January 4, 2006

Until recently, I haven't delved into the remote assistance feature in Windows XP, but once getting familiar with it, it is a valuable tool.  It allows you to hook up and control another computer from another location.

If you are familiar with PC Anywhere, or similar programs, it works the same way.  In Windows XP this feature is incorporated into the Help system. Click Start, Help and Support and you'll see Invite a friend to connect to your computer with Remote Assistance.

Continue on if you're using Windows XP.  If you're using Windows Vista, click here.

Click the option to Invite a friend to connect to your computer with Remote Assistance. A dialog box will appear to allow you to send out your request.

If you have Windows Messenger, it'll remind you that you can just sign in through that application and use it.  Or you can use Microsoft Outlook to send an email request to that person.  This is the method I prefer.  Enter the email address and click Invite this person.

Since you don't want to allow someone to accept the invitation when you're not at your computer, there's a timeout that you can set to expire the invitation.  Plus, you can add a password.  The password is not transmitted with the message, so you'll have to let that person know your password in some other manner.  You can IM them or send a separate email with the word included, or you can call them on the phone.

Then click to Send Invitation.  Outlook's newer security will warn you that some program is attempting to automatically access your email.  This is to help prevent viruses from accessing your email.  But in this case, this is what you need.  So click Yes. In fact, keep an eye on the message, as you may have to accept this message again if it takes a little time to access your email.

NOTE:  If you are an Internet based email user, you can't use the selection to email an invitation because it will not be able to interface with the Internet mail program.  You would instead, click on the link to save the invitation as a file, then send an email with the file attached.

You can then check your invites.  Here you can see in the image below that I currently have an open invitation to Bill to help me with my computer.

At Bill's end of the conversation, he receives my email, as shown below.  It explains that he's received a remote assistance invite from me and provides a link to a Microsoft site in case he needs more information about how to connect.

He opens the attached request by double clicking on the attachment, and enters the password I provided to him.

A chat dialog opens so we can start communicating.  We can now click Start Talk and open communications through audio, assuming we both have speakers and microphones connected and working.

To fix my computer, Bill will need to take control of my computer.  This means that he will literally be making my mouse move around the screen.  He will have full access to my system.  You need only hit the ESC (escape) key to instantly stop the other person's access to take control again.

Once I accept, Bill can begin opening Outlook Express settings, or anything else on the computer just like he is sitting at my computer.

At Bill's end, he is receiving a transmission of my screen display so he can see what's going on at my end right there on his own computer.  The bad image below is Bill's monitor.  The gray area in the middle is my actual full screen being displayed on his monitor.

Bill receives notice at his end that he's now in control of my system, but it also let's him know that I need only hit Esc to stop control.

He can now open various system tools to try to figure out what I did wrong this time, and I can watch to see what he's going to do to try to fix my latest problem.

While I watch him fiddling around in my system, we are also able to chat via audio through our microphones (if we're using Messenger, or we can talk on the phone if we have ADSL or cable.  Although, if we didn't have this capability, the chat window is still there to allow us to converse by typing back and forth.  Once he's finished working on the problem, I take back control by hitting Esc.

Important Notes!

To ask another user to connect to your system in this manner, both users must be running Windows XP.  You both need access to the Internet and both systems need to have Windows Messenger installed.  Also, you need to realize that, due to firewalls protecting you from outside access, they can also conflict with this type of assistance when you want someone to connect to your system.  You have to open a port on your computer, temporarily, to allow this person access.  And there are various safeguards that you may need to configure.  So, depending on your system, sadly the fix to just get help might be harder than the fix to the original problem! 

But if you are interested in learning more, you can of course experiment with a friend. And for troubleshooting, which you may need to do to get it running, Microsoft has a site dedicated to information regarding Remote Access.  Click here get more details.

Vista users, start here.

In Vista, click Start, then click Help and Support.  In the Ask someone section, click the Windows Remote Assistance link.

Click Invite someone you trust to help you.

In Vista, click on Use email to send an invitation, address and send the email.

Type in a password we have agreed on.

An email will be created in your email program.  You now send this email to me and when I open it and click on the link, I will be able to connect to your computer.

After sending the email, the following will appear.

After I click on the email link, my computer will attempt to connect to your computer, then the following screen will open.  When you click on Yes, the session will be started.

When you click on Take Control in the remote assistance panel on the controlling computer, you will get a prompt on the computer to be controlled allowing permission.

You can now take control and use the other computer remotely.  Click disconnect when finished.

If you have any questions or comments, click