CTRL-ALT-DEL does not work on Remote Control Host

Products

• CA Client Automation - IT Client Manager
• CA Client Automation
• CA Client Automation - Remote Control

Issue/Introduction

When taking control of a Remote Control host machine, the CTRL+ALT+DEL key sequence is sent in order to log on.

But nothing happens. The logon screen does not appear. 

 

In the logs TRC_URC_HOST_0.log or TRC_URC_UTILCMD_0.log following lines are displayed:

 

     UTILCMD |RCOS |000000|INFO | CRCLoginDesktop::DoCtrlAltDel: doing Ctrl-Alt-Del

     Ctrl-Alt-Del is correctly received by the Host machine but nothing is done.

Environment

     CA Client Automation - All Versions 

     All supported Windows Operating Systems

Cause

This problem happens if the "Disable or enable software Secure Attention Sequence" windows logon Policy is set to  "None" or "Services"

 

If the "Disable or enable software Secure Attention Sequence" windows logon Policy is not defined or set to "Ease of Access Applications" or "Services and Ease of Access applications", sending of CTRL+ALT+DEL works

Resolution

Check if the following registry key exists

 

     HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\SoftwareSASGeneration

 

If it exists and is set to 0 (None) or 1 (Services)

 

then do the following:

 

  1. Open gpedit.msc

 

  2. Select Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components/Windows Logon Options

 

  3. Change "Disable or enable software Secure Attention Sequence" from Enabled to Not Configured or to "Ease of Access Applications" or "Services and Ease of Access applications"

 

 

                

 

 

This also could be done in command line with reg.exe

Example :

This command sets the value 3 for SoftwareSASGeneration which is "Services and Ease of Access applications"

 

reg.exe ADD HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System /v SoftwareSASGeneration /t REG_DWORD /d 3 /f