remote account management in workgroup

[greekman711]

I would like to know whether it is possible to remotely manage accounts from a windows 2003 server to several windows 2000/xp pcs. I know it is possible to do it in a domain environment but my network currently is in a workgroup state.
What i would really want, is to be able to broadcast new accounts, delete old ones, change user data etc. from a standard location rather than doing it to each windows 2000/xp pc separately.

Thanks in advance

[Courtney]

That's called Domain Administration. I'm not trying to be sarcastic. It is just incredibly too easy to get around security set up on a local machine. Microsoft (actually Novell) realized it; that's why domains were created.

courtney sends....

[m4a2t0t]

Active Directory

[greekman711]

[quote="Courtney"]That's called Domain Administration. I'm not trying to be sarcastic. It is just incredibly too easy to get around security set up on a local machine. Microsoft (actually Novell) realized it]
Thanks guys but i already knew that. The thing is that the greatest part of my company's network already existed when i took over and it was not domain based. As you understand it is fairly imposible to make such modifications without disturbing too many people...i was hoping for a non microsoft windows based solution (apropriate software etc.) Thanks anyway and i am still open to ideas

[YeOldeStonecat]

How many machines are there? Are they all local?

You have the Remote Desktop Connection for the XP workstations (hopefully they're "pro").

For the 2K machines, you can get remote control from a 3rd party utility, such as VNC or PcAnywhere.

Else, you pretty much don't have anything else that I know of, unless you migrate towards a true server environment, with Active Directory from a domain.

[m4a2t0t]

you could make a custom MMC console and have all the PCs in that snapin and manage them from there