Configuring DCOM for Remote Access

Configuring DCOM for Remote Access

1. If the computer belongs to a workgroup instead of a domain, make sure that it does not use simple file sharing. Open Windows Explorer or double click My Computer, click Tools, then go to Folder Options, click View and uncheck Use simple file sharing (Recommended) in Advanced settings.
2. Click Start, click Programs, click Administrative Tools, click Component Services.
3. Expand Component Services, expand Computers, and right-click My Computer. Select Properties.
4. Click Default Properties. Select Enable Distributed COM on this computer. Set the Default Authentication Level to Connect (None also works). Set theDefault Impersonation Level to Identify (Impersonate also works).
5. Click Default COM Security.
6. Under Default Access Permissions click Edit Default. Add SYSTEM,INTERACTIVE, and NETWORK. The user whose authentication credentials will be used to access the COM application must also be included in this list. There are many ways to do this. You can add the specific user or simply add a group the user belongs to. Possible values include: 
   • Domain\Username (A specific user)
   • Domain\Administrators (All administrators on a specific domain)
   • Domain|Domain users
   • Everyone (All users)
   • Interactive
7. Under Default Launch Permissions click Edit Default. Make sure the Default Launch Permissions have the same values as the Default Access Permissions.
8. Click Default Protocols. Make sure Connection-oriented TCP/IP is listed first.
9. You must now configure the COM application you wish to access. Expand Component Services, expand Computers, expand My Computer, and click DCOM Config. Right-click on the application you wish to configure. Select Properties. If your COM application is a DLL, you must first create a surrogate EXE for it using the SetDllHost tool. Once a surrogate EXE is created, the surrogate name will appear in the list of applications. Select Properties for the surrogate and continue on.
10. Click General. Set the Authentication Level to Default.
11. Click Location. Select Run application on this computer.
12. Click Security. Set Launch Permissions to Use Default. Set Access Permissions to Use Default. Set Configuration Permissions to Use Default.
13. Click Identity. Select The launching user. This setting specifies the account that will be used to run the COM application once it is launched by a client program. The launching user is the user account of the client process that launched the server, and is the recommended setting. Depending on the COM application you want to connect to, you may need to change this to:
    • The interactive user – The user that is currently logged on to the machine hosting the COM application (use this if you are going to access MS Excel and make it visible).
    • This user – Specify a user account that will always be used to run the COM application regardless of which user is accessing it.
    • For more information on “How To Configure Office Applications to Run Under the
      “Interactive User Account”, please see the References section at the bottom of this page
14. Click Endpoints. Select default protocol
15. If you still get an “Access denied” or “permission error” then restart the computer, and try again

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