Admin properties get reset to unwanted values

[bolero]

I have a problem with the latest 1.0.9.5 on Windows XP. I first installed the update, I don't remember what the earlier version was. I think it was not 1.0.8.2 (last release before 1.0.9.5). (There is no release note from which versions I can use the updater.) I noticed that I didn't get the tray helper and I couldn't connect. Also, I couldn't launch the helper from the start menu. So I installed the full version. After that I still didn't have the tray icon but I got a "busy" mouse cursor about every two seconds or so. When I stopped the service this behavior was gone. This suggests that something was trying to launch repeatedly and failed. I figured that might be the tray helper.

I then launched winvnc as a program. That worked and I got a tray icon. But still I couldn't connect because of password problems. So I set a new password and finally was able to connect. I got the "start as user" dialog when saving (I'm getting it each time I save admin properties, I guess hat is correct?).

I then shut it down and restarted the service. Finally, I got a tray icon, but connects failed again. I set the password again, just to see what happens. Now connects were working again, but no input was accepted.
After a lot of thinking and checking and retrying I finally realized that the "Disable viewers input" box was checked. I surely didn't check it. After unchecking and again setting my password finally everything was working.

So far, so good. The problem is that when I restart the service these settings are changed back to the unwanted values that they originally showed.
In particular:
- enable Java viewer is checked, although I unchecked it
- disable viewer input is checked, although I unchecked it
- passwords for full and read-only access show with same length and when submitting it seems to reset the passwords to *these* cut-off values

This last one may sound a bit confusing as I think it is supposed to be that way, but only to some extent. As I understand the password box always shows the same length obscured password as a security measure. At least it was that way in the past. And when submitting without a change then the password would not get changed. And this is different now. e.g. if it all works and I bring up the admin properties which then shows the two checked properties again that I mentioned above and I uncheck those properties and do not change the password - I can't connect. Only after I bring it up, uncheck the properties *and* overwrite the password it starts working. Until the next time that I either restart the service or submit the properties unchanged.

Yes, I already completely uninstalled ultravnc and installed 1.0.9.5 again. Still, the same problem. I set the password during installation, but couldn't connect. Probably because the service was only started after setting the password during installation and thus the password was reset even for the first launch. I had to bring up the admin properties to make it work again.
I also noticed that I *can* uncheck some properties and those changes stick (e.g. the option for removing the wallpaper). But the two mentioned properties and the password always get reset.
How can I make this work again?

So far I have installed only one other 1.0.9.5. In this case an x64 version on a Windows 2008 R2. That one doesn't display this behavior. Although, it doesn't run troublefree. So far, it locked up during a connection once so completely that I couldn't connect anymore and couldn't stop or kill the service. I had to reboot the machine to make vnc work again.
I haven't had any problems with 1.0.8.2 or the 1.0.5 range, but this 1.0.9.5 seems to carry some problems.
Until I haven't solved the issue on the XP machine I won't try to install it on other XP machines, in case this problem is XP-specific.

Thanks for any hints.

[redge]

stop uvnc_service
delete ultravnc.ini
start winvnc
set password 1st is full control
set password2 view only

[bolero]

Thanks for the quick reply. I deleted the ini and everything still remaining in the program directory after I uninstalled and before I reinstalled 1.0.9.5. Do you still think deleting it this time will help?
Also, with "start winvnc" you mean to start the application and not the service, right?
And, we are talking about the ultravnc.ini and not about the winvnc.ini, right?

[Rudi De Vos]

ultravnc.ini is in a secure folder ( Program files)

There is an issue when you run as service and use a "domain admin".

Workaround
1) Run as application to set value's
2) Run as service but logon as local admin
3) Run uvnc_settings.exe and use this tool for making the changes
(winvnc require restart before changes made with this tool become active)

[bolero]

Remember, this is XP, the Program Files folder is not secured like it is with Vista/7. But I found the problem. When you change something in admin properties you get the dialog which user to use for that service. And that contains a checkbox "Protect my computer and data from unauthorized program activity" that is checked. As this sounds not bad, I just kept it at that and this seems to prevent it from changing certain values. Maybe that stuff is written to the registry? (If you remember, I can save some but not all values of that dialog.). As soon as I unchecked that option and saved it the unchecked options were kept unchecked and the password stayed.
You mention uvnc_settings.exe. I remember I ran that tool at one point in time. If that was able to set those values it's possible that when using it I set the wrong values accidentally and then any subsequent changes would not stick because of that "protect" option.
So, problem solved, and I hope this thread helps somebody else in the future.
(Here's a link to an explanation of that "protect" option: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/aaron_margosis/ ... 27727.aspx)