DOCS · COMMAND LINE

The vvdesk command line

vvdesk.exe drives the VVDesk running on your PC: the same account, the same address book, the same rules. Use it from scripts, RMM tools and AI assistants.

Before you start

Where it is

vvdesk.exe is installed with VVDesk for Windows, next to the app in %LocalAppData%\VVDesk\current. Add that folder to your PATH or call it by its full path.

VVDesk must be running

The command line talks to the VVDesk running for your Windows user, over a private pipe on this PC. Nothing goes over the network that the app would not send itself.

Desk ids

A 9-digit id may be written with or without spaces (615 220 937 or 615220937). With only one session open, you can leave the id out.

This PC

status

This PC’s VVDesk: its own id, the server, the version and the open sessions.

vvdesk status

desks

The address book, with each desk’s id, name and whether it is online.

vvdesk desks [--filter online]

sessions

The remote sessions open right now and their state.

vvdesk sessions

log

The latest lines of this VVDesk’s activity log.

vvdesk log [--lines 40]

show

Bring the VVDesk window to the front.

vvdesk show

Sessions, screen and input

connect

Open a session to a desk and wait until it is live. --control asks for control; --hidden connects in the background without opening a tab (it still appears in Sessions and the log).

vvdesk connect <id> [--control] [--hidden] [--wait 25000]

screenshot

Save a fresh picture of the desk’s screen. Works on hidden and background sessions too.

vvdesk screenshot [<id>] [out.png] [--scale 0.5] [--wait 15000]

input

Drive the desk with the mouse and keyboard. x and y are fractions of the screen, from 0 to 1, measured from the top left.

vvdesk input [<id>] --action <action> [options]

Input actions

--action move --x 0.5 --y 0.5
Move the pointer.
--action click|double|right [--x 0.5 --y 0.5]
Left click, double click or right click — where the pointer is, or at x, y.
--action scroll --delta 120
Scroll; 120 is one notch up, -120 one notch down.
--action text --text "hello"
Type a piece of text.
--action key --key enter [--dir tap|down|up]
Press a key, or hold it down and let it go.
--action combo --keys ctrl+alt+del
Press a combination, such as ctrl+c, win+r or ctrl+alt+del.

disconnect

Close one session, or all of them.

vvdesk disconnect [<id>] | --all

Commands, diagnostics and logs

exec

Run a command on the desk and print its output. The desk runs it only when its owner turned on remote commands; it is shown at the desk and audited.

vvdesk exec [<id>] --cmd "…" [--shell powershell] [--script file.ps1] [--wait 30000]

diagnostics

Run the desk’s diagnostics: network, routes and its public address.

vvdesk diagnostics [<id>] [--full]

logs

Collect the desk’s VVDesk logs into a zip on this PC.

vvdesk logs [<id>] [--days 2]

maintenance

Restart VVDesk on the desk, or show a test picture to check the screen path.

vvdesk maintenance [<id>] --action restart|testpicture [--seconds 30]

Tunnels

tunnel

This PC’s own permanent tunnels: list them, add one and wait for its public address, remove, or turn on and off.

vvdesk tunnel list
vvdesk tunnel add --port 8080 [--tcp|--https] [--host 127.0.0.1] [--name shop]
vvdesk tunnel remove --id <id> | --port 8080
vvdesk tunnel enable --id <id> | --port 8080 [--off]

Corporate-managed PCs

policy

PolicyGuard on a corporate-managed PC: status, on or off, audit or enforce. You must be one of that PC’s corporate admins.

vvdesk policy status|on|off|audit|enforce --id <desk>

settings

Read or change a corporate-managed PC’s VVDesk settings, as the Manage window does. The person at the PC is told.

vvdesk settings <id> get
vvdesk settings <id> set --allow-remote-commands on --auto-update on

AI assistants

vvdesk mcp turns the commands above into Model Context Protocol tools. Each tool is one command with the same arguments, and screenshots come back as images the assistant can look at.

mcp

Serve these commands to an AI assistant as MCP tools over stdin and stdout. The desks’ own rules still apply.

vvdesk mcp

Next updateThe MCP server (vvdesk mcp) comes with the next VVDesk update. The vvdesk command line works today.

Claude Code
claude mcp add vvdesk -- vvdesk mcp
Claude Desktop and other MCP clients
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "vvdesk": {
      "command": "C:\\Users\\you\\AppData\\Local\\VVDesk\\current\\vvdesk.exe",
      "args": ["mcp"]
    }
  }
}

vvdesk.exe is in the VVDesk folder, %LocalAppData%\VVDesk\current. Use its full path if that folder is not on your PATH.

Tools

What an assistant can do with VVDesk →

Options for every command

--json
Print the raw JSON reply, for scripts.
--timeout 200000
How long to wait for the answer, in milliseconds (default 200000).
--machine NAME
Talk to a VVDesk running under another machine identity (default: this PC’s name).

Exit codes

0
Done.
1
The command failed — the reason is on stderr.
3
VVDesk is not running for this user.
4
VVDesk did not answer in time.

Example: check a till’s printer

Open a hidden session, look at the screen, ask Windows about the print spooler and close the session again.

vvdesk connect "615 220 937" --hidden
vvdesk screenshot 615220937 till.png --scale 0.5
vvdesk exec 615220937 --shell powershell --cmd "Get-Service Spooler; Get-PrintJob -PrinterName Receipt"
vvdesk disconnect 615220937