Remote Assistance

Obtain Remote Assistance by Sending an E-mail Message in Windows XP

This article describes how to obtain help by using the Remote Assistance feature in Windows XP. Remote Assistance allows a remote connection to your computer that can be used to view your computer screen, participate in real-time chat and, with your permission, remotely control your computer.

Note: The following requirements must be met before you can use Remote Assistance:

• Both the local and the remote computer must be using either Windows Messenger or a Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI)-compliant e-mail program such as Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express.

• Both computers must be connected to the Internet while using Remote Assistance.

Note: If your computer is behind a firewall, you may need to reconfigure the firewall to allow Remote Assistance. Contact your network administrator before using Remote Assistance.

• Click Start > Help and Support. The Help and Support Center dialog box appears.
• Under Ask for assistance, click Invite a friend to connect to your computer with
Remote Assistance. The Remote Assistance pane appears.
• Under Remote Assistance, click Invite someone to help you.
• Under or use e-mail, type your assistant's e-mail address in the Type an e-mail
Address box, and then click Invite this person.

Note: Click Address Book if you want to select a contact from the address book.
The Remote Assistance - E-mail an Invitation page appears.
• In the From box, type the name or identification that you want.
• In the Message box, type the message that you want, and then click Continue.
• Under Set the invitation to expire, select the duration that you want to allow the invitation for assistance.

Click to clear the require the recipient to use a password check box if you do not
want to password-protect the remote connection.

Note: Using a password is recommended.
• If you protect this connection with a password, type the password that you want your assistant to use in the Type password box. Retype that password in the Confirm password box, and then click Send Invitation. The invitation is sent using your e-mail program.

You receive the following message:
Your invitation has been sent successfully. Note: You must communicate this password to the remote assistant in order for the Remote Assistance session to be created.
• When your remote assistant accepts your invitation, you receive the following
Message Assistant has accepted your Remote Assistance invitation and is ready to connect to your computer.
Do you want to let this person view your screen and chat with you? Where Assistant is the name of the remote assistant.
• Click Yes.
The Remote Assistance dialog box appears. The remote assistant can view your computer screen and chat with you in real time.
• If the remote assistant wants to remotely control the computer, you receive the
following message:
Assistant would like to share control of your computer to help solve the problem.
Do you wish to let Assistant share control of your computer? (where Assistant is the name of the remote assistant).
• To accept, click Yes.
The remote assistant can now control your computer remotely. This includes the
ability to shut down the computer.
Note: Do not use the mouse while the remote assistant controls the computer.

Remote Assistance Features

Use the following features of the Remote Assistance dialog box to participate in the remote assistance session:
The Connection Status box displays the following information:
• The name of the assistant.
• Whether you are connected or disconnected.
• The assistant's privileges during this session. For example, Screen View Only.
• The Stop Control (ESC) button.

Press the ESCAPE key to stop the computer from being remotely controlled. When you press ESCAPE, you receive the following message:
User name or Assistant has stopped remote control by pressing the ESC key, or a key sequence or combination including the ESC key where User name is the name of the logged on user, and where Assistant is the name of the remote assistant.

The Send a File button.

Use this button to initiate file transfers between the local and remote computer.

The Start Talking button.

Use this button to initiate voice chat with the remote assistant
.
The Settings button.

Use this button to adjust quality settings according to the connection speed that you have.

The Disconnect button.

Use this button to terminate the Remote Assistance session.

The Help button.

Provides Remote Assistance help.

The Message Entry box.

Use this box to type messages to the remote assistant in real time. Click the Send button, or press ENTER to send the message.

The Chat History window.

This window records the text messages typed by you and the remote assistant.
Troubleshooting The ability to control your computer remotely is disabled by default. When the remote assistant attempts to remotely control the computer, the following message appears:

Remote Control of this computer is not allowed. To configure the computer for remote control, follow these steps.

Note: You must be a member of the local Administrators group to perform these steps.
• Click Start > Control Panel.
• Under Pick a category, click Performance and Maintenance.
• Under or pick a Control Panel icon, click System.
• The System Properties dialog box appears.
• On the Remote tab, click to select the Advanced button under Remote Assistance.
• Under Remote control, click the Allow this computer to be controlled remotely check box, and then click OK.
• In the System Properties dialog box, click OK.
Remote Control is now enabled. Note that you must still expressly permit the remote control of your computer in each Remote Assistance session.

The computer appears to stop responding When you use Remote Assistance over a dial-up connection, the computer may appear to stop responding (hang) or may respond slowly. This behavior may be caused by the slow speed of the Internet connection. For best results, use Remote Assistance over a high-speed Internet connection.

Remote Assistance allows access to sensitive data

The remote assistant can see as well as, with your permission, gain access to the
information on your computer. For this reason, invite only trusted sources to remotely assist you.

More Information

Use Remote Assistance to view and edit your Remote Assistance invitations. To do this, follow these steps:

• Click Start > Help and Support.
• The Help and Support Center dialog box appears.
• Under Ask for assistance, click Invite a friend to connect to your computer with
Remote Assistance.
• The Remote Assistance pane appears.
• Under Remote Assistance, click View invitation status. A table similar to the
following appears:

Sent To Expiration Time Status

User_name@microsoft.com Tuesday, August 28,2001 10:37:47 AM Open
User_name@hotmail.com Monday, August 27,2001 8:35:05 PM Expired
Assistant@mycompany.com Monday, August 27,2001 1:51:02 PM Expired
• Select the invitation that you want, and use the following buttons to change or view the status of that invitation:

Details

Use this button to view the Invitation Details page for this invitation. When you are finished, click Close.

Expire

Use this button to rescind the invitation. The remote assistant cans no longer use
this invitation to connect to your computer.

Resend

Use this button to resend an e-mail-based invitation to the selected contact.

Delete

Use this button to remove the invitation from the View or change your invitation
page.




Obtain Remote Assistance Using Windows Messenger in Windows XP

This step-by-step article describes how to use Windows Messenger to obtain help using the Remote Assistance feature in Windows XP. Remote Assistance enables you to allow another user to make a remote connection to your computer, which they can use to view your computer screen, participate in real-time chat and, with your permission, remotely control your computer.

Requirements
Both the local and the remote computer must be using either Windows Messenger or a Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI)-compliant e-mail program such as Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express. Both computers must be connected to the Internet while using Remote Assistance.
Note: If your computer is behind a firewall, you may need to reconfigure the firewall to allow Remote Assistance. Contact your network administrator before using Remote Assistance.
To obtain help using Remote Assistance:
• Connect to the Internet, and then sign in to Windows Messenger.
• Click Start, and then click Help and Support.
• Under Ask for assistance, click Invite a friend to connect to your computer with
Remote Assistance.
• Under Remote Assistance, click Invite someone to help you.
• Under Use Windows Messenger, click the contact that you want to invite, and then click Invite this person.
Note: The contact that you want to invite must be online.
You receive the following message, where Assistant is the name of the assistant that you invited:
Inviting Assistant to connect to your computer. Please wait for a response...
Invitation is accepted...
• After the remote assistant accepts your invitation, click Yes when you receive the following message:
Assistant has accepted your Remote Assistance invitation and is ready to
connect to your computer. Do you want to let this person view your screen and chat with you?
• If the remote assistant wants to remotely control the computer, click Yes to accept the request when you receive the following message, where Assistant is the name of the remote assistant:
Assistant would like to share control of your computer to help solve the problem.
Do you wish to let Assistant share control of your computer? The remote assistant can now control your computer remotely. This includes the ability to shut down the computer.
Note: Do not use the mouse while the remote assistant controls the computer.
Cannot Use MSN EXPLORER or AOL To Send a Remote Assistance Invitation via Email Option
When you use Remote Assistance to invite some one to help you and try to choose the option to use e-mail, you might see the following message when you get to the available options page:
Outlook Express is not set up.
Remote Assistance is either incompatible with the default e-mail program on this
computer, or could not detect a default e-mail account.
You will also see an option to set up Outlook Express.
Cause
You have MSN Explorer or America Online (AOL) installed and configured as you default e-mail client. Remote Assistance on Windows XP will not allow to send the activation mail message through the MSN Explorer or AOL messaging system, as they use their own e-mail clients and they are not MAPI-compliant. Remote Assistance Invitation e-mail escalation will only work with MAPI-compliant e-mail programs and e-mail accounts.
Resolution
As a workaround, you could use one of the following options based on how you access your e-mail.
MSN Explorer
Use Windows Messenger to invite someone to Start Remote Assistance. In order to do that, follow the instructions on the Help and Support Center, Remote Assistance page,
under the Use Windows Messenger field.
-or-
Choose the option to Save invitation as a file, then use MSN Explorer to compose the e-mail to the person you are requesting assistance from, and attach the file to it.
America Online
Choose the option to Save invitation as a file, then use AOL to compose the email to the person you are requesting assistance from, and attach the file to it.
MAPI-compliant E-mail application
If you have a MAPI-compliant e-mail application installed on your computer, and your Internet Service Provider (ISP) uses POP3, IMAP, HTTP or SMTP mail servers, then configure the software based on the manufacturer's and/or your ISP's instructions.
Note: You can also click on the button Set Up Outlook Express on the Remote
Assistance available options page and configure it to send and receive email with your mail servers settings, if available.