MachadoViewer guide

Everything needed to install it, connect two machines and fix the two problems that actually happen.

How it works

Every machine runs a small client that dials out to rd.machados.co.uk. That server tells two clients how to reach each other; traffic goes either directly or through the same server. Because both ends dial out, there is nothing to open on your router and no VPN.

PieceWhat it does
Rendezvous (21116)Introduces two machines by ID
Relay (21117)Carries the session when a direct connection fails
ServiceKeeps the machine reachable when nobody is signed in

Installing on a new machine

  1. Copy MachadoViewer-Setup.exe to the machine and run it.
  2. Approve the elevation prompt.
  3. Click Next, then Install, then Finish.

There is nothing to configure. The server address, public key and unattended password are written by the installer itself.

Expected during setup. A dialog may appear saying Windows cannot find MachadoViewer.exe. Click OK. It comes from the engine's own post-install step running a moment before the file is renamed into place; setup then finishes normally and the service is registered.

Finding a machine's ID

Open MachadoViewer. The ID is the large number on the home screen, for example 168662586. It is stable for the life of the installation.

In PowerShell, the same value is:

& "C:\Program Files\MachadoViewer\MachadoViewer.exe" --get-id

Connecting

  1. On the machine you are sitting at, open MachadoViewer.
  2. Type the other machine's ID into the remote desk box and press Connect.
  3. Enter the unattended password when prompted.

The other machine can dial you back the same way using your ID.

The unattended password

One password is shared by every machine this installer sets up:

prqePxsP4tjWkvywcUPXpPAN

To change it on a machine, open Settings, then Security, then the permanent password field. Changing it there affects that machine only.

One password for the whole fleet means one leaked password exposes every machine. If that happens, change the permanent password on each machine and rotate nothing else; the server key is unaffected.

If a machine says "Not ready"

"Not ready" means the client has not reached the server. In order:

  1. Check the machine has internet at all.
  2. Confirm the ID server field is exactly rd.machados.co.uk, with no http:// and no port.
  3. Confirm the public key matches the one in the installer.
  4. Restart the service:
sc stop MachadoViewer
sc start MachadoViewer

If it still refuses, the relay is the suspect rather than the client, and that is a server job.

Checking the installer before running it

The build is unsigned, so verify the file instead:

Get-FileHash .\MachadoViewer-Setup.exe -Algorithm SHA256

The expected hash is shown next to the download. If it differs, do not run the file.

Antivirus warnings. Remote-desktop software as a category is flagged heuristically, and an unsigned private build is flagged more often. A warning is not evidence of infection, but an unexpected hash is: check the hash first, then the warning.

Removing it

Settings, then Apps, then MachadoViewer, then Uninstall. The engine is deliberately left installed so a machine you are not sitting in front of does not lose its service; remove MachadoViewer (engine) separately if you want it gone entirely.

Licence

MachadoViewer is a rebranded build of RustDesk, licensed AGPL-3.0. The program, including the branding changes, is covered by that licence and its source is available on request. The name, icon and installer are additions, not part of the upstream project. No warranty is given.