The Dameware client agent establishes communication between the technician's computer and the end user's computer, and without it, a connection between the two computers cannot be made. You can deploy the Dameware client agent to a single computer or multiple computers.

To configure a Mac or Linux computer as a remote host, see Configure a Mac or Linux computer as a Dameware Remote Host.

If you want to deploy the agent to a single computer, you can:

• Install the client agent service on demand
• Install the client agent service from the Dameware Mini Remote Control application
• Install the client agent service using MSI + MST installers
• Install the client agent service using EXE installers
• Install the client agent service manually

If you want to deploy the agent to multiple computers, you can:

• Deploy custom MSI packages to install the client agent service
• Use Dameware Remote Support to install the client agent service on a batch of remote systems

The installation method you choose is up to you. The most common method is to install the client agent on demand, but if you work for a large organization, you may find that using an MSI installer is more convenient.

The Dameware Mini Remote Control application is backward compatible with Dameware Mini Remote Control client agents from version 7.0. If the Dameware Mini Remote Control application connects to an unsupported agent, it prompts you to install a newer version of the client agent.

The Windows operating system requires local administrator rights to install, remove, start, stop, or upgrade the Dameware Mini Remote Control client agent service on remote systems.

System requirements

Hardware and software	Requirements
OS	Workstation: Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10 Server: Windows Server 2008 R2, 2012 R2, 2016

Install the client agent service on demand

Dameware Mini Remote Control connects to a computer by way of a client agent. If the client is not available on the computer, you are prompted to install it.

The FIPS modules are required to connect in FIPS Encryption Mode.

Before you begin, on the remote computer, open the File & Printer Sharing protocols and the File & Printer Sharing ports.

1. Launch Dameware Mini Remote Control, and select File > Connect to local or remote sessions.
2. Enter the Host Name or IP Address and administrative credentials.
3. Click Connect.
4. When prompted to install the client agent service, click OK.
5. Click Install Options to enable any of the following options:
   • Stop Service On Disconnect
   • Remove Service on Disconnect
   • Set Service Startup type to Manual. (Default is Automatic. Changing to Manual prevents automatically starting up the service when Windows opens.)
   • Include Configuration File (DWECS.reg)
   • Copy FIPS modules (approximately 9 MB)

Install the client agent service from the Dameware Mini Remote Control application

You can push the client agent to a computer using an option in the Dameware Mini Remote Control application console. The push method is useful when you want to update the client agent without requiring the remote user's permission.

Before you begin, on the remote computer, open the File & Printer Sharing protocols and the File & Printer Sharing ports.

1. Launch Dameware Mini Remote Control, and click File > Install Service.
2. Enter the host name or IP address of the computer on which you want to install the service.
3. To manually start the service each time a connection is opened, select Set Service Startup type to Manual.
4. To configure the settings of the Dameware Mini Remote Control client agent service to copy to the remote system, click Configure.
5. Copy the DWRCS.reg file from the local system to the remote system with pre-configured Dameware Mini Remote Control client agent service settings, select Include Configuration File (DWRCS.reg). This option is available after you have created configuration settings.
6. To connect in FIPS Encryption Mode, select Copy FIPS Modules (approximately 9 MB).
7. Select Overwrite any existing configuration on remote host to recreate the configuration file in the remote machine.
8. Approve the agent on remote machine.
9. Click OK.

The Dameware Mini Remote Control application deploys the service to the remote computer.

Install the client agent service using MSI + MST installers

MSI installation contains the remote host, while MST contains the configuration for the target host to be able to use it in the Remote mode.

The MSI and MST installers are saved to the following locations:

• MSI installer at c:\Program Files (x86)\SolarWinds\Dameware Central Server\WebServerStaticContent\binary\
• MST installer at c:\Program Files (x86)\SolarWinds\Dameware Central Server\WebServerStaticContent\binary\Remote Coniguration\

To deploy the remote host with the remote configuration, open the command line and enter the transformation command:

msiexec /i DWRCS_Vista_64.msi TRANSFORMS=transform_DWRCS_Vista_64.mst

Add OVERWRITEREMOTECFG=1 to overwrite the remote configuration. By default, remote configuration is saved on the target machine.

Install the client agent service using EXE installers

You can install the remote hosts directly by extracting the installer (EXE) file. The installer contains both the Remote Host installation (MSI) and Remote Host configuration (MST). The EXE installer is located in the Dameware Proxy machine, and is unique for each proxy and configuration.

The EXE installer is saved to c:\Program File (x86)\SolarWinds\Dameware Central Server\WebServerStaticContent\binary\

By default, remote host installation does not overwrite the Remote Host configuration. To apply a clear configuration, run the installation with OVERWRITEREMOTECFG=1.

After you add the custom installation arguments, specify the default arguments. Otherwise, the remote host is installed without configuration and runs in Direct mode. SolarWinds recommends that you use the following command line arguments:

DWRCS_Vista_64.exe -ap "TRANSFORMS=transform_DWRCS_Vista_64.mst OVERWRITEREMOTECFG=1"

Install the client agent service manually

For the manual installation method, agents are available in Direct mode only, without Remote connection mode. For manual installation with Remote connection support, copy DWRCSU.inst at c:\Program Files (x86)\SolarWinds\Dameware Central Server\ into the Remote host folder at c:\Windows\dwrcs\ and restart the Remote Host.

To manually install the Dameware client agent service:

1. Go to your Dameware installation folder, usually located at c:\Program File\SolarWinds\Dameware Mini Remote Control.
2. Copy the following files to a location or device you can access from the remote computer:
   • Dameware.LogAdjuster.exe.config
   • SolarwindsDiagnostics.exe.config
   • Dameware.Diagnostics
   • cpprest110_xp_1_2.dll
   • DWRCChat.dll
   • DWRCK.dll
   • DWRCRSS.dll
   • DWRCSE.dll
   • DWRCSET.dll
   • DWRCSh.dll
   • DWSGRWRP.dll
   • ICSharpCode.SharpZipLib.dll
   • log4cxx.dll
   • log4net.dll
   • SolarWinds.Logging.dll
   • SolarWinds.Orion.Common.dll
   • Dameware.LogAdjuster.exe
   • DWRCS.EXE
   • DWRCST.EXE
   • SolarwindsDiagnostics.exe
   • DWRCS.Logging.xml
   • DWRCST.Logging.xml
   • LogConfigurations.xml

3. On the remote computer, create a folder in the Windows directory called dwrcs (c:\Windows\dwrcs).

4. Paste the copied files into the dwrcs folder.

To connect to the remote system in FIPS mode, copy the following files to c:\Windows\dwrcs on the remote system:

• ccme_base.dll
• ccme_ecc.dll
• ccme_eccaccel.dll
• cryptocme2.dll
• cryptocme2.sig
• ccme_eccnistaccel.dll
• DWRCRSA.dll

Deploy custom MSI packages to install the client agent service

With this method, you first install the client agent on your local machine, and then use the Dameware MSI Builder to build a custom MSI package for the Dameware Mini Remote Control client agent service. The custom MSI package includes custom settings. This installation method also opens the necessary TCP port on the Windows Firewall when it starts.

Before you begin, configure the client agent with host names, log settings, authentication choices, or other settings to deploy the custom configuration with the client agent.

1. Install and configure the client agent on the computer with the Dameware Mini Remote Control application.
2. To open the Dameware Mini Remote Control Package Builder, click Start > All Programs > SolarWinds > Dameware Mini Remote Control > Dameware Mini Remote Control Client Agent MSI Builder.
3. Complete the following fields in the Package Builder dialog box:
   • Profile: Select a pre-defined MSI package profile to populate the rest of the fields with your preferred settings. To save a new profile, complete the rest of the Package Builder dialog box, enter a new name in the Profile box, and click the save icon.
   • Target O/S: The operating system on the target system(s).
   • Include FIPS Modules: Includes the FIPS Modules in the MSI package. These files are required to run the client agent service in FIPS Encryption Mode.
   • Install the mirror driver: Includes the Dameware Mini Remote Control Mirror Driver in the MSI package.
   • Install the keyboard driver: Includes the Dameware Mini Remote Control Virtual Keyboard Driver in the MSI package.
   • Install the smart card driver: Includes the Dameware Mini Remote Control Smart Card Driver in the MSI package.
   • Client Agent Settings: Click the Client Agent icon to open the Dameware Mini Remote Control client agent service settings dialog box:
   • Output Folder: Enter or browse to the folder you want to install the service to on the remote systems.

   When you configure these settings through the Package Builder, the application saves the settings in the installer to deploy to one or more remote systems.

4. Click Build MSI to build the MSI package and save it to the output folder. By default, the output folder is the Dameware installation folder.

You can deploy the custom MSI package as you would any other MSI.

Use Dameware Remote Support to install the client agent service on a batch of remote systems

Dameware Remote Support includes a Services view that you can use to install the Dameware client agent service on one or more remote systems.

1. Open Remote Support, and then open the Services View on the computer running Dameware Remote Support.
2. Add the target systems to the Batch pane at the bottom of the Services View.
3. Highlight the target systems in the Batch pane, and then select Batch Processing - DWMRC Service Install from the Service menu.
4. Complete the following fields on the Dameware Mini Remote Control Service Installation - Batch dialog box:
   • Include Configuration File (DWRCS.reg): Copies the DWRCS.reg file from the local system to the remote system with pre-configured client agent service settings.
   • Configure: Click Configure to configure the settings of the client agent service to copy to the remote system, if enabled.
   • Set Service Startup type to Manual. (Default is Automatic.)
   • Start Service after installation: Select this option to start the client agent service after installation.
   • Copy FIPS modules (approximately 9 MB): Copies the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) modules to the remote system when installing the client agent service.
5. Click OK.