Does someone need to be logged in my XP system for MJ to work? If nobody is logged in I get dialtone but I can't place a call until somebody logs in to the system. Is this normal? Will I need to start it as a service for this to work on a multi-user XP system?
EDIT: Tech support says that someone needs to be logged in. Will starting it as a service work around this?
Does someone need to be logged in?
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You could do what I did for awhile (and not bother with the forum post on how to make magicJack an NT service): run MJ under a different account.
I believe the other account must be an admin-level account. Create a new account, like "mymagicjack" (I use a slightly different name than just "magicjack" for when I need to cleanup the registry). Log into that new account so a user profile folder gets created. Plug in the magicjack while under that account to install its software under that account's profile. That other MJ-specific account must have a password. It cannot be blank. That's because later when you define a scheduled task that you MUST specify a non-blank password for the RunAs parameter.
Back in your own account, defined a scheduled task that runs on Windows startup to load MagicJack but under that other account. Then you're not bothered with their softphone oblitering your screen when you pickup the attached phone to make or receive a call. As I recall, you could configure the scheduled event (with RunAs under the other account) to execute either the cdloader2 program that they stick in the registry Run key for that user account or have it execute:
"%userprofile%\Application Data\mjusbsp\magicJack.exe" /foreground /scf _magicJackPersonalDataRoot "F:\magicJack"
(all on one command line). F: is whatever is the 2nd USB virtual drive for the MJ in which the \magicjack data folder resides with your contacts list, call history, etc. There is a tricks post about how you can copy the contents of both USB virtual drives for the MJ onto your hard disk so you could run it from there and save your data there, too, instead of from the emulated CD drives for MJ.
Because the event is scheduled to start on Windows startup, you don't need to login to run that scheduled event. Because the task runs under a different account, you aren't afflicted with their softphone popping onscreen to interfere with your work (but that also means you will need to logoff or switch to the other account to use the softphone).
The only reason why I gave up that setup is that the MJ dongle doesn't always create the USB virtual drives on my host when Windows starts up. Ive had it replaced as defective but the 2nd one also doesn't create the USB virtual drives on Windows startup. The dongle doesn't provide its presentation data to define the device on Windows startup so it shows up as an "undefined device" (and uninstalling the device in Device Manager to rescan still doesn't get the dongle to initialize correctly). So I need to unplug and replug the MJ dongle after starting Windows and after logging in, and that results in running their setup program (autorun from the 1st USB drive) to reinstall or restore their software. I didn't care for having to boot Windows to login under the mymagicjack account to do the hardware fix for the dongle (unplug and replug) and logout to then login to my working account. Excepting for that problem, running MJ under a different account worked okay for me for several months.
Of course, if you ever need to contact MJ's chat support, logoff and the login under the other account under which you load MJ because their chat and engineer crew will ALWAYS have you unplugging and replugging the device in their shotgun attempts at throwing the kitchen sink at solving your problem.
So, in short:
- Create another admin-level account.
- Login under that other account.
- Plug in MJ and let it install its software. Leave plugged in.
- Logoff that other account.
- Login under your own account.
- Create a scheduled task that loads MJ using RunAs under that other account and when Windows starts up.
If you ever need to kill the magicjack.exe and other MJ processes (using Task Manager), you can start it again by running the scheduled task. The key to this solution is that you can have scheduled tasks execute on Windows startup and without having to login.
I believe the other account must be an admin-level account. Create a new account, like "mymagicjack" (I use a slightly different name than just "magicjack" for when I need to cleanup the registry). Log into that new account so a user profile folder gets created. Plug in the magicjack while under that account to install its software under that account's profile. That other MJ-specific account must have a password. It cannot be blank. That's because later when you define a scheduled task that you MUST specify a non-blank password for the RunAs parameter.
Back in your own account, defined a scheduled task that runs on Windows startup to load MagicJack but under that other account. Then you're not bothered with their softphone oblitering your screen when you pickup the attached phone to make or receive a call. As I recall, you could configure the scheduled event (with RunAs under the other account) to execute either the cdloader2 program that they stick in the registry Run key for that user account or have it execute:
"%userprofile%\Application Data\mjusbsp\magicJack.exe" /foreground /scf _magicJackPersonalDataRoot "F:\magicJack"
(all on one command line). F: is whatever is the 2nd USB virtual drive for the MJ in which the \magicjack data folder resides with your contacts list, call history, etc. There is a tricks post about how you can copy the contents of both USB virtual drives for the MJ onto your hard disk so you could run it from there and save your data there, too, instead of from the emulated CD drives for MJ.
Because the event is scheduled to start on Windows startup, you don't need to login to run that scheduled event. Because the task runs under a different account, you aren't afflicted with their softphone popping onscreen to interfere with your work (but that also means you will need to logoff or switch to the other account to use the softphone).
The only reason why I gave up that setup is that the MJ dongle doesn't always create the USB virtual drives on my host when Windows starts up. Ive had it replaced as defective but the 2nd one also doesn't create the USB virtual drives on Windows startup. The dongle doesn't provide its presentation data to define the device on Windows startup so it shows up as an "undefined device" (and uninstalling the device in Device Manager to rescan still doesn't get the dongle to initialize correctly). So I need to unplug and replug the MJ dongle after starting Windows and after logging in, and that results in running their setup program (autorun from the 1st USB drive) to reinstall or restore their software. I didn't care for having to boot Windows to login under the mymagicjack account to do the hardware fix for the dongle (unplug and replug) and logout to then login to my working account. Excepting for that problem, running MJ under a different account worked okay for me for several months.
Of course, if you ever need to contact MJ's chat support, logoff and the login under the other account under which you load MJ because their chat and engineer crew will ALWAYS have you unplugging and replugging the device in their shotgun attempts at throwing the kitchen sink at solving your problem.
So, in short:
- Create another admin-level account.
- Login under that other account.
- Plug in MJ and let it install its software. Leave plugged in.
- Logoff that other account.
- Login under your own account.
- Create a scheduled task that loads MJ using RunAs under that other account and when Windows starts up.
If you ever need to kill the magicjack.exe and other MJ processes (using Task Manager), you can start it again by running the scheduled task. The key to this solution is that you can have scheduled tasks execute on Windows startup and without having to login.
VanguardLH's new profile comments should be a sticky.
VanguardLH's comments should be a sticky. The details are great.
Someone else thought it would also help with possible security problems. Anyone else have a comment on security?
"Now, to avoid
snooping, as well as the MJ popup box (it really doesn’t bother me), simply create
another user profile on your computer (you can also privatize the profile). After
you’ve done this, log onto your new profile now, while your other user profile, which
MJ is installed on, is still running. Viola. Your phone will still work. You won’t see the
MJ popup window; and you will also not have to worry about website tracking - since
MJ isn’t installed on your 'new' user profile."
Someone else thought it would also help with possible security problems. Anyone else have a comment on security?
"Now, to avoid
snooping, as well as the MJ popup box (it really doesn’t bother me), simply create
another user profile on your computer (you can also privatize the profile). After
you’ve done this, log onto your new profile now, while your other user profile, which
MJ is installed on, is still running. Viola. Your phone will still work. You won’t see the
MJ popup window; and you will also not have to worry about website tracking - since
MJ isn’t installed on your 'new' user profile."
Re: VanguardLH's new profile comments should be a sticky.
There are already threads on this. "MagicJack as a Service" on the Tips&Tricks forum on this site has a wealth of information also.Anybun wrote:VanguardLH's comments should be a sticky. The details are great.
P.S. @VanguardLH: Props on the post on this thread.