Manage Computer Tasks Overview

From each pane, there are different task that can be performed.

Scope Pane Tasks

Right click Manage Computers in the Scope panel to access the following tasks and sub tasks:

• Add Computer to List - This menu item is used to add a network computer to the currently displayed list in the Manage Computers view. Add a computer by either name or IP Address.

• Deployment Utility - Create a pre-defined configurations for the Client installations. After completing the utility's wizard, the configuration is stored directly within the created setup executable. The utility allows you to maintain multiple configurations and setup executables. For more information, please refer to Spector Deployment Utility.

• View - Customize how Result view is displayed; Add/remove columns, large/small icons, list and detail. By default, all columns are shown.

• New Window from Here - Create a new window of the current view. Navigate between views from the Window menu and then selecting the view from the list.

• Refresh - Refresh data.

• Export List - Export current computer list as a text (Tab delimited .txt) file.

• Computer Add/Install Wizard - Displays the Add/Install Computer Wizard dialog box. Option to install Spector Client Recorder or add a computer to the Manage Computer view.

• Active Directory Computer List - Displays all computer listed in a domain active directory. This feature allows you to select an active directory file (.xml file format) to populate the Manage Computer view. All computers in the list are displayed. You may also export/save this  list to later quickly switch to a list from a different domain or you may create and save a list based on department, functionality, etc....  See Create a Load at Startup Computer List (NetConfig) XML File and Planning how CNE discovers the Clients on the Network for additional information.

• Pending Setup Summary - This summary displays a dialog that contains a summary of pending tasks (installs and uninstalls) on computers monitored by a Client. A quick review of the pending tasks can identify which tasks are complete and which ones are still pending. This summary can be useful in situations where you have scheduled multiple tasks at different times on the computers on your network.   

• License Summary - This summary displays the number of used, active, and reserved licenses assigned to a designated serial number. You can also add new serial numbers to increase the amount of Clients to monitor or register your existing serial number.  See Serial Number & Client License Summary.

• Show Groups Only - Displays the Group (domain) level and provide a summary of all computers within the displayed group.

• Show Group Computers - Displays only computers in a single group (domain).

• Show All Computers - Displays all computers in all groups (domains).

• Find Computer - Displays a dialog box to locate a computer in the Results window.

• License Summary

• Adding Additional Serial Numbers - You can add additional serial numbers to the Primary Server by entering the new serial number obtained from SpectorSoft and then selecting Add. The Control Center will pass the serial number to the Primary Server, which will contact the SpectorSoft server, verify the serial number, and update the list with the new information.

• Register - Register your serial number with SpectorSoft.

• Serial Number Summary - Displays current license summary.

Results Pane Tasks

• Restart Computer - This feature allows you to restart the selected computer. When executed, this command sends the monitored computer a message to restart in 30 seconds. A message box is displayed on the computer, notifying any logged on users of the impending reboot.

• Find Client - Find Client in the Results window is similar to Select Computer in the Scope window. It pops up a dialog box that helps to locate a computer in the Results window.

By selecting any computer in the list and clicking on the right mouse button, the Control Center displays a pop-up menu and consists of:

• Refresh simply re-displays the information associated with the selected computer within this view. The refresh may include a computer re-discovery. See Perform Network Discovery On Refresh (Setup View).

• Properties will display a tabbed dialog providing some general information about the selected computer. Selecting Properties will open the Properties dialog box. There are two tabs; Computer and Setup Info include the following:

• Icon The icon

 from the Client.

• Computer Name - Displays the computer's network name.

• Domain - Display either the Domain or Workgroup name.

• Description - Displays the computer's name (from Windows System Properties)

• Windows Name - Displays Windows version number; 5.1 = XP, 5.0 = 2000, 98=4.10, ME = 4.90, 2003=5.2, NT4=4.0

• Recorder - Version of the Client Recorder installed

• Viewer - Version of the Viewer installed

• License State - Last time Client checked in with the Primary Server

• WebMail - Signature File version

• All Tasks displays a submenu providing access to the following tasks (click on link to go to specific submenu topic):

• Icon The icon next to the computer name in the Results window provides a visual clue as to whether or not you will be able to perform the tasks in this menu.

• If the Control Center is able to communicate properly with the computer on which the Client is installed, a colored setup computer icon appears next to the computer name for that computer.  

• If the Control Center is unable to properly communicate with the computer, a grayed out computer icon is displayed and the words 'Not Detected' will appear in the Windows Name column.

• Discovery - While the discovery of network computers is in progress, a single item is displayed in the results view: Discovering… click to abort. It remains displayed until the discovery process is complete. You can abort the discovery in progress by clicking on the Discovering…click to abort item in the Results window. If you click on the item, you will be asked to verify your request to abort.

Deployment Utility

The Spector Client Deployment Utility is used to create pre-defined configurations for Client installations. After completing the utility's wizard, the configuration is stored directly within the created setup executable. The utility allows you to maintain multiple configurations and setup executables. For more information, please refer to Spector Deployment Utility.

Reserve and Verify License

You may reserve a Client license from the Primary Server for a particular computer before installing the Client on that computer. This allows you to reserve licenses for a group of computers, thus marking those computers for future Client installations. License reservations are held indefinitely for the specified computer.   

If a license is not reserved before the installation, the Control Center will attempt to reserve a license at the time of installation. If the Primary Server cannot be contacted, the license will not be reserved for the specified computer. If the number of licenses assigned to a particular serial number have been used and or reserved, the Primary Server will not issue any additional licenses.   

Verify License is used to verify the state of the license for the selected computer directly with the Primary Server.

Install/Remove Spector

This function allows you to select a setup executable, created using the deployment utility, and remotely deploy it to the computer. Installations can be executed immediately or they can be scheduled for execution later. After completing the tasks associated with remotely deploying a setup on a computer, the selected computer will be denoted with the word 'Pending' in the Results window under the column named Installed, until the install (or uninstall) process has completed.   

After selecting Install Spector, a dialog box for file selection will display allowing you to select the desired setup executable for deployment on the computer. Installation files are executables, but on the computer on which the Control Center is installed, their file extension is .sds. All .sds files in the Control Center installation folder (the default folder for storing deployable setup files) are displayed in the File Selection dialog box. You may store setup executables created using the deployment utility in another folder. After selecting a setup .sds file, the Task Options dialog box is displayed.

For Uninstall Spector, only the previous paragraph is not applicable. The following information is applicable to both install and uninstall.  

Task Options

This dialog box allows you to select whether you would like to immediately execute the task (install or uninstall) or schedule it for a later time. By default, Run Task Immediately is selected. It forces the task to execute immediately. By de-selecting this option, the Set Task Schedule button is enabled.

The Control Center utilizes the built in Windows Task Scheduler to execute the remote installs and uninstalls, whether or not the task is to run immediately, or it is scheduled. Selecting Set Task Schedule displays a scheduling dialog.   

Since the Control Center forces the task to be deleted upon the completion of the execution, the only selection valid for scheduling an installation at a user specified time and date is: Once. The scheduler defaults to five minutes from the time the dialog was displayed. The scheduled time and date may be changed to your preference.  

1. After scheduling the task (known as a trigger), the Control Center requires that you enter credentials to pass to the Windows Task Scheduler. These credentials are the log on and password required for access to remote computers.
   You may need administrative or domain administrative privileges to proceed, depending on the set up of your network. If applicable, see your network administrator for the proper access.

2. After providing the required credentials, you are returned to the Task Options dialog box to click OK to continue.
   Providing incorrect credentials may result in the task getting created on the remote computer, but not executing properly.

3. After providing credentials, the Control Center will also automatically attach a second trigger to the task, which forces the task to run on computer startup. This trigger is executed in the case where the computer is turned off at the time the task was originally set to run.

4. Once you have clicked on the OK button, the Control Center creates the task on the remote computer, and in the case of installations, it copies the selected deployment setup executable to the remote computer's temporary folder, and changes the name to spsetup.exe.
   In the case of uninstalls, the Control Center copies the file spuninst.exe to the remote computer's temporary folder.

5. After the task is completed, the task scheduler deletes the task and the deployment setup or uninstall executable is marked for deletion (to occur when the remote computer is restarted).

Delete Setup Task

If after you have scheduled a task (install or uninstall) on a remote computer, and you decide not to execute that task, you can use Delete Task to remove the task from the selected remote computer.

• Before deleting the task, the Control Center will display a message box requesting confirmation of the delete request

• After the task is deleted it cannot be executed, and thus, it will have to be rescheduled if a new task is desired

When the Results window has been set to Show Groups Only, the task deletion is effective for all computers in the group (domain).

The Control Center will look for any install or uninstall tasks on any computer in the group (domain) and delete them.

 Uninstall Spector Client

This menu item removes a computer from the currently displayed list in the Manage Computers view. You will be asked to verify the remove request.

Click on Yes to remove it from the list after removing it from the list, you will be asked if you want to save the modification to the current computer list file.

Change Group

This feature is available only if Enable Computer Groups Management is selected in the General properties tab. Use the Change Group menu item to move a computer from one group to another.  

You can select from one of the current groups from the list or select New Item to add a new group to the list.

Related Topics:

Configure Computers View

Monitor Computer View

Monitor Users View

Create a Load at Startup Computer List (NetConfig) XML File

Planning how CNE discovers the Clients on the Network

Knowledge Base

Technical Support

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