Remote Windows Machine – Is there a Way to Bypass or Automatically Accept DiskUsage.exe?

Introduction

In today’s world, remote access to machines has become a necessity for many organizations. However, there are certain limitations that one may face while accessing a remote machine. One such limitation is the need to click on an agreement or accept a prompt on the remote machine, which can be a hindrance to smooth remote access. In this blog post, we will discuss if there is a way to bypass or automatically accept DiskUsage.exe on a remote Windows machine.

Understanding DiskUsage.exe

DiskUsage.exe, also known as du.exe, is a command-line tool used to calculate the size of a file or directory in Windows. It provides a detailed report of the disk space usage of a particular directory or file. When running DiskUsage.exe on a remote machine, an agreement needs to be accepted during the initial run, which requires accessing the desktop and clicking. This can be a problem if you do not have access to the desktop of the remote machine.

Bypassing or Automatically Accepting DiskUsage.exe

Unfortunately, there is no direct way to bypass or automatically accept DiskUsage.exe on a remote Windows machine. However, there are a few workarounds that can be used to achieve the same result.

One of the methods is to use a tool called PsExec, which is part of the Sysinternals Suite developed by Microsoft. PsExec allows you to run commands on a remote machine without the need to access the desktop. You can use the following command to run DiskUsage.exe on a remote machine using PsExec:

psexec \remote_machine -s -d du.exe c:

The above command will run DiskUsage.exe on the remote machine without the need to access the desktop. However, this method requires administrative privileges on the remote machine.

Another method is to use a tool called AutoIt, which is a freeware BASIC-like scripting language designed for automating the Windows GUI and general scripting. AutoIt allows you to create scripts that can simulate mouse clicks and keyboard presses. You can create a script that clicks on the “Accept” button on the agreement prompt when DiskUsage.exe is run. You can then use PsExec to run the AutoIt script on the remote machine. The following is an example AutoIt script that clicks on the “Accept” button:

WinWaitActive(“DiskUsage Agreement”)
ControlClick(“DiskUsage Agreement”,””,”Button1″)
WinClose(“DiskUsage Agreement”)

Generating a CSV file using DiskUsage.exe

In addition to bypassing or automatically accepting DiskUsage.exe, you can also use it to generate a CSV file. The following command can be used to generate a CSV file named du3.csv in the c:utils directory:

c:utilsdu -l 3 -c -q c: > c:utilsdu3.csv

The above command will generate a CSV file that contains the disk space usage of the c: directory up to three levels of subdirectories. The “-c” option includes the total size of each directory, and the “-q” option suppresses the display of errors.

Conclusion

In conclusion, bypassing or automatically accepting DiskUsage.exe on a remote Windows machine is not a straightforward process. However, by using tools such as PsExec and AutoIt, you can achieve the same result without the need to access the desktop of the remote machine. Additionally, DiskUsage.exe can be used to generate a CSV file containing the disk space usage of a particular directory or file.

It is generally not possible to bypass or automatically accept a license agreement for an application without accessing the desktop. However, you may be able to use a command line switch to specify acceptance of the agreement.

You can try using the /accepteula switch when running the du.exe command. For example:

c:\utils\du.exe /accepteula -l 3 -c -q c:\ > c:\utils\du3.csv

This should automatically accept the EULA (End User License Agreement) for the application. Keep in mind that this switch may not be available for all applications, and it is up to the application’s developers to decide whether to include it.

If the /accepteula switch is not available or does not work, you may need to access the desktop of the remote machine and accept the EULA manually before running the du.exe command.

In summary, if you want to run the du.exe command on a remote Windows machine without accessing the desktop, you can try using the /accepteula switch to automatically accept the EULA for the application. If this does not work, you will need to access the desktop of the remote machine and accept the EULA manually before running the du.exe command.

It is worth noting that the availability of the /accepteula switch and its functionality may vary depending on the application and the specific version you are using. If you have any questions or need further assistance, it is always a good idea to consult the documentation or support resources for the application.

Can the du license agreement be avoided or agreed to automatically? If you can reach the registry on the remote device, execute this command:

reg.exe ADD "HKCU\Software\Sysinternals\Disk Usage" /v EulaAccepted /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

There are comparable instructions available for other SysInternals tools.

Use the following command to accept the license agreement for all utilities:

reg.exe ADD HKCU\Software\Sysinternals /v EulaAccepted /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
reg.exe ADD HKU\.DEFAULT\Software\Sysinternals /v EulaAccepted /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f