Setting a Client to use screen scrape mode

This article applies to NetSupport Manager v14.00. To see steps on how to use this on version 12.80 and below, click here.

NetSupport Manager Clients have three methods of capturing the video output sent to the Client’s screen.

1 – Hooking into the installed video driver (Windows 7 and below)
This method involves the NetSupport Manager Client hooking into the video driver on the Client machine and sending copies of the video instructions that the video driver receives to the NetSupport Manager Control, these instructions are used by the NetSupport Manager Control to display the Client’s screen. This method may not display areas of the screen where the applications are bypassing the video driver and displaying to the Client’s screen directly.

2 – Desktop duplication (used on Windows 8 and above and available in NetSupport Manager versions 12.50 and above)
This method provides access to the contents of the desktop by using bitmaps and associated metadata for optimisations. When Windows updates the display, a copy of the changed area is sent to the NetSupport Manager Client. Desktop duplication is more CPU-friendly and provides a higher frame rate on faster networks.

3 – Screen scrape
This method captures the Client’s screen as if it were a bitmap. Although the data is compressed, this method is marginally slower and can have a greater impact on the network due to the slightly larger amounts of data being sent. This method will provide an accurate representation of the Client’s screen. Commonly if you’re having a problem with a video driver, our Support team may advise you to use screen scrape mode.

Enabling screen scrape mode
You can enable screen scrape in the NetSupport Manager Client Configurator:

1. Open the NetSupport Manager Client Configurator from the NetSupport Manager program group.
2. Select Advanced and double-click Master Profile.
3. Select Remote Control – View or search “screen scrape” and the Configurator will locate the option for you.

4. Select the Enable Screen Scrape
5. Click OK and restart the Client service.

If you need to configure the screen scrape setting at the Client but can’t use the Client Configurator, you can enable the option manually. Please be aware that manually editing the file makes it possible to create an invalid or incorrectly configured configuration. If possible, you should use the NetSupport Manager Client Configurator (this performs checks to make sure the configuration is valid).

If you need to manually edit the configuration file, follow the steps below:

1. Open the folder that you installed NetSupport Manager into:

1. • 32bit: C:\Program Files\NetSupport\NetSupport Manager
   • 64bit C:\Program Files (x86)\NetSupport\NetSupport Manager

2. Find and open the file called client32u.ini in a text editor such as Notepad.

1. • If the configuration is used on devices running a version pre-12.50, you will also need to edit the client32.ini file. The client32.ini is a legacy configuration file used by NetSupport Manager versions older than version 12.50.

3. At the bottom of the [Client] section, add the following parameter:
   ScreenScrape = 1
4. Save and close this file.
5. You will now have to re-checksum the client32u.ini file using the utility CKSINI.EXE.

• • • For more information on how to do this, please click here.