Script to disable RDP

Question

I'm trying to disable RDP using powershell.

I've tried the following code, but the values on the machine name I'm listing aren't changing.

$file = Get-Content c:\PSscripts\regchange\computers.txt
foreach ($computername in $file){
    $PingStatus = Gwmi Win32_PingStatus -Filter "Address = '$computername'" | Select-Object StatusCode
    If ($PingStatus.StatusCode -eq 0){
        $reg = [Microsoft.Win32.RegistryKey]::OpenRemoteBaseKey('LocalMachine', $computername )
        $regKey= $reg.OpenSubKey("System\\CurrentControlSet\\Control\\Terminal Server" ,$true)
        $regKey.SetValue("fDenyTSConnections","1",[Microsoft.Win32.RegistryValueKind]::dword)
    }
    else {
        Write-Host "$computername unreachable"
    }
}

I suspect there's something wrong with the way I entered the registry path name. any help would be appreciated.

I have access to the target machine. I'm just testing for mass deployment. — amatthew382
– amatthew382, Commented Jun 4, 2019 at 18:16
Are you running PowerShell as admin? System wide changes, Windows requires admin privs to do that. — postanote
– postanote, Commented Jun 4, 2019 at 18:28

HAL9256 · Accepted Answer · 2019-06-04 18:58:35Z

The issue must be either permissions (which I assume you have as there are no obvious error messages), refreshing issue or in Get-Content and the structure of your file.

In order for Get-Content to work in this manner, each computer on a separate line. e.g.:

MyComputer1
MyComputer2

Another troubleshooting step is to try adding in Write-Host $computername entries to verify that you are looping through properly.:

$file = Get-Content c:\PSscripts\regchange\computers.txt
foreach ($computername in $file){
     $PingStatus = Gwmi Win32_PingStatus -Filter "Address = '$computername'" | Select-Object StatusCode
     If ($PingStatus.StatusCode -eq 0){
         Write-Host "$computername set"
     }
    else {
        Write-Host "$computername unreachable"
    }
}

You can also confirm by adding in a $regKey.GetValue after setting:

$file = Get-Content c:\PSscripts\regchange\computers.txt
foreach ($computername in $file){
    $PingStatus = Gwmi Win32_PingStatus -Filter "Address = '$computername'" | Select-Object StatusCode
    If ($PingStatus.StatusCode -eq 0){
        $reg = [Microsoft.Win32.RegistryKey]::OpenRemoteBaseKey('LocalMachine', $computername )
        $regKey= $reg.OpenSubKey("System\\CurrentControlSet\\Control\\Terminal Server" ,$true)
        $regKey.SetValue("fDenyTSConnections","1",[Microsoft.Win32.RegistryValueKind]::dword)

        Write-Host "$computername set to: $($regKey.GetValue("fDenyTSConnections"))"

    }
    else {
        Write-Host "$computername unreachable"
    }
}

Manually setting $computername = "MyComputer" and running the code, I can confirm that the code for setting the registry works... I can also confirm that remotely killing your RDP access to your remote virtual workstation also works.. and... is as terrible as it sounds ;-)

postanote · Accepted Answer · 2019-06-04 18:43:31Z

1

If PSRemoting is enabled, try something like this … (This needs to be executed in a PowerShell elevated admin session.)

Get-Content -Path 'c:\PSscripts\regchange\computers.txt' | 
ForEach{
    If (Test-Connection -$PSItem -Count 1 -Quiet)
    {
        $paramblock = @{
            Path = 'HKLM:\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server'
            Name = 'fDenyTSConnections'
            Value = '1'
        }

        Invoke-Command –Computername $PSItem –ScriptBlock {Set-ItemProperty @paramblock}
    }
    Else
    {Write-Warning -Message "Either the host $PSItem is offline or not reachable."}
}

answered Jun 4, 2019 at 18:43

postanote

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1 Comment

halfer Over a year ago

Thanks for deleting your latest answer. It's nice to help people who are lost, but we get such a volume of vampire questions here, we have to draw the line somewhere!

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