SolarWinds Dameware

Dameware is SolarWinds’ on-premises remote support suite for Windows-centric IT departments: a technician console that takes over desktops with Mini Remote Control and manages machines and Active Directory without a full screen session. If you are looking for a Dameware download, the installer is free to download and runs as a time-limited evaluation; after that a paid licence is required, so Dameware is shareware (conditionally free), not free software.

The product comes in two main forms. Dameware Mini Remote Control (MRC) is the remote control tool on its own. Dameware Remote Support (DRS) includes MRC and adds remote administration and AD tools. SolarWinds sells a cloud product, Dameware Remote Everywhere, separately; this page covers the on-premises suite, which moved from 12.x version numbers to year-based releases in 2026.

Dameware at a glance

What it does

• Mini Remote Control sessions to Windows computers through a small agent service listening on TCP 6129; the console can push that agent to a machine on first connect.
• Connections to macOS and Linux through VNC, to any Windows host over RDP, and out-of-band KVM to Intel AMT (vPro) systems, even when the OS is not running.
• Chat, screenshots, file transfer and multi-monitor handling inside MRC sessions.
• Remote administration in DRS without taking over the screen: services, processes, event logs, shares, users and groups, disks and other system information.
• Active Directory tasks from the same console, such as unlocking accounts, resetting passwords and managing users, groups and organisational units.
• Centralized installation with Dameware Central Server for shared licences and settings, plus Internet sessions to computers outside the corporate network.
• Dameware Exporter for collecting system information from many machines into files.

How IT teams use it

Take over a domain PC on the LAN

1. Open Mini Remote Control and enter the host name or IP address of the PC.
2. Choose Windows authentication with a domain account that is a local administrator on the target.
3. If the MRC agent is missing, accept the prompt to install it. The push uses the admin share, so SMB (TCP 445) must be reachable at this step.
4. Pick view-only or control and, if company policy requires it, let the user approve the connection.

Open the firewall for the MRC agent with Group Policy or PowerShell

1. Allow inbound TCP 6129 on managed workstations, limited to the Domain profile and ideally to the help-desk subnet:

   New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Dameware MRC" -Direction Inbound `
     -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 6129 -RemoteAddress 10.10.20.0/24 `
     -Profile Domain -Action Allow

2. Open TCP 445 (and the NetBIOS ports 137–139 if you still use them) only if you push agents or use file and printer sharing functions.
3. Open TCP 3389 for RDP, TCP 5900 for VNC and TCP 16992/16993 for Intel AMT only where you actually use those protocols.

Handle a locked-out user without a screen session

1. In Dameware Remote Support, browse to your domain in the Active Directory section of the console tree.
2. Find the user, unlock the account or reset the password, and decide whether to force a change at next logon.
3. If the problem is on the PC rather than in AD, open the remote administration view for that machine to restart a service, end a process or read the event log without disturbing the user.

Install and first run

Console requirements (2026.3, stand-alone). Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10 or 11, or Windows Server 2008 R2, 2012 R2, 2016, 2019, 2022 or 2025; 1 GHz CPU, 4 GB RAM, 500 MB disk; .NET Framework 4.8, which must be installed beforehand if it is missing. The installer adds the Microsoft Visual C++ 14 runtime itself.

TLS. Dameware works only with TLS 1.2. Apply current Windows updates and make sure TLS 1.2 is enabled before installing, especially on older systems.

Stand-alone or centralized. The stand-alone install keeps licences and settings on each technician’s PC. The centralized install adds Dameware Central Server and is needed for shared administration and Internet sessions through the Internet Proxy.

Targets. Many functions rely on the Server and NetLogon services (for domain authentication) and on Remote Registry. For macOS and Linux targets enable Screen Sharing or a VNC server first; there is no native Dameware agent for them.

Upgrades. SolarWinds announced end of life for older lines: 12.2.x reaches end of life on 24 October 2026, and 12.3 reached end of engineering on 30 June 2026 with end of life on 30 June 2027. Older MRC agents have had published vulnerabilities (for example CVE-2019-3980 in 12.1), so keep agents on the current release.

Limitations

• The console runs only on Windows; Mac or Linux technicians need a Windows VM.
• Out of the box it is a LAN tool. Reaching machines on the internet requires the centralized install with Internet Proxy, port forwarding and certificates.
• macOS and Linux support is plain VNC, without the MRC agent features.
• No mobile device support in the on-premises suite.
• There is no permanent free edition; after the evaluation every technician needs a licence.

Dameware vs alternatives

ScreenConnect is a commercial, agent-based tool that works well across the internet and is popular with MSPs; Dameware is stronger on Windows domain administration. Remote Utilities also targets Windows networks with an agent model and has a free edition. MeshCentral is a free, open-source, self-hosted alternative with a web console.

FAQ

Is Dameware free?

No. You can evaluate it before buying, but continued use requires a paid SolarWinds licence, so it is shareware (conditionally free).

What is the difference between Dameware Mini Remote Control and Dameware Remote Support?

MRC is only the remote control tool. DRS includes MRC plus remote administration of Windows systems and Active Directory management.

Is Dameware Remote Everywhere the same product?

No. Remote Everywhere is SolarWinds’ cloud-hosted remote support service with its own web login; Dameware Remote Support and MRC are installed on your own Windows machines.

Can Dameware connect to Mac and Linux?

Yes, through VNC. Enable Screen Sharing on the Mac or a VNC server on Linux; the Dameware console itself runs only on Windows.

Which port does Dameware use?

The MRC agent listens on TCP 6129. RDP, VNC, Intel AMT and SMB use their standard ports when those functions are used.

What is the latest Dameware version?

Dameware 2026.3, released on 30 July 2026, which added Windows Server 2025 support and security improvements.

Does Dameware work over the internet?

Only with the centralized installation, which uses Central Server and Internet Proxy to broker sessions to computers outside your network.

Last checked against official sources: 1 October 2026 (developer website: solarwinds.com). Versions and licence terms change — confirm on the developer's site before deploying in production.