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sending console message

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mbah

Posted: Friday, December 08, 2006 5:53:44 PM

Rank: Newbie

Joined: 12/8/2006
Posts: 0
Points: 3
Where do you live?: London

Hi, I have a query, I am trying to send a console message from a
windows 2003 Server service pack1 to number of client computers, but this
option is not available on the computer management >All task. Can someone please
explain to me how to make this available.
Thanks and regards Malik

GrantAMoyle

Posted: Saturday, December 16, 2006 12:29:38 AM

Rank: Super Mod

Joined: 9/16/2006
Posts: 1
Points: 33
Where do you live?: Chicago, IL

Hi Malik,

Sorry for the delay - I've been burried in my computer dungeon (aka my recording studio) getting some Vista videos recorded.

With windows 2000 Professional and server - we were able to do this with a simple
net send * "Hello" - this would send to EVERY COMPUTER on the network via a NetBIOS Broadcast
net send Administrator "Hello" - this would send to every computer that has registered for the NetBIOS name "Administrator" (so if a user was logged on as administrator - NetBIOS Registered for it)
net send Grant "Hello" - this would send to every computer that has registered for the NetBIOS name "GRANT" - either user or computername

The syntax did a NetBIOS broadcast for the Name (either User or Computer) and the Windows Messenger (NOT Instant Messenger) would take it if any of those requests, giving a message in a pop-up

Type the following to find out what NetBIOS names you have registered: nbtstat -a computername

Look at the entries that show <03> on the end - these are the NetBIOS names that the Windows Messenger service has registered for. If you are on a 2000 machine - you will see a couple of them. But, if you are on a Windows XP or Windows 2003 system....

Microsoft has disabled the underlying service because internet spammers figured out they could do a Net send IPAddress "Message" and started sending random, multi-line messages to people who didn't have firewalls. (Net send 67.103.4.2 "Hello(CR)Do you have spam?....", net send 67.103.4.3 "hello...", etc....)

So - if you want you can re-enable the Messenger service on all the workstations/servers you want and use that, but just be aware that it has been disabled because of the broadcast issues that could arise.

In Windows XP and Windows 2003 - there is a command called msg.exe and the syntax goes something like this

msg grant "hello" - this will send a message to the user "grant" who is logged onto the local computer (useful for a terminal server with multiple connections)

msg grant /server:bandicoot "Hello" - this will send a message to the user "grant" who is logged into the computer called bandicoot

Now - what makes this different than the old net send
1. This utilizes a pathway through Terminal Services - so I believe you need to be running remote desktop on the box
2. It isn't a broadcast - so I can't send the message to GRANT on any computer on my network. I have to target the machine I know grant is on - hence the switch /server:servername
3. I need to have permissions to that machine - I can't send it anonymously. If you are in a domain - this should work just fine. if you are on a standalone machine - you will need to make a connection to that system and login first. Stealing a token usually works - just hit start -> Run and enter \\computername and provide valid credentials - this will make a connection to the machine and should let the messages go through

Thanks for the question - it actually gave me a great idea for a video (or two) that I'll shoot over the holidays and get up on LearnWindows2003. com

-Grant Moyle
Author: www.LearnWindows2003.com and www.LearnExchange.com

AmyPat

Posted: Thursday, December 24, 2009 12:53:31 AM

Rank: Newbie

Joined: 12/24/2009
Posts: 0
Points: 3
Where do you live?: US

Vista editions other than the Home editions include a new command, MSG.EXE. Type MSG /? in a command prompt to get the syntax. Try sending yourself a message: MSG "username" "BOO!". You can add the /TIME switch to make the message auto-close after a number of seconds. I think you'll find that MSG is a good replacement for NET SEND. And it doesn't even require the other system to be running the Messenger service.

Use a third party LAN messenger maybe a good choice to replace net send command.
Check out the comparison between net send command line and LAN messenger.

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