remote assistance (repost)

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.work_remotely (More info?)

I have 2 machines behind a Netgear router. The XP Home one can ask for
remote assistance. The XP Pro one cannot.

When the invite a friend to offer remote assistance link is clicked, the
message "A program could not start. Please try again" appears. It
comes up with the exclamation sound and the message box claims to be
from Internet Explorer.

I found a file called constants.js on the machine that had that message
text in it...in two places. One of them is NO CHANNEL, and the other
is NO RCSESSION. I edited the constants.js file and it changed the "A
program could not start. Please try again" message so that I could
tell that the NO CHANNEL message is being sent to me.

I don't know what's the problem. Surely it isn't the NAT router, since
that is perfectly happy with the XP Home computer's seeking remote
assistance. I have UP&P enabled, so it doesn't seem likely that's the
problem either. I imagine there's some setting that is at issue in the
XP Pro machine, but ideas are needed, since I think everything
resembling remote anything is enabled and running.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.work_remotely (More info?)

Have you disabled any services on the Pro machine?

One googled thread indicates that machines originally set up using a
particular version of Symantec's Ghostwalk application might have this
issue:

http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=893755&page=2

Also see this thread:

http://www.windows2000mag.com/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=36&threadid=117659

Have you checked the Event logs?


"Exray" <exray@amexol.net> wrote in message
news:n6CdnX8ogOqJvizcRVn-vg@comcast.com...
>I have 2 machines behind a Netgear router. The XP Home one can ask for
> remote assistance. The XP Pro one cannot.
>
> When the invite a friend to offer remote assistance link is clicked, the
> message "A program could not start. Please try again" appears. It
> comes up with the exclamation sound and the message box claims to be
> from Internet Explorer.
>
> I found a file called constants.js on the machine that had that message
> text in it...in two places. One of them is NO CHANNEL, and the other
> is NO RCSESSION. I edited the constants.js file and it changed the "A
> program could not start. Please try again" message so that I could
> tell that the NO CHANNEL message is being sent to me.
>
> I don't know what's the problem. Surely it isn't the NAT router, since
> that is perfectly happy with the XP Home computer's seeking remote
> assistance. I have UP&P enabled, so it doesn't seem likely that's the
> problem either. I imagine there's some setting that is at issue in the
> XP Pro machine, but ideas are needed, since I think everything
> resembling remote anything is enabled and running.
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.work_remotely (More info?)

OK - I see you've looked into the services issue already.

I don't have a clear answer to this one, obviously, and I guess nobody else
does either, hence your need to repost. My impression is that there are
multiple causes.

Jeffrey Randow recommends either the sessmgr fix or:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;304023

for a similar complaint. I don't see how the mail client would relate to
your instance of the error, though.

Here's a solution billed as a "long shot"--but it's from a "MSFT", so it has
some authority:

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=%22a+program+could+not+start%22+remote+assistance+xp+microsoft+kb&hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&selm=O38OFj2HEHA.520%40tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl&rnum=5

OK--here's one which might well be in the running:

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=%22a+program+could+not+start%22+remote+assistance+xp+microsoft+kb&hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&selm=uWHUi91XCHA.4200%40tkmsftngp08&rnum=7

Check whether the HelpAssistant user has been deleted on this machine. I'm
ignorant of how to repair this other than a repair install, unfortunately.
(amazing what one can forget in a couple of years!)




"Exray" <exray@amexol.net> wrote in message
news:n6CdnX8ogOqJvizcRVn-vg@comcast.com...
>I have 2 machines behind a Netgear router. The XP Home one can ask for
> remote assistance. The XP Pro one cannot.
>
> When the invite a friend to offer remote assistance link is clicked, the
> message "A program could not start. Please try again" appears. It
> comes up with the exclamation sound and the message box claims to be
> from Internet Explorer.
>
> I found a file called constants.js on the machine that had that message
> text in it...in two places. One of them is NO CHANNEL, and the other
> is NO RCSESSION. I edited the constants.js file and it changed the "A
> program could not start. Please try again" message so that I could
> tell that the NO CHANNEL message is being sent to me.
>
> I don't know what's the problem. Surely it isn't the NAT router, since
> that is perfectly happy with the XP Home computer's seeking remote
> assistance. I have UP&P enabled, so it doesn't seem likely that's the
> problem either. I imagine there's some setting that is at issue in the
> XP Pro machine, but ideas are needed, since I think everything
> resembling remote anything is enabled and running.
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.work_remotely (More info?)

Thanks, Bill.

Stupidly, the repost was because the first post showed up on one news
server, but not on most of the others I can access. After a reasonable
amount of time, I just posted the same message via another path and it
appeared.

I've tried all the stuff...OLE has a Yes not a No, I've done the session
thing, and on and on.

One thing I hadn't done is to check the event log, which seems to have lots
of errors in it at about the time I try to get this particular issue put to
bed. I get the feeling that my having killed MSN messenget might have been
too enthusiastic. There's an error that says that something like "The
server (DF.........) did not register with DCOM within the required timeout.
That Class ID, the DF...... seems to correspond to MSN/Windows messenger or
some such. I have that SO disabled, perhaps too much so. I'm amazed that
it's still in my program files. I guess I'll poke around, judiciously
enabling Microsoft annoyanceware to see if that makes a difference.

Thank you for your response. It's comforting to find SOMEBODY who
appreciates that this is not a unique problem.

Bill Sanderson wrote:
| | OK - I see you've looked into the services issue already.
| |
| | I don't have a clear answer to this one, obviously, and I guess
| | nobody else
| | does either, hence your need to repost. My impression is that
| | there are
| | multiple causes.
| |
| | Jeffrey Randow recommends either the sessmgr fix or:
| |
| | http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;304023
| |
| | for a similar complaint. I don't see how the mail client would
| | relate to
| | your instance of the error, though.
| |
| | Here's a solution billed as a "long shot"--but it's from a "MSFT",
| | so it has
| | some authority:
| |
| |
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=%22a+program+could+not+start%22+remote+assistance+xp+microsoft+kb&hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&selm=O38OFj2HEHA.520%40tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl&rnum=5
| |
| | OK--here's one which might well be in the running:
| |
| |
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=%22a+program+could+not+start%22+remote+assistance+xp+microsoft+kb&hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&selm=uWHUi91XCHA.4200%40tkmsftngp08&rnum=7
| |
| | Check whether the HelpAssistant user has been deleted on this
| | machine. I'm
| | ignorant of how to repair this other than a repair install,
| | unfortunately. (amazing what one can forget in a couple of years!)
| |
| |
| |
| |
| | "Exray" <exray@amexol.net> wrote in message
| | news:n6CdnX8ogOqJvizcRVn-vg@comcast.com...
| | | I have 2 machines behind a Netgear router. The XP Home one can
| | | ask for
| | | remote assistance. The XP Pro one cannot.
| | |
| | | When the invite a friend to offer remote assistance link is
| | | clicked, the
| | | message "A program could not start. Please try again" appears.
| | | It
| | | comes up with the exclamation sound and the message box claims to
| | | be
| | | from Internet Explorer.
| | |
| | | I found a file called constants.js on the machine that had that
| | | message
| | | text in it...in two places. One of them is NO CHANNEL, and the
| | | other
| | | is NO RCSESSION. I edited the constants.js file and it changed
| | | the "A
| | | program could not start. Please try again" message so that I
| | | could
| | | tell that the NO CHANNEL message is being sent to me.
| | |
| | | I don't know what's the problem. Surely it isn't the NAT router,
| | | since
| | | that is perfectly happy with the XP Home computer's seeking remote
| | | assistance. I have UP&P enabled, so it doesn't seem likely
| | | that's the
| | | problem either. I imagine there's some setting that is at issue
| | | in the
| | | XP Pro machine, but ideas are needed, since I think everything
| | | resembling remote anything is enabled and running.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.work_remotely (More info?)

If you've disabled stuff by hand, I can't predict what is needed, I'm
afraid. I've done pretty well using the "Set program access and defaults"
to lock out Windows Messenger, but I'm not sure that can lock out MSN
Messenger. MSN messenger is uninstallable, though, right?

"Exray" <exray@amexol.net> wrote in message
news:aqSdnSMC4-We4i7cRVn-gw@comcast.com...
> Thanks, Bill.
>
> Stupidly, the repost was because the first post showed up on one news
> server, but not on most of the others I can access. After a reasonable
> amount of time, I just posted the same message via another path and it
> appeared.
>
> I've tried all the stuff...OLE has a Yes not a No, I've done the session
> thing, and on and on.
>
> One thing I hadn't done is to check the event log, which seems to have
> lots of errors in it at about the time I try to get this particular issue
> put to bed. I get the feeling that my having killed MSN messenget might
> have been too enthusiastic. There's an error that says that something
> like "The server (DF.........) did not register with DCOM within the
> required timeout. That Class ID, the DF...... seems to correspond to
> MSN/Windows messenger or some such. I have that SO disabled, perhaps too
> much so. I'm amazed that it's still in my program files. I guess I'll
> poke around, judiciously enabling Microsoft annoyanceware to see if that
> makes a difference.
>
> Thank you for your response. It's comforting to find SOMEBODY who
> appreciates that this is not a unique problem.
>
> Bill Sanderson wrote:
> | | OK - I see you've looked into the services issue already.
> | |
> | | I don't have a clear answer to this one, obviously, and I guess
> | | nobody else
> | | does either, hence your need to repost. My impression is that
> | | there are
> | | multiple causes.
> | |
> | | Jeffrey Randow recommends either the sessmgr fix or:
> | |
> | | http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;304023
> | |
> | | for a similar complaint. I don't see how the mail client would
> | | relate to
> | | your instance of the error, though.
> | |
> | | Here's a solution billed as a "long shot"--but it's from a "MSFT",
> | | so it has
> | | some authority:
> | |
> | |
> http://groups.google.com/groups?q=%22a+program+could+not+start%22+remote+assistance+xp+microsoft+kb&hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&selm=O38OFj2HEHA.520%40tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl&rnum=5
> | |
> | | OK--here's one which might well be in the running:
> | |
> | |
> http://groups.google.com/groups?q=%22a+program+could+not+start%22+remote+assistance+xp+microsoft+kb&hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&selm=uWHUi91XCHA.4200%40tkmsftngp08&rnum=7
> | |
> | | Check whether the HelpAssistant user has been deleted on this
> | | machine. I'm
> | | ignorant of how to repair this other than a repair install,
> | | unfortunately. (amazing what one can forget in a couple of years!)
> | |
> | |
> | |
> | |
> | | "Exray" <exray@amexol.net> wrote in message
> | | news:n6CdnX8ogOqJvizcRVn-vg@comcast.com...
> | | | I have 2 machines behind a Netgear router. The XP Home one can
> | | | ask for
> | | | remote assistance. The XP Pro one cannot.
> | | |
> | | | When the invite a friend to offer remote assistance link is
> | | | clicked, the
> | | | message "A program could not start. Please try again" appears.
> | | | It
> | | | comes up with the exclamation sound and the message box claims to
> | | | be
> | | | from Internet Explorer.
> | | |
> | | | I found a file called constants.js on the machine that had that
> | | | message
> | | | text in it...in two places. One of them is NO CHANNEL, and the
> | | | other
> | | | is NO RCSESSION. I edited the constants.js file and it changed
> | | | the "A
> | | | program could not start. Please try again" message so that I
> | | | could
> | | | tell that the NO CHANNEL message is being sent to me.
> | | |
> | | | I don't know what's the problem. Surely it isn't the NAT router,
> | | | since
> | | | that is perfectly happy with the XP Home computer's seeking remote
> | | | assistance. I have UP&P enabled, so it doesn't seem likely
> | | | that's the
> | | | problem either. I imagine there's some setting that is at issue
> | | | in the
> | | | XP Pro machine, but ideas are needed, since I think everything
> | | | resembling remote anything is enabled and running.
>