First, I'll admit this is [cross-posted at SuperUser](https://superuser.com/questions/105252/use-remote-computer-without-disturbing-local-user) but I decided to also post here as my objective is programming related and this community might have better solution scenarios than just the one I'm thinking of.

I have a Windows 7 computer that is acting as a Media Center so it is always on but not always in use. I would like to be able to log in to this machine remotely and launch some Python scripts that take time to compute. 

I sync the scripts and their output using dropbox. If I use Remote Desktop I can get a view of the desktop and use it but the media center view gets blocked (I get the log in screen). If I use LogMeIn, the media center application closes (not compatible with remote use) and both the remote and media center views are the same.

Is there a way to access the computer remotely to launch and monitor the execution of these Python scripts while not disturbing the media center users?