PsExec requirements on local computer

Question

What services and settings are required to run psexec on local computer? (e.g. psexec -s -i -d regedit)

Solution 1

At least the following services must be running on the computer (in order to use psexec locally):

• Server (LanmanServer) must be running
  • errors when not running: "The network name cannot be found."; "The specified network name is no longer available."
• TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper (lmhosts) must be running or set to manual startup (it will be started in the second case)
  • error when disabled: "The network path was not found."

However you do not need any of the following:

• services:
  • HomeGroup Listener
  • HomeGroup Provider
• "Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Network and Sharing Center\Advanced sharing" settings:
  • Network discovery
  • File and printer sharing
  • Homegroup Connections managed by Windows
• network connection items:
  • Client for Microsoft Networks
  • File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks
  • Microsoft LLDP Protocol Driver
  • Link-Layer Topology Discovery Responder

(Tested w/ psexec v2.2 under Win 10 x64 v1607.)

Solution 2

paexec is open source and seems to have less requirements related to network, and thus is easier to run locally.

For example File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks which psexec does.

paexec.exe -i -s cmd

(Source Code)

Comments

[mlvljr]

HN pingback: let's bring some more +1s to this one :)

[Gugas]

I was also searching for psexec requirements because it was not working "on local computer". paexec solved it for me by not needing them anymore. It is a better tool for the job answer.

[hakusaro]

To be clear, your answer is definitely valuable. It's just that it would be much more suited to a self answer question asking about a good alternative to psexec -- not as an answer to this question. Doing that would get your answer more visibility and and help cultivate a better long-term Q&A site.

[ManSamVampire]

Another point I'd like to add this to this answer is that the default admin$ share must be present for psexec to work. If you have deleted the share (and disabled its auto-creation as per the answer to this question), you will get this error in psexec.