How do I use msg.exe to send messages to a XP PC?

[mclaren05]

How do I use msg.exe to send messages to a XP PC? From the looks of it, both of them are in the workgroup WORKGROUP but I send to all the users and I they dont receive it (I do).

[HSoft]

How do I use msg.exe to send messages to a XP PC? From the looks of it, both of them are in the workgroup WORKGROUP but I send to all the users and I they dont receive it (I do).

Most computers have this feature turned off by default as it was a security risk.

I think it got turned off around XP SP2 so you'd need to manually turn it on again in order for your messages to get through.

[mclaren05]

BTW, the MSG.EXE command does NOT require the Messenger service to be running on the target computer.

[+BudMan MVC]

msg.exe is more for sending messages to terminal sessions on the same machine, it is not really designed to mass message people.

You need to know the username your wanting to send to and the server they are on.

where with net send you could mass send to all computers on the network, etc.

msg

Send a message to a user.

Net send

Sends messages to other users, computers, or messaging names

on the network. The Messenger service must be running to receive messages.

net send

* Sends the message to all the names in your group.

/DOMAIN[:name] Sends the message to all the names in the

workstation domain. If name is specified, the

message is sent to all the names in the specified

domain or workgroup.

For you to send a msg to someone you would need to know their username and the machine they are on.

msg username /server:computername

If you want to be able to send mass messages or just have to put in the computer OR username the messenger services has to be running on the target machine - and of course for any of this to work any software filewalls running would have to allow for it.

[mclaren05]

Net send isnt avaliable in Windows Vista and msg.exe isnt avaliable in versions of Windows prior to Windows Vista.

[+BudMan MVC]

Not sure where you go the idea msg is not available prior to vista.

C:\>ver

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]

C:\>msg /?

Send a message to a user.

MSG {username | sessionname | sessionid | @filename | *}

[/sERVER:servername] [/TIME:seconds] [/V] [/W] [message]

username Identifies the specified username.

sessionname The name of the session.

sessionid The ID of the session.

@filename Identifies a file containing a list of usernames,

sessionnames, and sessionids to send the message to.

* Send message to all sessions on specified server.

/SERVER:servername server to contact (default is current).

/TIME:seconds Time delay to wait for receiver to acknowledge msg.

/V Display information about actions being performed.

/W Wait for response from user, useful with /V.

message Message to send. If none specified, prompts for it

or reads from stdin.

C:\>ver

Microsoft Windows 2000 [Version 5.00.2195]

C:\>msg

Send a message to a user.

MSG {username | sessionname | sessionid | @filename | *}

[/sERVER:servername] [/TIME:seconds] [/V] [/W] [message]

username Identifies the specified username.

sessionname The name of the session.

sessionid The ID of the session.

@filename Identifies a file containing a list of usernames,

sessionnames, and sessionids to send the message to.

* Send message to all sessions on specified server.

/SERVER:servername server to contact (default is current).

/TIME:seconds Time delay to wait for receiver to acknowledge msg.

/V Display information about actions being performed.

/W Wait for response from user, useful with /V.

message Message to send. If none specified, prompts for it

or reads from stdin.

[mclaren05]

Hmm I was mistaken.

Anyhow, original topic: Why doesnt it receive it?

[Panacik]

Hmm I was mistaken.

Anyhow, original topic: Why doesnt it receive it?

What command did you use?

[+BudMan MVC]

what command are you using? As I stated you need to send to the username and the machinename

For example.. From my desktop I will send a msg to an account logged into a server.

C:\>msg tsadmin /server:tsbesvsan01

Enter message to send; end message by pressing CTRL-Z on a new line, then ENTER

testing msg 123456

^Z

here is the message that account sees.

Are you running any software firewalls between the machines? Either on your client or on the machine your wanting to send to?

[Josh]

net send is available (and I assume msg is just a pointer), but the service is disabled by default since WinXP.

[+BudMan MVC]

No msg is not a pointer to net send.. They are different methods. And no the messenger service does not need to be running for msg to send or recv messages. For net send yes, for msg no.

[Josh]

Gotcha.

[Knightro2]

Gotcha.

Ok, I'll help and also ask a question.

To recap...MSG.EXE is completely seperate from NETSEND.

It does NOT need the messenger service to be running and is available on XP and Vista.

For it to work on XP over a domain you must add a registry key.

HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server

Dword=AllowRemoteRPC

Value=1

You don't have to know the username...just the computer name. You can place an "*" in place of the username to send to all session that are logged into a specific computer at once. So for any normal workstation it would just be one user.

Syntax example sending to a computer called "TestComp01" with a message of "Hi, this is a test message."

msg /server:TestComp01 * Hi, this is a test message.

You can also add the switches of /v /w between * and the message to give you a read out of when it was sent and when the user presses "OK".

Now, to my question to see if anyone knows.

I have written a GUI so this is easier to use for my users at my work. All the users in my department are Admins on all the boxes company wide so we've never had a problem sending messages to each other as needed.

Now another department is wanting to use MSG.exe but they are not admins. I have tried sending test messages from their computers with their credentials but it doesn't go through. I am able to send to them but not the other way around.

Anyone know a way around this or do you HAVE to be an admin of the box you are sending to?

[Mickey9598]

Now, to my question to see if anyone knows.

I have written a GUI so this is easier to use for my users at my work. All the users in my department are Admins on all the boxes company wide so we've never had a problem sending messages to each other as needed.

Knightro2,

Is there any way that you can post a copy of the GUI you created?

[Gerowen]

Kinda OT: Back when I was a nooblet teenager I got in trouble for running a python script that looked a little something like this, on an XP network that didn't have SP2 yet or the messenger service disabled.

import os
while 0==0:
 	os.system("net send * The problem is I can do this without your permission!")

There weren't very happy with having to click OK a few thousand times...