How to use Remote Assistance in Windows XP

[Dr.Jones]

Using Remote Assistance to Get Help When You Need It

Remote Assistance provides a way for you to get the help you need when you run into problems with your computer. If you're an experienced user, you can even be the one to use Remote Assistance to directly help your friends and family members.

There are three ways to use Remote Assistance, described in the articles in this section. The fastest is via instant messaging using Windows Messenger, described in the first article to the right. You can also initiate Remote Assistance sessions via e–mail, as described in the second article. If you use a Web–based e–mail service, such as MSN Hotmail.


How it Works

Remote assistance uses Terminal Services technology, allowing a helper to assist you via a remote Terminal Services session. As shown in Figure 1 below, Remote Assistance uses a simple, secure process in establishing a connection between you and a helper. The request is encrypted in a public key and sent using XML.

To use Remote Assistance, you will need:

• Two computers running Microsoft Windows XP Professional or Windows XP Home Edition. The computer receiving assistance and the computer providing assistance must both run Windows XP.
  
• Both computers must be connected via a network or the Internet.
  
• Windows Messenger must be installed on both computers.

Using Remote Assistance

Using Remote Assistance via Windows Messenger. This section shows how a home user initiates Remote Assistance via Windows Messenger to a trusted friend.

Using Remote Assistance via saving a file. This section shows how to initiate a Remote Assistance invitation by saving the request as a file. This allows you to use Remote Assistance via Web-based e-mail such as Hotmail or other similar services.

Using Remote Assistance via e-mail. This section explains initiating Remote Assistance via e-mail to a corporate Helpdesk. Home users can also follow this procedure to send a Remote Assistance request via e-mail.

Offering Remote Assistance to a user. This section explains how to initiate a request to perform Remote Assistance on a user's computer in a corporate IT environment.

[Dr.Jones]

Using Remote Assistance via Windows Messenger

This section shows how a home user initiates Remote Assistance via Windows Messenger to a trusted friend.To send a Remote Assistance request via instant messaging:

1. Start Windows Messenger and sign in.

2. In your list of contacts, select a person to ask for help. You will send an invitation to this person, asking them to start Remote Assistance and provide you with help. He or she must be online.

3. Click Tools, click Ask for Remote Assistance, and chooses the e-mail address for a contact, as shown in Figure 1 below.

or

If you are already exchanging messages in the Conversation window, click the Invite button, point to To Start Remote Assistance, and then click the contact you want to invite.

• If your friend accepts the invitation and starts to take control of your computer, you will see a dialog box asking you to confirm permission. Click Yes if you want to continue.

Note: Although you relinquish control of your computer temporarily, you retain control over the Remote Assistance session itself. You can end the session immediately by clicking the Stop Control button (or pressing the ESC key).

Your expert coworker receives the invitation as an instant message and performs the following steps to accept, take control of your computer, and begin helping:

1. Click Accept in the instant message.

2. A dialog box will ask for the password to initiate the Remote Assistance session.

3. Enter the password and click Yes. When the remote connection is established, the Remote Assistance session will open

4. Click the Show Chat button in the top left corner of the screen.

Note: When the Remote Assistance session opens, you will see two Start menu buttons. The outside Start button controls your computer, the inside Start button controls the computer that you are assisting.

5. Click the Take Control button. This button is located just above the taskbar. At this point, the person who sent the invitation must confirm permission for you to take control.

6. After you take control, you can work on the remote computer, using the mouse and keyboard as normal, to help the other person.

[Dr.Jones]

Using Remote Assistance via saving a file

This section shows how to initiate a Remote Assistance invitation by saving the request as a file. This allows you to use Remote Assistance via Web-based e-mail such as Hotmail or other similar services.

In this scenario, user initiates the same request as explained above.

1. Click Start, clicks Help and Support, and under the Ask for assistance heading, he clicks Invite a friend to connect to your computer with Remote Assistance.
   
2. clicks Invite someone to help you and selects Save Invitation as a file.
   
   
3. enters his message and clicks Continue.
   
4. The Save File dialog box appears and Jon is prompted to save the file in his My Documents folder.
   
5. User opens his Hotmail e-mail, attaches the file from his My Documents folder and sends the message to his friend.
   
6. Users friend opens users message, saves the attached file to her My Documents folder and opens it. The Remote Assistance Invitation box appears.
   
7. User's friend enters the password and clicks Yes.
8. 
   
   Note: user will have needed to let his friend know what the password is in a separate communication such as a phone call or secure e-mail. Typically, users should relay the password via a phone call.
   
9. The Attempting to Start Remote Assistance Session with User box appears. Users friend is able to begin Remote Assistance as explained in the previous example.

[Dr.Jones]

Start a Remote Assistance Session with E-Mail

This section explains initiating Remote Assistance via e–mail to a corporate Helpdesk, although you can also send a Remote Assistance request via e–mail to a friend, colleague, or support professional.

To initiate Remote Assistance via e–mail

1. Click Start, and then click Help and Support to open the Help and Support Services page.

2. Click Invite a friend to connect to your computer with Remote Assistance. This is located under the Ask for assistance heading. The opening page of the Remote Assistance wizard appears.

3. Click Invite someone to help you, and then enter the e–mail address of the friend, coworker, or support professional. Click Continue. The E–mail an invitation page appears.

4. Enter your name, and then type a message summarizing your problem. Click Continue. Set an expiration time for the session, and specify a password.

5. Click Send Invitation, as shown below.

Note: You must relay the password to your friend, coworker, or support professional in a separate communication such as a phone call or e–mail.

The wizard confirms that the invitation was sent successfully.

Your friend, coworker, or support professional can then accept the invitation and intiate Remote Assistance as in the previous methods.

To accept the e–mail invitation and initiate Remote Assistance via e–mail

1. Open the e–mail message and the attached file. Enter the password in the dialog box. Click Yes.


2. When the Remote Assistance screen opens showing the remote desktop, click Take Control. At this point, the person who sent the invitation must confirm permission for you to take control.

[Dr.Jones]

Offering Remote Assistance to a user

This section explains how to initiate a request to perform Remote Assistance on a user's computer in a corporate IT environment.

Configuring Group Policy for Remote Assistance

Remote Assistance is especially useful if you want to initiate troubleshooting on a user's computer. In order to do this, you must enable the Offer Remote Assistance Local Group Policy setting on your local machine. To do this:

1. Click Start, Run, then type gpedit.msc. The local Group Policy editor appears on the screen, enabling you to adjust policies that affect the local machine.

Note: Corporate domain Group Policy may prevent you from adjusting this policy.

2. Under the Computer Configuration node, double-click Administrative Templates, double-click System, then double-click Remote Assistance.

3. Double-click Offer Remote Assistance and select Enable.

You can now initiate Remote Assistance requests:

1. Open the Help and Support Services Center, click Tools, and click Offer Remote Assistance.
   
2. In the dialog box, enter the user's machine name as shown in Figure 12 below. Choose a user session if there is more than one.
   
3. The user receives a pop-up box showing that the Helpdesk person is initiating a Remote Assistance request. The user accepts and Remote Assistance can proceed.

[Matt D]

I am trying to set up a shortcut to "offer remote assistance" within Help and Support.

Creating a link to “requesting assistance” seems straight forward, but I cannot find a way of creating a shortcut for this feature.

Please assist.

[Sortmer]

I always use showmypc

[cleondann]

Thanks Dr. jones.


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