KB155: Using Remote Assistance on PC with Windows XP Professional
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®, you can fill out a form and save it as a file to attach to an e–mail, described in the third article.
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.
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.
Figure 1. Starting Remote Assistance with Windows Messenger
§
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 as shown in
Figure 2 below.
Figure 2. The expert’s view of Remote Assistance
1.
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.
2.
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.
After you take control, you can work on the remote computer, using the mouse and keyboard as normal, to help the other person.
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.
If you use Web–based e–mail such as Hotmail or other similar services, you can use Remote Assistance by saving your request as a file and attaching it to an e–mail.
To invite a coworker to help you via Remote Assistance
1.
Click
Start, click Help and Support, and then click Invite
a friend to connect to your computer with Remote Assistance. This is
located under the Ask for assistance heading.
2.
Click
Invite someone to help you, and then select Save Invitation as a file.
3.
Enter
your name, and then choose a time on the Set the Invitation to Expire
drop down box, (the default is 1 hour). Click Continue.
4.
Type
in a password and then click Save Invitation. The Save File dialog box
appears. Save the file in the My Documents folder as shown below.
5.
Open
the My Documents folder, select the invitation file, and then click E–mail
this file.
6.
Enter
the address of your coworker and send the e–mail. Your coworker will receive an
e–mail message like that shown below.
7.
After
sending the e–mail, you will need to inform your coworker of the password. You
can do this in a separate e–mail, over the telephone, or any way that is convenient
and secure.
Your coworker can follow these steps to accept your invitation and start helping you.
To accept a Remote Assistance invitation
1.
Open
the e–mail message, and then open the attached Remote Assistance Invitation
file. The Remote Assistance Invitation box appears as shown below.
2.
Enter
the password and click Yes.
3.
The
Attempting to Start Remote Assistance Session box appears. You can begin
Remote Assistance as explained in the previous section, Using
Remote Assistance Via Instant Messaging.
During a Remote Assistance session, you can send files from your computer to the remote computer. For example, you may send a file that is needed to fix a problem on the remote computer. This requires action by both parties, the helper who sends the file and the requestor who must accept it and save it.
To send a file when helping someone via Remote Assistance
1.
In
the chat dialog box, click Send a File, and then type the file path or
click Browse as shown below.
2.
Select
the file and click Send File.
To receive and save a file from someone who is helping you via Remote Assistance
1.
When
you receive notification that someone is sending you a file, click Save as,
as shown below.
2.
Choose
a folder in which to save the file. Note that you can also decline to receive
the file by clicking Cancel.
Original Source:
www.microsoft.com
MCC Source: Chhun Ly
Reviewed by: Ellen Ricca
Date Reviewed: 3/4/2004