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TSBackground is a third-party Configuration Manager task-sequence utility—not a Windows Server service or Remote Desktop Services feature. If its Remote Control client cannot find a deployment, or the Configuration Manager progress window behaves differently across releases, first check that the application, configuration, task-sequence examples, and Remote Control MSI all come from the same TSBackground package. Then verify the connection-information step and remote port.
What TSBackground and Remote Control do
Onevinn’s TSBackground is a C#/.NET Framework 4.6.2 WPF application for showing deployment information during Microsoft Configuration Manager operating-system deployment. It is designed to replace BGInfo and the older OSDBackground approach, and uses customizable XAML layouts to display built-in or custom task-sequence variables. It can run in WinPE and, with appropriate task-sequence integration, continue into the full Windows phase. The vendor describes its features at Onevinn’s TSBackground product page.
TSBackground also includes a password-protected debugging mode. Its companion Remote Control client lets a technician connect to a running deployment to investigate a problem. It is not a Windows Server background service, native RDS component, or general-purpose remote-administration platform.
The vendor positions Remote Control primarily for debugging rather than ongoing monitoring. The manual cautions that resolution is limited and an active connection uses CPU and RAM. Onevinn describes it as a DaRT replacement, but that is the vendor’s positioning, not evidence that the tools have identical capabilities. See the TSBackground manual for its stated scope and limitations.
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Requirements and package contents
The documented deployment model is a Configuration Manager OS-deployment task sequence that launches TSBackground from the boot image. For that model, add PowerShell and .NET Framework 4.6.2 to the boot image as Optional Components, and include the TSBackground files and a configured layout/background package. The vendor says MDT Standalone is not supported. The official material reviewed does not establish compatibility with current Windows 11 ADK or Configuration Manager releases, so verify those versions in your own environment rather than assuming a compatibility guarantee.
The package separates its contents by purpose:
- Tools and Script: utilities and scripts, including the password-encryption tool and the Remote Control MSI.
- TS Steps Example: an exported task sequence with example integration steps.
- TSBackground: the application and its required files and folders.
- Backgrounds: background images, including at least one image.
- Layout: XAML layout files loaded when the application starts.
Install the Remote Control client using the single MSI in Tools and Script; the installer adds a Start-menu shortcut. Keep the MSI, executable, configuration, and example steps from the same package release wherever possible.
Configure Remote Control and task-sequence integration
Set the port and access method
In the TSBackground configuration, set RemoteControlPort to the port the client should use. The documented default is 4000; it can be changed, and leaving the setting blank disables Remote Control. Configure the debug password for password-based access. The manual also describes AD-based authorization using UserGroupDN and LogonDomain; this requires deliberate configuration and should not be assumed to work automatically.
Protect the connection operationally: restrict the configured port to appropriate management networks, use a strong separately managed debug password, and limit access to authorized technicians. The official documentation describes password and AD-group authentication but does not establish TLS, MFA, audit-event, or other modern security specifications.
Add the connection-information step
The viewer relies on connection information posted by the task sequence. Include the vendor’s initial/start-time step, then the TSBConnectionInfo step, followed by an ordinary Run Command Line step containing this exact command:
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cmd /c exit "%TSBConnectionInfo%"Preserve the exact variable spelling. The manual identifies this step as necessary for the Remote Control viewer to list running deployments.
Configure progress UI and cleanup deliberately
ReplaceTSProgressUI controls whether TSBackground replaces the standard Configuration Manager progress UI. Near the end of the task sequence, before the error section, the manual documents setting SMSTSPostAction to the following restart command:
shutdown -f -r -t 0This is a deployment cleanup/restart action, not a Remote Control connection command. Use it only if it fits the task-sequence design. After changing boot-image content, rebuild and distribute the image before testing the updated deployment.
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Connect to a running deployment
- Install the Remote Control MSI on the technician workstation and launch the application from its Start menu shortcut.
- Enter the site-server information in the application’s picker.
- Start the task sequence and allow approximately 30–90 seconds for the deployment to appear; this is an approximate discovery interval, not a guaranteed response time.
- Select the running deployment and provide its IP address or computer name, the configured port, and the debug password.
- Connect, use the viewer to troubleshoot, and disconnect when the session is no longer needed.
The manual also documents a command-line client example, but its executable path should be checked against the installed package version:
\NetworkPathTSBClient.exe /Client:<ComputerName>Troubleshoot by symptom
The deployment does not appear in the picker
- Confirm the task sequence is running and the client has been given the correct site-server information.
- Check that the
TSBConnectionInfostep is present and that the command uses the exactcmd /c exit "%TSBConnectionInfo%"syntax. - Wait through the approximate discovery interval, then confirm the task-sequence connection information is being posted to the status-message queue.
- Verify that Remote Control is enabled with a nonblank
RemoteControlPortand that the viewer targets the configured port. - Check routing and firewall rules between the technician workstation and target. The vendor material establishes a configurable port, but does not prescribe a universal firewall rule.
- Confirm TSBackground is running in the expected session and that the client and application files are compatible releases.
The client finds the deployment but cannot connect
Check that the target address is correct, the configured port is reachable, and the deployment is still running. Confirm the debug password or configured AD authorization. If the connection still fails, reproduce with a clean package and boot image before changing unrelated network or server settings.
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The password or AD authorization fails
For password access, verify that the client is using the configured debug password. For AD authorization, check the configured UserGroupDN and LogonDomain, then test with an account that should belong to the allowed group. Group-based access is an alternative configuration, not an automatic prerequisite for every installation.
The normal progress window remains visible
Check whether ReplaceTSProgressUI is enabled as intended and whether the task sequence launches the expected TSBackground executable. Look for an older TSProgressUI.exe or serviceui.exe integration that is still attaching to the original progress process. Avoid launching multiple TSBackground copies. If you replace files in the boot image, rebuild and redistribute it before retesting.
Because TSBackground replaces TSProgressUI.exe, integrations that explicitly look for the old process may need adjustment. The manual describes updating UDI logic to find tsbackground.exe and changing a serviceui.exe process argument from Process:tsprogressui.exe to Process:tsbackground.exe.
TSBackground does not appear in a later deployment phase
Check where the task sequence launches it and whether the full-OS phase has the required files and integration. The vendor documents operation beyond WinPE, including after Windows and the Configuration Manager client have started, but actual behavior depends on deployment integration. Do not infer that the boot-image launch alone guarantees full-OS operation.
Time or elapsed-time display is wrong
The manual identifies time and time-zone handling as an issue area. Compare behavior between WinPE and full Windows, and check whether legacy OSDBackground or SetTime scripts—or another utility—also changes system time. Let TSBackground be the only time-manipulating utility during the task sequence; if reliable timing cannot be established, remove or hide the time-related layout section.
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Debug mode reveals sensitive variables
Use VariablesToHide for passwords, tokens, keys, and other secrets. It accepts a semicolon-separated list of task-sequence variables. The manual warns that leaving this setting empty can lead to undesirable debugger behavior; it gives UserPassword as an example dummy value when there are no sensitive variables to hide. Also restrict who can use the debug password or AD group.
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Use the viewer for a specific troubleshooting session and disconnect afterward. The vendor warns of limited resolution and CPU/RAM use during active connections; it does not publish quantitative performance figures.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why matching versions matters
A support thread posted on October 15, 2021 describes a mismatch involving TSBackground 1.7 and 1.8: the 1.7 executable reportedly hid the Configuration Manager progress window correctly, but did not work with the 1.8 Remote Control MSI; the 1.8 combination allowed remote access but did not hide the standard progress window as expected. A participant reported a similar issue in May 2024, but the thread provides no verified resolution. See the support discussion.
Those reports do not establish a general compatibility matrix or prove that every 1.7/1.8 combination fails. They do show why a successful MSI installation is not enough to establish compatibility. Record the exact versions of the executable, MSI, task-sequence examples, and configuration; also record the ADK, Configuration Manager current-branch, and Windows image versions when diagnosing a failure. Test with a matched package and clean boot image before changing several variables at once. The manual’s version 1.8 update is dated May 23, 2021; that is not evidence that 1.8 is the latest release.
Related configuration settings
These settings help tailor the display and debugging behavior. Confirm exact syntax and placement against the configuration shipped with the package version you deploy.
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| Setting | Purpose |
|---|---|
RemoteControlPort |
Sets the Remote Control port; blank disables the feature. |
DebugPassword |
Configures password-protected debug access. |
UserGroupDN and LogonDomain |
Configure the documented AD-group authentication model. |
CaptureF8 |
Controls whether F8 activates debug mode. |
VariablesToHide |
Semicolon-separated variables to omit from the debugger. |
ReplaceTSProgressUI |
Controls replacement of the built-in progress UI. |
ShowSpinnerAnimation |
Controls the center-screen animation. |
DateTimeFormat |
Controls displayed time formatting. |
StartUpGrids |
Controls which layout grids appear at startup. |
Debug mode can be activated by right-clicking the upper-left area or pressing F8 on the desktop, subject to the configured authentication. Restrict its use because task-sequence data may include secrets.
When to use an alternative
For many failures, native Configuration Manager diagnostics are enough: inspect smsts.log, status messages, PXE and boot-image diagnostics, distribution-point logs, and task-sequence monitoring. These do not provide the same interactive view, but avoid opening a live remote-control session.
TSBackground can be useful when a technician needs interactive visibility into a task-sequence failure, particularly in phases where a conventional support agent is not available. An established DaRT workflow may be preferable if it already meets the organization’s needs; general remote-support products may offer features such as broader full-OS support or session controls, but their agent and network dependencies can make them unsuitable during early WinPE unless integrated in advance.
If TSBackground causes deployment regressions, roll back by removing its launch and integration steps, restoring the previously used boot-image content, and rebuilding and distributing that image. The official sources cited here do not verify a current release, present-day download availability, current platform compatibility matrix, lifecycle, pricing, or detailed encryption specification; check with the vendor for those matters before standardizing it in production.
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