The Core Technologies Blog

Professional Software for Windows Services / 24×7 Operation

How to Use VNC to Remotely Access Session 0 (with Keyboard and Mouse!)

Posted on October 23, 2017

Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016 contain a curious problem affecting interactive windows services. When you switch to Session 0, you cannot use the keyboard and mouse. This frustrating flaw makes it impossible to interact with any window displayed in Session 0. You can’t even click the “Return Now” button to go back to your regular desktop!

Hopefully Microsoft will fix this bug soon. But if you are using RDP to connect to the server running AlwaysUp, you can use the free and reliable VNC software instead, to resume normal operation in Session 0.

What is VNC?

VNC (which stands for Virtual Network Computing) is a cross-platform technology facilitating remote desktop sharing and control. It is very similar to Microsoft’s RDP. With VNC, you install a software component on the machine you wish to view/control (“the server”) and run another component installed on your local computer (“the client”) to access the server’s desktop.

Which version of VNC should I use?

Several implementations of VNC are available for Windows. We have used (and can recommend) RealVNC, UltraVNC and TightVNC, but this article will focus on TightVNC because it is:

actively maintained
free for both personal and commercial use
fully supported on Server operating systems
already installed and in daily use on our Windows Server 2016 QA/test server! 🙂

Note however that TightVNC does not currently encrypt desktop traffic. Look to UltraVNC or RealVNC Professional Edition if that is an important consideration.

How to Use TightVNC to Access Session 0 Remotely

Download TightVNC for Windows

Grab the latest 64-bit or 32-bit installer from the TightVNC download page. It will only be a couple of megabytes large.

We will run the installer on both the server and client machines.

Install TightVNC on the Remote Server

Run the installer on your server (the computer running AlwaysUp):
Accept the terms and click Next. When you get to the Choose Setup Type screen, click the Custom button:
On the Custom Setup Type screen, configure the tree so that TightVNC Server will be installed. We decided to omit the TightVNC Viewer since we have no need for that component on the server:

Click Next to continue.
We recommend sticking with the defaults on the Select Additional Tasks screen. It is best to run VNC as a windows/system service so that it starts promptly after a reboot, without anyone having to log in first:
The rest of the installation process should be straightforward so please proceed with your good judgment. Be sure to set strong passwords when you get to the Set Passwords step!

After installing, TightVNC Server will be running in the background as a windows service (and will start automatically when your server boots). Check it out in Services.msc:

Install TightVNC on the Client

Launch the installer to your client computer — most likely your PC with the physical keyboard and mouse attached.
When you get to the Choose Setup Type screen, once again click the Custom button:
On the Custom Setup Type screen, configure the tree so that only TightVNC Viewer will be installed:

Click Next to continue.
Again, the defaults on the Select Additional Tasks screen are probably fine:
Follow the remaining prompts to complete the installation.

TightVNC Viewer will be available in the C:\Program Files\TightVNC folder. You may want to place a shortcut to the viewer application (tvnviewer.exe) on your desktop for convenience.

Run the Viewer to Connect to the Server & Switch to Session 0

Start the Viewer application (C:\Program Files\TightVNC\tvnviewer.exe) on your client PC. Type in the host name (or IP address) of the server and click the Connect button:
Next, enter the password you specified for the server (in step 2e) and click OK:
A window showing your server’s desktop will appear. Click the Ctrl+Alt+Del button on the toolbar to sign in to Windows:
Once you are in, switch to Session 0 — either from the Tools menu in AlwaysUp, or via our free Switch to Session 0 utility. You will be able to use your keyboard and mouse!
Here is our Windows Server 2016 machine with both winver.exe and Notepad running in Session 0:

Caveat: Not a solution for one computer

Using the VNC remote access software won’t work if you only have a single computer setup. VNC cannot view itself — not without incurring the wrath of infinity. 🙂 For the single computer scenario, you have to wait for the folks in Redmond to wave their magic wand and fix the bug…

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Posted in Windows Services | Tagged alwaysup, interactive-services, rdp, session-0-isolation, tightvnc, vnc, windows-services | 3 Comments

How do I Prevent the Interactive Services Detection Window from Constantly Coming Up?

Posted on October 16, 2017

Why do I see the “Interactive Services Detection” window?

The Interactive Services Detection (ISD) window appears whenever a Windows Service running on your computer is showing a window or prompt in Session 0 — a “background desktop” created when your computer boots. The ISD window allows you to switch to Session 0 where you can see the window and take action.

The next section explains the situation in greater detail; read on to find out more. You can also skip directly to the 3 solutions if you are short on time and just want to get rid of the dreaded ISD window. 🙂

History/Background

Window services run in Session 0. On legacy versions of Windows (NT, XP and 2003), the first person to log into the PC was placed in Session 0 — where all the windows, alerts, tray icons and other user interface elements created by services were visible. Thus a service could easily interact with that first user.

But Microsoft changed the playing field in Windows Vista (circa 2007). Citing security concerns, Session 0 was isolated and logging in to Session 0 was strictly forbidden. Suddenly it was impossible for a Windows Service running in Session 0 to interact with users, who were strictly working in Session 1, 2, etc. This behavior holds true for Windows 7, 8, 10 and Server 2008, 2012 and 2016.

However isolating Session 0 introduced a problem. Services that show a window — requiring someone to click a button or enter a password to proceed — were suddenly rendered “invisible”. How do you know that a windows service application needs your input when you can’t see it?

The Interactive Services Detection windows service was introduced to address the invisibility problem. Whenever a window is showing in Session 0, the service will summon the ISD window to warn you and allow you to switch to Session 0.

Working with the Interactive Services Detection window

The ISD starts out by flashing on the taskbar:

It you activate the window and click Show program details, the bottom of the window expands to reveal information on the program trying to get your attention. Here we see that it is the standard Notepad application running in Session 0 (launched as a windows service by AlwaysUp):

Interactive Services Detection: Show Details

Clicking View the message will transport you to the austere Session 0 desktop where you will see the window that may be trying to get your attention:

Clicking Ask me later will dismiss the ISD window but only for 5-10 minutes. Read on and learn three ways to dispatch the window permanently!

Solution #1: Tell AlwaysUp to hide your application’s windows

If you never need to see your program’s windows, then you should have AlwaysUp suppress the windows and avoid triggering the ISD system. Simply edit your application in AlwaysUp and check the When a user logs on, don’t show the application’s windows and tray icon (if any) box on the Logon tab:

Tip: This is the best option for legacy applications, scripts and batch files which occasionally throw up command/status windows. You can always capture console output to a log file if necessary (via controls on the Extras tab).

Solution #2: Disable the Interactive Services Detection Service

If you never want to see Session 0, then your best option is to do away with interactive services detection altogether. To prevent the service from starting:

Open the Services Control Panel Application (services.msc)
Find the Interactive Services Detection service; double-click it to open its properties
Set the Startup type value to Disabled
Click OK to save your changes.

Tip: AlwaysUp will NOT be able to switch to session 0 when the ISD is disabled. Our free Switch to Session 0 utility will not work either.

Solution #3: Set the Interactive Services Detection Service to start manually

If you occasionally inspect Session 0, disabling it will be inconvenient. Instead, set the ISD service to start manually and launch it whenever you want to see Session 0:

Open the Services Control Panel Application (services.msc)
Find the Interactive Services Detection service; double-click it to open its properties
Set the Startup type value to Manual
Click OK to save your changes.

Tip: You will be able to switch to Session 0 from AlwaysUp as normal. AlwaysUp will start the ISD service whenever you switch and will stop the service when you return to your normal desktop.

Hopefully one of these three methods works well for your situation. If not, please get in touch and we’ll do our best to help!

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Posted in AlwaysUp | Tagged alwaysup, interactive-services, isds, q&a, session-0-isolation, ui0detect, windows-services | 1 Comment

Q & A: How do I Update my Dropbox Preferences?

Posted on October 9, 2017 (Revised January 7, 2023)

I have a 10 installations of AlwaysUp in my company that are running Dropbox as a service. Is there a way I can surface the Dropbox icon in the taskbar whilst it is running underneath AlwaysUp? I need to make some preference changes and of course when configuring Dropbox to run underneath AlwaysUp we can’t see the task tray icon!

— Matt @ Triaster Ltd

Hi Matt. When Dropbox is running as a windows service with AlwaysUp, you won’t see its familiar task tray icon () on your desktop. This is because Dropbox is operating in the background, on the isolated Session 0. And because Session 0 does not contain a task bar, you won’t see the tray icon even if if you switch to Session 0.

Fortunately you have a couple of options to reveal the tray icon and gain access to the Preferences window:

1. Stop Dropbox in AlwaysUp and start it normally

The first option is to simply stop Dropbox under AlwaysUp and fire it up as you would normally on your desktop (by double-clicking on its desktop icon).

Once you are done making changes to your settings, exit Dropbox from the tray icon and start it as a service under AlwaysUp again (Application > Start “Dropbox”).

2. Restart Dropbox on your desktop from AlwaysUp

For the second option, you can stop Dropbox running in the background (Session 0) and restart it on your desktop/session — all from AlwaysUp. To do this,
highlight the entry in AlwaysUp and select Application > Restart “Dropbox” in this session:

In a few seconds, Dropbox will magically appear on your desktop. Click on the tray icon and then click the gear image in the upper right to summon the Preferences window:

When you are done making changes, switch back to AlwaysUp and choose Application > Restart “Dropbox” from the menu. This will stop Dropbox on your desktop and return it to Session 0 (the home for all windows services).

Not only for Dropbox…

Note that both options above will work for almost any program that displays a tray icon or window! We recommend the same procedures when managing common GUI applications as services, including OneDrive, VirtualBox, Box Sync and Outlook 2010.

If you have a question about Windows Services, 24×7 operation, or any of our products, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’ll do our best to provide a timely and informative answer!

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Goodbye Google Drive, Hello Backup and Sync!

Posted on September 17, 2017

If you are running Google Drive as a windows service with AlwaysUp, beware: Google Drive is going away. The folks in Mountain View broke the news in a recent G Suite update, stating:

Google Drive will no longer be supported starting on December 11th, 2017, and it will shut down completely on March 12th, 2018.

I’m using Google Drive. What should I do?

Google isn’t leaving its users stranded. Their new Backup and Sync application is an excellent (and free) replacement for Google Drive. Just uninstall the old program, install and configure the new application and you will be good to go!

But if your goal is quickly and easily access your files in Drive from your PC, then you should also consider Drive File Stream. This new application — which will be publicly available on September 26 2017 — lists your files in Google Drive as a special folder on your PC and allows you to grab those files on demand. Drive File Stream uses less disk space than Backup and Sync, is less taxing of your network bandwidth and also boasts offline access. However, whereas Backup and Sync will happily copy files from whatever folders you designate, Drive File Stream only synchronizes the files explicitly placed in its “My Drive” folder. This may be an issue if the files you want to share span many folders across your PC. Check out this page comparing the similar products to find out which one is right for you.

One important note: Drive File Stream is not supported on Windows Server editions. This is a curious restriction for a product aimed at “G Suite Enterprise, Business and Education customers” — a group that routinely runs server products. Backup and Sync has no such limitation.

Can I run Backup and Sync as a Windows Service with AlwaysUp?

Yes! The setup is very similar to what we recommend in our Google Drive tutorial.

The full path to the Backup and Sync executable is:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Drive\googledrivesync.exe

Specify it in the Application field on the General tab:

Here is a screenshot of Backup and Sync running with AlwaysUp on Windows Server 2016:

Backup and Sync Windows Service in AlwaysUp

So far so good!

We will continue to test the Backup and Sync service for a couple more weeks and write up a step-by-step “setup guide” to help future customers. A tutorial for Drive File Stream will follow once that software has been officially released (near the end of 2017).

Finally, good luck migrating from Google Drive to Backup and Sync. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you encounter trouble running Backup and Sync as a Windows Service!

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Posted in Software | Tagged alwaysup, backup-and-sync, drive-file-stream, google-drive | 4 Comments

How to Verify that Dropbox is Synchronizing your Files and Folders

Posted on August 11, 2017 (Revised January 7, 2023)

AlwaysUp is designed to run Dropbox 24/7 — starting it when your PC boots and keeping your files up to date all the time despite failures or other unexpected interruptions. You don’t even need to log on!

But to gain those benefits, AlwaysUp must launch Dropbox in the background as a Windows Service. In that situation, described in our tutorial showing how to setup Dropbox as a Windows Service, Dropbox’s familiar “box” icon won’t appear on your taskbar. You won’t see the informative icon overlays beside the files and folders being synchronized either. And without those visual hints, how do you know that your important files and folders are being copied to and from the cloud?

Perform this easy 4-step test to prove that your important files are protected:

Start Dropbox in AlwaysUp
From AlwaysUp, select “Start Dropbox” from the “Application” menu:

Your service should transition to the Running state after a few seconds. Clicking on the green circle should reveal details of the running process:

Please consult our online troubleshooter or get in touch if you can’t get this far!
Wait for five minutes while Dropbox starts
Dropbox can take a while to get going — especially if it has a long list of files and folders to synchronize. Take this brief opportunity to:
- Stretch those aching muscles, or
- Grab a cup of coffee, or
- Respond to that annoying email you’ve been trying to forget.
Dropbox should be ready and waiting when you return.
Create a new file in your Dropbox folder
Open your Dropbox folder in Windows Explorer. Right-click in the files area (on the right), select New > Text Document and give the file a suitable name:

We called our file “DropboxTest.txt”:
Login to Dropbox online and confirm that the new file is there
Sign in to your Dropbox account online and browse to your files. The new text file should be listed, as it was for us:

If you don’t see the new file, do a few more stretches and try again. Sometimes Dropbox can be a bit slow…

What should I do if my file didn’t show up?

If your new file wasn’t listed online, something is definitely wrong with your setup. We’re here to help! Please get in touch so that we can get you going ASAP.

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Posted in AlwaysUp | Tagged alwaysup, dropbox, troubleshooter | Leave a comment

The Core Technologies Blog

Professional Software for Windows Services / 24×7 Operation

How to Use VNC to Remotely Access Session 0 (with Keyboard and Mouse!)

What is VNC?

Which version of VNC should I use?

How to Use TightVNC to Access Session 0 Remotely

Download TightVNC for Windows

Install TightVNC on the Remote Server

Install TightVNC on the Client

Run the Viewer to Connect to the Server & Switch to Session 0

Caveat: Not a solution for one computer

You may also like...

AlwaysUp Feature Spotlight: Scheduled Restarts

Q&A: Where does AlwaysUp store the Password for my Windows Account?

AlwaysUp 12: Bulk Import & Improvements for Dropbox

How do I Prevent the Interactive Services Detection Window from Constantly Coming Up?

Why do I see the “Interactive Services Detection” window?

History/Background

Working with the Interactive Services Detection window

Solution #1: Tell AlwaysUp to hide your application’s windows

Solution #2: Disable the Interactive Services Detection Service

Solution #3: Set the Interactive Services Detection Service to start manually

You may also like...

Q&A: Why isn't my File Removed from Dropbox?

How to Automatically Dismiss Popups from a Windows Service

Q&A: Why does AlwaysUp Fail to Run my Program?

Q & A: How do I Update my Dropbox Preferences?

1. Stop Dropbox in AlwaysUp and start it normally

2. Restart Dropbox on your desktop from AlwaysUp

Not only for Dropbox…

You may also like...

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AlwaysUp not Working? Please Send us these Details so we can Help!

Why are there 3 copies of Dropbox Running on my PC?

Goodbye Google Drive, Hello Backup and Sync!

I’m using Google Drive. What should I do?

Can I run Backup and Sync as a Windows Service with AlwaysUp?

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AlwaysUp 10.5: Restricted Rights, Smoother Shutdowns, and more

Automatic Update Breaks Google Drive Windows Service

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How to Verify that Dropbox is Synchronizing your Files and Folders

Start Dropbox in AlwaysUp

Wait for five minutes while Dropbox starts

Create a new file in your Dropbox folder

Login to Dropbox online and confirm that the new file is there

What should I do if my file didn’t show up?

You may also like...

Q&A: Why can't AlwaysUp Open the Netman Service?

Dropbox Windows Service spiking your CPU? Check your Antivirus Settings!

Investigating OneDrive Failures in Session 0 on Windows Server

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