MCPControl

MCPControl is a Windows-only server that exposes the Model Context Protocol to let you programmatically control your desktop. You can move the mouse, type on the keyboard, manage windows, take screenshots, and work with the clipboard, all under AI guidance. This makes it possible for an MCP client to automate and analyze your Windows environment safely and efficiently.

How to use

You connect an MCP client to MCPControl to start issuing commands and receive responses. There are two primary ways to connect: a remote connection over SSE (Server-Sent Events) to a server running on a VM or another machine, or a local start that runs MCPControl on the same machine and communicates via SSE.

How to install

Follow these concrete steps to prepare your environment and install MCPControl.

Prerequisites include build tools for Windows, Python for node-gyp, and Node.js. Then install the MCPControl package globally.

# Install Windows build tools (Administrator)
winget install Microsoft.VisualStudio.2022.BuildTools --override "--wait --passive --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.VCTools --includeRecommended"

# Install Python (required for node-gyp)
winget install Python.Python.3.12

# Install Node.js (latest LTS)
winget install OpenJS.NodeJS

# Install MCPControl globally
npm install -g mcp-control

Starting and configuring the server locally or remotely

You can start a local MCPControl server or connect remotely via SSE. The server uses a default port of 3232 and will display network interfaces, IPs, and status messages when you start it.

Starting the server locally with SSE transport.

mcp-control --sse

Connecting via a direct SSE URL (remote server)

If MCPControl runs on a remote machine or a VM, configure your MCP client to connect using SSE to the server’s IP address and port, then access the MCP endpoint.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "MCPControl": {
      "transport": "sse",
      "url": "http://192.168.1.100:3232/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Launching MCPControl locally with SSE

If you want the client to launch MCPControl locally and communicate via SSE, use this configuration.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "MCPControl": {
      "command": "mcp-control",
      "args": ["--sse"]
    }
  }
}

Available tools

Window Management

List, focus, resize, and reposition windows to control the active workspace.

Mouse Control

Move the cursor precisely, perform clicks, drag operations, and track position.

Keyboard Control

Type text, send key combos, and hold keys when needed.

Screen Operations

Capture screenshots, detect screen size, and capture active window content.

Clipboard Operations

Read and write clipboard contents as part of automation tasks.