Anyplace Control Software
FAQ
| Table Of Contents Previous Next |
Connection with the remote PC
Why can't I connect to a remote computer?
How to determine the IP address of my Host computer?
How to control LAN computers (behind the router) via the Internet?
How to control a remote PC through the firewall?
How to control a PC with a dynamic IP address via internet?
How to connect through the Proxy Server?
Remote Desktop Control
Why do I see a blank screen after connecting to a remote PC?
Why do I see black window on my screen when starting a Media Player on a remote PC?
Why is the remote screen not displaying "Full colors"?
How can I accelerate the performance of the software (remote PC's refresh rate)?
Why is the Ctrl+Alt+Del combination disabled in the toolbar of the remote Screen Window?
Common questions
Does Anyplace Control support Windows Vista/7?
How can I update the Host Module remotely?
How to install the Host Module on remote PC without visiting it physically?
How can I hide the tray icon of the Host Module?
How to prevent a closing of Host Module?
How can I copy the Anyplace Control Address Book from one computer to another?
How safe is Anyplace Control?
Licensing
What are the restrictions of trial version?
How do I purchase the registration key?
How many licenses do I need?
How to download the Admin Module onto a Flash drive to access remote PC from anywhere?
What does the error message "You do not have enough Licenses to connect to this PC" mean?
I have lost my registration code. What should I do?
Connection with the remote PC
Why can't I connect to a remote computer?
| Anyplace Control has two connectivity modes: Direct Connection and Online Account Connection.
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| Using the Online Account Connection mode, the following problems may arise:
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| · | The Host Module is not running on a remote PC.
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| · | The "Online Account Connection" service is not activated in the Host Module settings. To activate it you need to perform the following: Host Module Settings->Connectivity->check the field "Use Online Account Connection service".
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| · | A remote computer is switched off or its network cable is disconnected.
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| · | You are disconnected from the Internet (either on Host or on Admin side).
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| · | The firewall/antivirus protection is blocking the connection (you can read more about configuring Firewall here...).
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| · | You are accessing Internet via a Proxy server (you can read more here...)
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| In the Direct Connection mode, the following reasons of connectivity problems may arise:
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| · You have entered an incorrect number or IP-address/name of a remote computer
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| · Dynamic IP address of remote computer was recently changed, but you are still using an old IP address value.
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| · The Host Module is not running on a remote PC.
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| · A remote computer is switched off or its network cable is disconnected.
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| · Firewall protection on a remote PC is being used. How to control a remote PC through a firewall.
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| · The Host PC is located in the LAN and connects to the Internet via an intermediate router, but you are trying to connect to the Host PC via the Internet, outside the LAN, using an internal IP address. Please, read: How to control LAN computers behind the routers.
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| You can test whether you have a direct IP connection to a remote PC by using the "Ping" command:
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| 1. Click the Windows "Start" button and select "Run..."
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| 2. Enter cmd.exe in the Run window and press Enter. You will hen see a black console window.
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| 3. In the window enter the following command:
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| ping x.x.x.x
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| where x.x.x.x is the IP address of the remote PC, for example if the address is 192.168.0.1 you should enter:
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| ping 192.168.0.1
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| 4. Press Enter. You will see diagnostic messages. If you have a working connection with a remote PC, the messages will have the following pattern:
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| "Reply from 192.168.0.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128"
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| However, if you do not have a connection, you will see the following message:
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| "Request timed out" or any other types of messages.
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| So, if a remote PC is not responding, Anyplace Control software (or any other communication software) will not be able to establish a connection in the Direct Connection mode. You should then contact our support team to resolve the problem.
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| If you can't connect, and receive an error code message, read what that means in the link below: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms740668.aspx
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How to determine the IP address of my Host computer?
| Every
computer connected to a network or the Internet
has its own unique IP address. Usually a computer
has one IP address, but sometimes it can have more
than one. |
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are many ways to determine the IP address of PC,
we recommend the following: |
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| · | Move
your mouse pointer over the Host Module tray icon
(near the computer clock). The tool tip will show
the list of IP addresses (separated by commas).
For example 192.168.0.1 , 82.169.4.11 |
| Use
one of the listed IP addresses to connect to Host
PC from a remote place. |
How to control LAN computers (behind the router) via the Internet?
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| For those computers that are located in a LAN behind a router, and you might want to access them via the Internet, outside of the LAN.
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| Anyplace Control has two connectivity modes: Direct Connection and Online Account Connection.
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| If you are using the Online Account Connection, you can easily connect to a remote PC, regardless of its location. This mode was specially developed for automatic router bypass. Read more here...
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| If you are using the Direct Connection mode you may have some connection problems. Commonly, in this case, computers have no external (public) IP addresses, i.e. IP addresses are internal (private), for example 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x; and only a router has an external IP address (211.27.164.21 for example).
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| It is impossible to connect via the Internet to a PC located in a private LAN. However, you may send data to the external IP address of the router, which "knows" what to do with this data. Fortunately, most of routers do have the "Port Forwarding" feature. You may also configure the router specifying to which computer in the LAN the data should be sent.
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| You should configure the router (on the Host side) to forward connections from a definite router port number to a specific IP address of the target PC in your LAN.
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| It is necessary to assign the profile on the router forwarding to every Host PC you are going to control outside the LAN. The router should forward the traffic from its different external ports to different LAN computers.
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| By default, Anyplace Control simultaneously uses two TCP ports: 5279 (basic port) and 4279 (file transfer port). However, you can change default values for the Admin Module and the Host Module on the settings menu. Moreover, you must change the default values to set port forwarding.
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| Let's consider the following example (see figure):
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| You have a LAN with 3 PCs and 1 router. The Admin PC is located somewhere in the Internet, but not in the LAN.
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| You want to access these network computers from your Admin PC via the Internet.
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| For example, external IP address of the router is 211.27.164.21.
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| Internal IP addresses of Host PCs located in LAN: 192.168.1.10, 192.168.1.11, 192.168.1.12
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| The Admin user's IP address is trivial.
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| In this case configuration of the "port forwarding" is the following:
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| 211.27.164.21 : 5278 --> 192.168.1.10 : 5278
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| 211.27.164.21 : 4278 --> 192.168.1.10 : 4278
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| 211.27.164.21 : 5277 --> 192.168.1.11 : 5277
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| 211.27.164.21 : 4277 --> 192.168.1.11 : 4277
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| 211.27.164.21 : 5276 --> 192.168.1.12 : 5276
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| 211.27.164.21 : 5276 --> 192.168.1.12 : 5276
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| After the configuration of the router you have to change default the ports values for the Host Modules (you may perform it via Host Module's settings):
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| For computer 192.168.1.10: ports 5278 and 4278;
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| For computer 192.168.1.11: ports 5277 and 4277;
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| For computer 192.168.1.12: ports 5276 and 4276.
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| Then, create 3 shortcuts in the Admin Module's Address Book to access these 3 network PCs remotely (via the "ADD NEW PC" button).
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| You must then change the properties - default port values for each shortcut:
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| Shortcut for 1-st PC: IP address 211.27.164.21; ports 5278 and 4278
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| Shortcut for 2-nd PC: IP address 211.27.164.21; ports 5277 and 4277
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| Shortcut for 2-nd PC: IP address 211.27.164.21; ports 5276 and 4276
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| As you see, you will always use the IP address of the router (211.27.164.21).
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| If everything is configured correctly:
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| 1) The Admin Module will connect to the router;
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| 2) The router will automatically forward all traffic to the target PC.
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| You can then connect outside the LAN (via the Internet) to the Host PC, which is located in a LAN behind the router.
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| Read more on how to configure your router's model:
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| http://portforward.com/english/routers/port_forwarding/routerindex.htm
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| If you do not have a hardware router
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| You can use any computer with Internet access (that has public IP address) as a software router. First you must to set up the PAT (Port Address Translation) on this PC. We recommend that you to use the "h2proxy" program for this. The "Hhproxy" runs under Windows OS. You may download this program directly from our site using the link below: http://anyplace-control.com/anyplace-control/data/h2proxy_rel.exe
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| The installation of "h2proxy" is a rather simple: create a folder and unzip all of the files from the archive.
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| After that you must configure the software. Create a file named 'h2proxy.cfg' at the program's directory. Afterwards, open Notepad and write the following lines (for the example described above):
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| LogLevel 0
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| TcpMap 5278 120 211.27.164.21 192.168.1.11 5278 0 0
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| TcpMap 4278 120 211.27.164.21 192.168.1.11 4278 0 0
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| TcpMap 5277 120 211.27.164.21 192.168.1.12 5277 0 0
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| TcpMap 4277 120 211.27.164.21 192.168.1.12 4277 0 0
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| TcpMap 5276 120 211.27.164.21 192.168.1.10 5276 0 0
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| TcpMap 4276 120 211.27.164.21 192.168.1.10 4276 0 0
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| Note: Format of TcpMap directive is:
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| TcpMap {LocalPort}{Timeout}{Bind-Address}{Target-Address}{Target-Port}{Online-Mode}{SecurityFilter}
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| (For more detailed information see file 'readme.txt')
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| In this example 211.27.164.21 is a public IP address of a PC with the HHPROXY program.
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| Run h2proxy.exe with '/INSTALL' parameter and restart the computer. After that the h2proxy will start as system service.
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| The Admin and Host Modules configurations must be the same as the ones in the example above.
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| Return to Top
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| If your PC is protected by a Firewall, your Anyplace Control connection may be blocked. Although you don't usually have to set up an inbuilt Windows Firewall for our software (Anyplace Control configures it automatically), many other Firewalls like Zonealarm, OutPost require manual configuring.
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| Anyplace Control has two connectivity modes: Direct Connection and Account Connection.
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| 1) For Online Account Connection mode:
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| Configure the Firewall to allow Anyplace Control Modules to perform outgoing Internet connections via ports 80 and 443:
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| On the Host computer:
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| Add the following Modules into the Firewall "allow" list:
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| c:\program files\anyplace control 4\apc_host.exe
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| c:\program files\anyplace control 4\apc_hostConig.exe
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| On the Admin computer:
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| Add the following Module into the Firewall "allow" list:
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| c:\program files\anyplace control 4\apc_admin.exe
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| 2) For the Direct Connection mode:
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| On the Host computer:
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| Open TCP ports 5279 and 4279 (allow incoming connections) for the following Module:
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| c:\program files\anyplace control 4\apc_host.exe.
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| You will also need to add this file into the Firewall "allow" list.
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| On the Admin computer:
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| Allow outgoing connections via ports 5279 and 4279 for the following Module:
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| c:\program files\anyplace control 4\apc_admin.exe
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| You willalso need to add this file into the Firewall "allow" list.
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| For additional information click on the link below (Beginners Guides -Firewall Setup and Configuration):
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| http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=1618
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| Return to Top
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| Internet providers assign different IP addresses to your PC every time you access the Internet. Such IP addresses are called 'dynamic' and they are a common phenomenon. If you want to connect to a remote PC, but don't know its current IP address, it can be a serious problem.
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| Anyplace Control has two connectivity modes: Direct Connection and Online Account Connection.
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| If you use the Account Connection mode you won't have any problems with dynamic IP addresses. When connecting to a remote PC using the Account Connection mode you don't even have to know its IP address. You can read more about the Account Connection service here...
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| In the Direct Connection mode the problem is usually solved in the following manner.
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| a) Obtain the current IP address of the remote PC by phone, e-mail, etc.
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| b) If you often have a need to connect to a remote PC, but you can't always ask someone to provide you with the current IP address, use a special Internet service to solve this problem: http://www.dns2go.com, http://www.dynu.com or http://www.no-ip.com.
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| Proxy-servers are sometimes used to connect network PCs to the Internet using the HTTP protocol (for example Squid or WinRoute). However, the current version of Anyplace Control is not able to connect via HTTP Proxy servers. This feature may appear in an upcoming version of Anyplace Control.
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| For now, there is a solution to this problem. It is called HTTP-tunneling.
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| In order to do that you can use the following software:
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| HTTPort (http://www.htthost.com)
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| Socks2HTTP (http://www.totalrc.net/s2h/index.jsp)
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| These programs will allow you to connect Anyplace Control modules via HTTP Proxy-server.
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Remote Desktop Control
Why do I see a blank screen after connecting to a remote PC?
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| You can see a blank screen due to the following reasons:
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| 1. When a remote user uses the Windows XP feature "fast user switch".
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| To prevent this problem from occuring use the "Log off user" and "Log on user" Windows commands instead of the "Fast user switch" option.
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| 2. When the Host Module runs as a "Simple application" (not "System service") and the remote user presses Ctrl+Alt+Del.
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| To switch the Host Module to the "System Service, automatically starts with Windows" option use the Settings window.
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| 3. If there is a current conncetion established to a Host PC using Microsoft's Remote Desktop Connection tool. Anyplace Control cannot interact with it and will not function untill the PC is rebooted.
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| 4. DOS or console window will open in the full screen mode.
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| Anyplace Control cannot work with DOS-applications in a full screen mode. Press the Alt+Enter combination to switch a remote computer into the windowed text mode.
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Why do I see black window on my screen when starting a Media Player on a remote PC?
| To solve this problem you have to turn off the "Hardware acceleration" for your video adapter. In this case Anyplace Control will only be able to show the video (without sound). However, beware that such adjustment can slow down the performance of computer games or any other video-applications even when Anyplace Control is not being used at that time.
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| To adjust your video adapter, please, make the following adjustments to the Host PC:
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| 1) Go to "Display Properties" dialog (right click on the desktop)
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| 2) Select the "Settings" tab
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| 3) Click the "Advanced" button
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| 4) Select the "Troubleshoot" page
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| 5) Set the "Hardware acceleration" to "None" value.
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| You can then try to connect to a remote PC and to watch video.
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Why is the remote screen not displaying "Full colors"?
| Sometimes a remote screen will not display "Full colors". To increase the quality of the image you need to do the following: connect to a Host PC and enter either Full Control or View Only mode. On the toolbar of a remote Screen Window press the Settings button. Select the Performance/Quality tab in the Settings dialog and in the "Colors" pop-up menu set the parameter to "High".
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| Note: by changing the quality setting to "High" the refresh rate may slow down.
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How can I accelerate the performance of the software (remote PC's refresh rate)?
| In case of a slow connection while viewing of a remote screen, it is recommended to perform the following steps:
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| · | Use a better video adapter (in spite of the one that is builtin, use an external modern video-adapter) and to update video drivers.
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| · | Reduce the screen resolution of the remote PC; change the color quality to "Medium" (8 bit).
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| · | Remove wallpaper from the desktop.
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| · | Try to disable "Hardware acceleration" on the remote PC. In some cases, this gives significant increase in the performance level. For more information on how to disable "Hardware acceleration", click here...
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| · | Alternatively, increase the speed of the Internet Connection.
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| For the Admin PC: Connect to a Host PC in Full Control mode. Then:
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| · | Shut the "Scale to fit" mode if you had switched it on earlier.
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| · | Open the "Settings" dialog box of the Remote Screen Window. When the window opens, try to choose different types of "Connection speed": Dial-Up, Broadband, LAN. Regardless of what actual connection type you really use, one of these options will surely give you a better performance.
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| · | Try to use different variations of "Colors" (Settings window).
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| · | In the same window, in the "Advanced Settings" tab check the field "Remove Wallpaper".
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| · | Try to use the Direct Connection mode instead of the Online Account Connection mode, as the first one is significantly faster.
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| · | Alternatively, increase the speed of the Internet Connection.
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| 1. The Host Module must be run as a "System service" to allow the use of Ctrl+Alt+Del.
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| To run the Host Module as System Service you need to perform the following:
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| Host Module->Settings->Start->check the field "System Service, automatically start with Windows"
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| 2. You can only send the Ctrl+Alt+Del combination to a remote computer in "Full Control Mode" only. Please, click on the "Full Control" button in the Admin Module in order to achive this.
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| 3. If the Host PC uses Windows Vista/2008/7, you will not be able to do the Ctrl-Alt-Del keystroke. Microsoft Vista/2008/7 security system does not allow it. However; in order to prevent the need of doing the Ctrl+Alt+Del keystroke after every PC reboot simply change several Windows settings, and the problem will be solved:
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| a. | Click the "Start" button , type netplwiz in the Search box, and then press ENTER. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
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| b. | Click the "Advanced" tab, deselect the "Require users to press Ctrl+Alt+Delete" check box, and then click OK.
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Common questions
Does Anyplace Control support Windows Vista/2008/7?
| Yes, Anyplace Control supports Windows Vista/2008/7. All versions of Anyplace Control starting from 4.1 and higher are fully compatible to Windows Vista/2008/7. Moreover, the Host Module can be used as a "System service", and it supports Vista UAC and Fast User Switch.
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How can I update the Host Module remotely?
| There are two options when it comes to updating the Host Module.
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| Note: Before doing an update, please check what is your current Host Module's version. Only a newer version of Anyplace Control can update an older one.
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| I) In case Host PC is located within the same network as Admin PC, perform the following:
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| 1) Start the Admin Module (any version) on the Admin PC and select the main menu command Tools/Host Module Remote Installation
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| 2) Complete the remote installation of the new version using the remote installation wizard.
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| II) The second solution works on both LAN or over the Internet. You need to perform the following steps:
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| 1) Establish a connection to the Host PC using older version of Anyplace Control.
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| 2) Using File Transfer option please upload the installation package of the new version to a remote Host PC.
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| 3) In the File Transfer windows double click on the installation package deployed on the remote PC. You will then see a form that contains 2 lines. Write in the second line:
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| /password= XXXXXXX
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| (where XXXXXX is the desired password for the Host Module [We recommend not less than 6 characters]).
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| 4) When you click the "OK" button you will then be disconnected. The Host Module will be updated automatically to a newer version. Reconnect to Host PC using new version of Admin Module.
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How do I install the Host Module on remote PC without visiting it physically?
| If the Host PCs are located within the same network as the Admin PC, there is no need to install the Host Modules individually. Install the software remotely using the "Remote Installation" feature. This feature is integrated in the Admin Module, and can be found in the "Tools" menu.
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How can I hide the tray icon of the Host Module?
| Open the Host Module's settings in the tray icon. Select the "Start" tab and then select the "Hidden mode" option.
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| Note: If the tray icon is hidden, you will be able to start it again: open "Host Module settings" dialog via shortcut: Start -> Programs -> Anyplace Control -> Host Module settings.
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| The tray menu of the Host Module contains an "Exit" command that is used to close the Host Module. It is recommended that the user turns on the "Disable Exit" command or "Hide tray icon" option on each workstation. The administrator can perform this by using the "Host Module settings".
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| You should also protect the access to the Host Module's settings by using the Access Password (see "Security" tab)
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| If the Host Module runs as a "Simple application", the remote user can shut it down via Task Manager. Install the Host Module as a "System service" (see "Start" tab) to obliterate this possibility: only users with administrator's privileges will be able to stop the service or to delete the Host Module.
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How can I copy the Anyplace Control Address Book from one computer to another?
| The Address Book is stored in the apc-addressBook.ini file in the work folder of Anyplace Control. You can simply copy this file into another computer.
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| Anyplace Control is a secure remote control program. It has a large number of security features that protect the PC from unauthorized remote access.
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| Here are some facts:
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| · | Access to a remote computer is restricted by password.
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| · | A challenge-response authentication of connections is provided for prevention of unauthorized access to computers with the working Host Module.
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| · | Anyplace Control software by default encrypts all of the data transmitted into the network. All data streams, screenshots, and keystrokes are encrypted by randomly generated key of 128 bit length RC4.
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| · | IP-Filtering feature only allows access from specified IP address-range and subnets.
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Licensing
What are the restrictions of trial version?
Anyplace Control is distributed on the "Try Before You Buy" basis. The trial version of this software works within a 30-day period on 5 actively running PC's only. A trial version of Anyplace Control has certain limited functionality restrictions: Inability to hide the Host Module's tray icon and the inability to transfer entire folders via File Transfer. A fully-registered copy of the product provides a complete functionality set.
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How do I purchase the registration key?
| You can purchase the registration key on-line via the software registration service. You can use a credit card, a bank transfer, or a check. Please visit the registration page (http://www.anyplace-control.com/buy.shtml) to purchase the key. There are available discounts for multi-license purchases.
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How many licenses do I need?
The Basic/Premium Rate Plan
| If you want to control X Host computers, you will need X number of licenses (Single license authorizes the use of the software on a single Host computer). The quantity of licenses that you will need is equal to the quantity of PCs that you wish to control.
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| Each license is used to control a single computer. You cannot control many computers via 1 shortcut in the Admin Address Book by changing the shortcut properties, since the Admin Module "remembers" computers it has been connected to.
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| You can purchase additional licenses by contacting the Anyplace Control sales department. The Admin Module does not need to be registered with this plan.
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| The HelpDesk Rate Plan
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| If your application requires remote technical support, if you attend to new customers every day, and you don't want to purchase additional licenses to connect to new PCs, the HelpDesk Plan is right for you. With this plan you will be able to connect to an unlimited number of Host PCs. The Admin Module does require registration, while the Host Modules do not require registration.
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How to download the Admin Module onto a Flash drive to access remote PC from anywhere?
1) First you must install the Admin Module on your PC. Afterwards, you will need to enter the registration key into the Admin Module.
2) Copy the folder c:\program files\anyplace control 4 onto your flash drive.
3) To establish a remote access start apc_admin.exe file from the flash drive.
What does the error message "You do not have enough Licenses to connect to this PC" mean?
| It means that the software has reached its License quantity limit based on our license Agreement.
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| For example, the registration code for 1 license allows you to use the software only on two different computers: One Admin (local PC) and the other one is Host (remote PC). If you are trying to connect to additional computers the software will display the message indicating that all the licenses are being used.
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| Rarely, this message may also appear when the license has not been registered due to hardware changes of the remote PC. Please contact us to receive detailed instructions on how to proceed.
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I have lost my registration code. What should I do?
Contact our customer service and provide us with your registration data (Name, email, and so on). You will then receive a new registration code via e-mail.
