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How do you broadcast a network message from the server

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by mmbc_voltron 1 view

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I need to send out an instant message to all users of a domain if i need to restart the server. is there a way like in 2000 server.
I am using SBS2003
i tried the net send /users and my message

and i get error occured while sending a message to 192.168.1.23.

8 replies

by cg it

the messenger service is off by default on Windows XP SP2 and the net send command uses the messenger service and terminal service to send console messages to users. To use this command line function, you must enable the windows messenger service.

see this MS KB article: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/826278/

and this one for information: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/839018

NOTE: enabling the windows messenger service on computer that are connected to the internet is a serious security risk. The messenger service is not patched for security [because it would not work if they did and the firewall install blocks the messenger service]. See MS technet for more details on the windows messenger service].

by mmbc_voltron

I remember with NT server or 2k server there was a simple way to send a message to all users. That is a bummer that went away.

by cg it

so with XP SP2 they disabled the service.

you can use 3rd party programs. A pretty decent one is epigeon. It'll get the users attention and isn't a security sinkhole.

by mikebentley

This is an oldie but it still works. At the moment, my company uses the net send command. It puts a popup window on the screen with the message; and you can direct it at all users, or just specific users. I'm sure there are other, newer ways, but this one is free to use with windows.
Syntax:
net send * /users "the server will be rebooted in 5 minutes"

of course, you don't need the quotes. At least that's how I remember it being typed.

by cg it

what mike says is true. the windows messenger service is still available, it's just diabled. if you go into services on each comp you can enable the service to start automatically when a system is booted. put in an exception to the messenger program in the firewall, then the net send command will work.

However!! having the messenger service enabled on computers that have access to the internet is a security risk. Messenger service is a known and exploitable program with no fixes for exploits. MS figured with the proliferation of 3rd party IM programs, Exchange has it's own IM, that 50% or more of the worlds computers did not have firewalls, and that no one really uses it it was safe to disable the service in favor of including a firewall with XP SP2 [which would block net send anyway]. If administrators wanted to use messenger service, they could could always turn it on.

by mikebentley

I don't know if your company uses IP phones, but ours does, and it is controlled by a program on windows called StrataCS. You can actually send an IM to anyone who's running the program, and just about all users in the office use this because it is much easier to use the phone with the program.

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