Restart a computer remotely
Restart the remote computer during a session; when it comes back, Polpo Desk reconnects automatically without a password or approval.
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After an update, a driver installation or a program that hangs, you may need to restart the remote computer. With Polpo Desk you can do this from inside the session. When the computer starts up again, the console reconnects automatically; the other side doesn't need to share a password again or approve the connection.
Requirements
- The session must be a Remote Control session. In View Only and File Transfer sessions the option is disabled.
- The Polpo Desk service must be installed on the remote computer. Without the service, Polpo Desk can't come online by itself when the computer starts, so the restart command is refused. To install the service, see Set up unattended access.
- Polpo Desk on the remote computer must be up to date.
Restart step by step
- Click the Actions button (lightning bolt icon) on the session toolbar.
- Choose Restart computer.
- Read the Restart the computer? window and click Restart. To change your mind, click Cancel.
- The session closes and a waiting screen opens. It first shows Restarting the computer…, then Waiting for the computer to start…, with the elapsed time counting below.
- When the computer is back and the Polpo Desk service is online, the The computer is back on, reconnecting… notification appears and the session reopens by itself.
If nobody is signed in to the computer, you'll see the Windows sign-in screen when you reconnect. If the connection drops briefly while the remote user signs in, the console shows Re-establishing the connection… and again reconnects without a password or approval.
How is automatic reconnection protected?
The permission to reconnect without a password is tied to the operator who gave the restart command and to that computer:
- It is valid for 15 minutes and can only be used a limited number of times.
- It can't be used until the computer has actually restarted and registered again.
- It isn't valid for another operator or another device.
- If the remote user disconnects you themselves, no automatic reconnection takes place.
- The restart is written to your team's audit log.
If the computer doesn't come back
The console waits about 12 minutes. If the computer hasn't come online by then, it shows The computer isn't back yet. In that case:
- Click Try again. This time the normal connection flow starts; you may need to enter a password or the other side may need to approve.
- If the computer is still offline, ask the other side to check that the computer is on and connected to the internet and that Polpo Desk is running.
You can stop waiting at any time with Cancel.
Possible messages
| Message | Meaning and solution |
|---|---|
| Couldn't restart — "The Polpo Desk service isn't installed on the remote computer…" | The remote computer has no service. Ask the other side to click Install in the client. |
| Couldn't restart — "Polpo Desk on the remote computer doesn't support this feature…" | Polpo Desk on the remote computer is out of date. The other side needs to update the app. |
| The option is disabled in the menu | The session isn't a Remote Control session. Reconnect with Remote Control. |
The same Actions menu also lets you send Ctrl+Alt+Del to the remote computer and turn on the privacy screen; see Chat, Ctrl+Alt+Del and special keys. On computers with a separate sign-in session, the menu also offers Switch to sign-in screen / Switch to active session; see Set up unattended access. If you can't reconnect to the computer, see Can't connect to a device.