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Getting Remote Assistance to work

B

Barry Watzman

Flightless Bird
Microsoft Remote Assistance (RA) is great when it works, but it often
fails to work. The most common cause is that port 3389 is blocked. The
second most common cause is that Remote Assistance cannot resolve the IP
address of the client side of the connection (the person needing help).

If Microsoft Remote assistance does not work, try this:

1. Before beginning, note that for Windows remote assistance to work,
port 3389 must be open and passed by all networking equipment on both
ends of the connection. This includes routers, VOIP boxes (e.g. Vonage,
etc.), DSL and Cable modems with built-in routers, etc. It also
includes software firewalls and other security software installed on the
computers (at both ends). Fortunately, MOST such hardware and software
opens port 3389 by default. Most, but not all. Configuration of these
items is way beyond the scope of this note, but port 3389 must be “open”
by all hardware & software at both ends.

2. Have the person needing assistance (the “client”) go to
http://www.whatismyip.com and get their public IP address. Write this down.

3. Have the client start Remote Assistance and create an invitation
using “Invite Someone To Help You” and then the “Save Invitation As A
File (Advanced)” option. Leave Remote Assistance open but minimized.
Note: Invitations created in this manner are reusable multiple times
until they expire or are explicitly canceled by the client. The
expiration period and password (which is optional) are set when the
invitation is created. Open invitations can be canceled and deleted
from within the Remote Assistance application.

4. Have the client send an E-Mail to the “provider” (the person
providing assistance). Put the IP address from step 2 into the E-Mail
as text in the body of the message. Include the saved invitation (from
step 3) as an attachment.

5. The “provider” should save the invitation attachment as a file on
their computer and open it using Notepad (it’s an XML text file).

6. Find the text “RCTICKET="65538,1,xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:” in the
invitation, where xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx is some IP address (possibly a local
rather than a public IP address, e.g. 192.168.xxx.xxx).

7. Replace xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx with the actual IP address of the client,
which was obtained in step 2 and included in the body of the E-Mail.
Save the invitation file.

8. Double click on the saved file, which will probably successfully
initiate a remote assistance session when it previously failed.

(Posted by Barry Watzman)
 
M

mike

Flightless Bird
Barry Watzman wrote:
> Microsoft Remote Assistance (RA) is great when it works, but it often
> fails to work. The most common cause is that port 3389 is blocked. The
> second most common cause is that Remote Assistance cannot resolve the IP
> address of the client side of the connection (the person needing help).
>
> If Microsoft Remote assistance does not work, try this:
>
> 1. Before beginning, note that for Windows remote assistance to work,
> port 3389 must be open and passed by all networking equipment on both
> ends of the connection. This includes routers, VOIP boxes (e.g. Vonage,
> etc.), DSL and Cable modems with built-in routers, etc. It also
> includes software firewalls and other security software installed on the
> computers (at both ends). Fortunately, MOST such hardware and software
> opens port 3389 by default. Most, but not all. Configuration of these
> items is way beyond the scope of this note, but port 3389 must be “open”
> by all hardware & software at both ends.
>
> 2. Have the person needing assistance (the “client”) go to
> http://www.whatismyip.com and get their public IP address. Write this
> down.
>
> 3. Have the client start Remote Assistance and create an invitation
> using “Invite Someone To Help You” and then the “Save Invitation As A
> File (Advanced)” option. Leave Remote Assistance open but minimized.
> Note: Invitations created in this manner are reusable multiple times
> until they expire or are explicitly canceled by the client. The
> expiration period and password (which is optional) are set when the
> invitation is created. Open invitations can be canceled and deleted
> from within the Remote Assistance application.
>
> 4. Have the client send an E-Mail to the “provider” (the person
> providing assistance). Put the IP address from step 2 into the E-Mail
> as text in the body of the message. Include the saved invitation (from
> step 3) as an attachment.
>
> 5. The “provider” should save the invitation attachment as a file on
> their computer and open it using Notepad (it’s an XML text file).
>
> 6. Find the text “RCTICKET="65538,1,xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:” in the
> invitation, where xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx is some IP address (possibly a local
> rather than a public IP address, e.g. 192.168.xxx.xxx).
>
> 7. Replace xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx with the actual IP address of the client,
> which was obtained in step 2 and included in the body of the E-Mail.
> Save the invitation file.
>
> 8. Double click on the saved file, which will probably successfully
> initiate a remote assistance session when it previously failed.
>
> (Posted by Barry Watzman)
>


I've found remote assistance to be useless because...
It closes the screen on the remote machine so the person needing help
can't see what you're doing.
It requires a login password to restart the remote screen, which you can't
enter 'cause you can't access it remotely. If there's no alternate
communication
with the other end...and somebody there to push the buttons, you're hozed.
Is there a workaround for this????
Other than using VNC? Which works great on unattended remote machines
with most any operating system.
 
B

Barry Watzman

Flightless Bird
Re: "I've found remote assistance to be useless because ... It closes
the screen on the remote machine so the person needing help can't see
what you're doing."

IT DOES NO SUCH THING.

Re: "It requires a login password to restart the remote screen, which
you can't enter 'cause you can't access it remotely. If there's no
alternate communication"

Again, it simply does not behave that way.

The usual problem with remote assistance is just that it won't start,
either because the port (3389) is close or because the IP address cannot
be resolved.


mike wrote:
> Barry Watzman wrote:
>> Microsoft Remote Assistance (RA) is great when it works, but it often
>> fails to work. The most common cause is that port 3389 is blocked.
>> The second most common cause is that Remote Assistance cannot resolve
>> the IP address of the client side of the connection (the person
>> needing help).
>>
>> If Microsoft Remote assistance does not work, try this:
>>
>> 1. Before beginning, note that for Windows remote assistance to work,
>> port 3389 must be open and passed by all networking equipment on both
>> ends of the connection. This includes routers, VOIP boxes (e.g.
>> Vonage, etc.), DSL and Cable modems with built-in routers, etc. It
>> also includes software firewalls and other security software installed
>> on the computers (at both ends). Fortunately, MOST such hardware and
>> software opens port 3389 by default. Most, but not all.
>> Configuration of these items is way beyond the scope of this note, but
>> port 3389 must be “open” by all hardware & software at both ends.
>>
>> 2. Have the person needing assistance (the “client”) go to
>> http://www.whatismyip.com and get their public IP address. Write this
>> down.
>>
>> 3. Have the client start Remote Assistance and create an invitation
>> using “Invite Someone To Help You” and then the “Save Invitation As A
>> File (Advanced)” option. Leave Remote Assistance open but minimized.
>> Note: Invitations created in this manner are reusable multiple times
>> until they expire or are explicitly canceled by the client. The
>> expiration period and password (which is optional) are set when the
>> invitation is created. Open invitations can be canceled and deleted
>> from within the Remote Assistance application.
>>
>> 4. Have the client send an E-Mail to the “provider” (the person
>> providing assistance). Put the IP address from step 2 into the E-Mail
>> as text in the body of the message. Include the saved invitation
>> (from step 3) as an attachment.
>>
>> 5. The “provider” should save the invitation attachment as a file on
>> their computer and open it using Notepad (it’s an XML text file).
>>
>> 6. Find the text “RCTICKET="65538,1,xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:” in the
>> invitation, where xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx is some IP address (possibly a local
>> rather than a public IP address, e.g. 192.168.xxx.xxx).
>>
>> 7. Replace xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx with the actual IP address of the client,
>> which was obtained in step 2 and included in the body of the E-Mail.
>> Save the invitation file.
>>
>> 8. Double click on the saved file, which will probably successfully
>> initiate a remote assistance session when it previously failed.
>>
>> (Posted by Barry Watzman)
>>

>
> I've found remote assistance to be useless because...
> It closes the screen on the remote machine so the person needing help
> can't see what you're doing.
> It requires a login password to restart the remote screen, which you can't
> enter 'cause you can't access it remotely. If there's no alternate
> communication
> with the other end...and somebody there to push the buttons, you're hozed.
> Is there a workaround for this????
> Other than using VNC? Which works great on unattended remote machines
> with most any operating system.
 
M

mike

Flightless Bird
Barry Watzman wrote:
> Re: "I've found remote assistance to be useless because ... It closes
> the screen on the remote machine so the person needing help can't see
> what you're doing."
>
> IT DOES NO SUCH THING.


OK, but it would be more helpful if you used a few more HELPFUL
words...

I'm sittin' here with two xpprosp3 computers on the same router.
On the controlling computer, I click "remote desktop connection".
I enter the password.

The controlled computer screen comes up on the controlling computer
and I can control it.
The controlled computer screen immediately switches to a windows login
screen asking for a password. Nothing else can be seen on the
controlled computer. If I enter the login password, the connection is lost.

What now???

>
> Re: "It requires a login password to restart the remote screen, which
> you can't enter 'cause you can't access it remotely. If there's no
> alternate communication"
>
> Again, it simply does not behave that way.
>
> The usual problem with remote assistance is just that it won't start,
> either because the port (3389) is close or because the IP address cannot
> be resolved.
>
>
> mike wrote:
>> Barry Watzman wrote:
>>> Microsoft Remote Assistance (RA) is great when it works, but it often
>>> fails to work. The most common cause is that port 3389 is blocked.
>>> The second most common cause is that Remote Assistance cannot resolve
>>> the IP address of the client side of the connection (the person
>>> needing help).
>>>
>>> If Microsoft Remote assistance does not work, try this:
>>>
>>> 1. Before beginning, note that for Windows remote assistance to
>>> work, port 3389 must be open and passed by all networking equipment
>>> on both ends of the connection. This includes routers, VOIP boxes
>>> (e.g. Vonage, etc.), DSL and Cable modems with built-in routers,
>>> etc. It also includes software firewalls and other security software
>>> installed on the computers (at both ends). Fortunately, MOST such
>>> hardware and software opens port 3389 by default. Most, but not
>>> all. Configuration of these items is way beyond the scope of this
>>> note, but port 3389 must be “open” by all hardware & software at both
>>> ends.
>>>
>>> 2. Have the person needing assistance (the “client”) go to
>>> http://www.whatismyip.com and get their public IP address. Write
>>> this down.
>>>
>>> 3. Have the client start Remote Assistance and create an invitation
>>> using “Invite Someone To Help You” and then the “Save Invitation As
>>> A File (Advanced)” option. Leave Remote Assistance open but
>>> minimized. Note: Invitations created in this manner are reusable
>>> multiple times until they expire or are explicitly canceled by the
>>> client. The expiration period and password (which is optional) are
>>> set when the invitation is created. Open invitations can be canceled
>>> and deleted from within the Remote Assistance application.
>>>
>>> 4. Have the client send an E-Mail to the “provider” (the person
>>> providing assistance). Put the IP address from step 2 into the
>>> E-Mail as text in the body of the message. Include the saved
>>> invitation (from step 3) as an attachment.
>>>
>>> 5. The “provider” should save the invitation attachment as a file on
>>> their computer and open it using Notepad (it’s an XML text file).
>>>
>>> 6. Find the text “RCTICKET="65538,1,xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:” in the
>>> invitation, where xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx is some IP address (possibly a
>>> local rather than a public IP address, e.g. 192.168.xxx.xxx).
>>>
>>> 7. Replace xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx with the actual IP address of the client,
>>> which was obtained in step 2 and included in the body of the E-Mail.
>>> Save the invitation file.
>>>
>>> 8. Double click on the saved file, which will probably successfully
>>> initiate a remote assistance session when it previously failed.
>>>
>>> (Posted by Barry Watzman)
>>>

>>
>> I've found remote assistance to be useless because...
>> It closes the screen on the remote machine so the person needing help
>> can't see what you're doing.
>> It requires a login password to restart the remote screen, which you
>> can't
>> enter 'cause you can't access it remotely. If there's no alternate
>> communication
>> with the other end...and somebody there to push the buttons, you're
>> hozed.
>> Is there a workaround for this????
>> Other than using VNC? Which works great on unattended remote machines
>> with most any operating system.
 
A

Adrian C

Flightless Bird
On 15/03/2010 03:02, mike wrote:

> I'm sittin' here with two xpprosp3 computers on the same router.
> On the controlling computer, I click "remote desktop connection".
> I enter the password.


That's not remote assistance ... You are using remote desktop.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/rafaq-general.mspx

"Remote Desktop and Remote Assistance use the same underlying
technology, but there are differences between these features.

"Remote Desktop allows access to a remote Windows computer. For example,
when you are at another computer you can use Remote Desktop to connect
to your work computer from home and have access to files and applications.

"Remote Assistance allows a helper to use an Internet connection to
access your computer to provide assistance. The helper views your
computer's screen and communicates through a chat box. The helper can
remotely control your computer to resolve a problem."

--
Adrian C
 
P

P.V.

Flightless Bird
"mike" <spamme0@go.com> kirjoitti
viestissä:hnk7vh$lrm$1@news.eternal-september.org...
> I'm sittin' here with two xpprosp3 computers on the same router.
> On the controlling computer, I click "remote desktop connection".
> I enter the password.
>
> The controlled computer screen comes up on the controlling computer
> and I can control it.
> The controlled computer screen immediately switches to a windows login
> screen asking for a password. Nothing else can be seen on the
> controlled computer. If I enter the login password, the connection is
> lost.
>
> What now???


Remote desktop and remote assistance are two different things. You are using
remote desktop, which is intended for other purposes, and works the way you
describe.

What you would want to use is remote assistance.

P.V.
 
M

mike

Flightless Bird
P.V. wrote:
> "mike" <spamme0@go.com> kirjoitti
> viestissä:hnk7vh$lrm$1@news.eternal-september.org...
>> I'm sittin' here with two xpprosp3 computers on the same router.
>> On the controlling computer, I click "remote desktop connection".
>> I enter the password.
>>
>> The controlled computer screen comes up on the controlling computer
>> and I can control it.
>> The controlled computer screen immediately switches to a windows login
>> screen asking for a password. Nothing else can be seen on the
>> controlled computer. If I enter the login password, the connection is
>> lost.
>>
>> What now???

>
> Remote desktop and remote assistance are two different things. You are
> using remote desktop, which is intended for other purposes, and works
> the way you describe.
>
> What you would want to use is remote assistance.
>
> P.V.
>
>

Thanks,
I tried remote assistance. It wants to use outlook or instant messaging,
both of which are purposely disabled.
I looked at Barry's process, but it seems overly complicated.
With VNC, you click the link, enter the ip address or dyndns address
and it just works...cross platform. I can control a linux machine
from my PDA.

If M$ would just leave the remote desktop active with remote desktop,
all would be well.
 
A

Adrian C

Flightless Bird
On 15/03/2010 23:19, mike wrote:
> With VNC, you click the link, enter the ip address or dyndns address
> and it just works...cross platform. I can control a linux machine
> from my PDA.
>
> If M$ would just leave the remote desktop active with remote desktop,
> all would be well.


Nope, leave it. 'Remote desktop' RDP is fine as it is. But then you have
VNC. Fine if it works for you. My favourite is TeamViewer. No mucking
about with firewalls and port settings :)

BTW with 'Remote Assistance', Ye don't need outlook or instant messenger
- ye can save the invite as a text file and then get that over to the
'other' machine.

See http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457004.aspx

Also if ya don't want to mess about with the user sending ya invites,
and have a corporate IT environment with domain accounts, then it is
possible to set things up so ye start the connection process by offering
assistance.

--
Adrian C
 
P

P.V.

Flightless Bird
"mike" <spamme0@go.com> kirjoitti
viestissä:hnmfas$d98$1@news.eternal-september.org...
> I tried remote assistance. It wants to use outlook or instant messaging,
> both of which are purposely disabled.
> I looked at Barry's process, but it seems overly complicated.
> With VNC, you click the link, enter the ip address or dyndns address
> and it just works...cross platform. I can control a linux machine
> from my PDA.


At work we once tried to use remote assistance to remote control a PC that
was going to be installed at a remote site. Remote assistance had some
limitations because of which we ended up using VNC, but I don't recall any
requirement for outlook or instant messaging. I remember there was a code
that I saved on a flash drive and took to the other PC.

> If M$ would just leave the remote desktop active with remote desktop,
> all would be well.


You see this feature as a bad thing, but for people who actually use remote
desktop it is a desired feature. When people access a PC using remote
desktop, usually they don't want people who walk by the remote-controlled PC
to see what's on the screen.

Also, with remote desktop, a server can be accessed by several users at a
time. In that case the users don't want to share the desktop.

There's already technique called remote assistance, and there would have
been no sense to include the same technique twice with two different names.
If remote assistance doesn't meet your requirements, then use the VNC.




I notice now that in a previous message you said the remote connection is
lost when you locally log in on the remote PC. The reason for that to happen
is that XP Pro license only entitles having one user at a time using the PC.
There are Server Windowses that can have several users at a time, and with a
such you wouldn't have this particular problem. But still, both (or all)
log-in sessions would have separate desktops.


P.V.
 
B

Barry Watzman

Flightless Bird
I don't know, I have never seen that behavior, and I've used Remote
Assistance dozens of dozens of times to help people. I suspect that you
have some [unusual] security settings on the server computer [the one
receiving the remote assistance].

[Note: "I've used Remote Assistance dozens of dozens of times to help
people"; but always over the internet. Never with someone on the same
[local] network.]


mike wrote:

>
> OK, but it would be more helpful if you used a few more HELPFUL
> words...
>
> I'm sittin' here with two xpprosp3 computers on the same router.
> On the controlling computer, I click "remote desktop connection".
> I enter the password.
>
> The controlled computer screen comes up on the controlling computer
> and I can control it.
> The controlled computer screen immediately switches to a windows login
> screen asking for a password. Nothing else can be seen on the
> controlled computer. If I enter the login password, the connection is
> lost.
>
> What now???
 
B

Barry Watzman

Flightless Bird
You still don't understand what Remote Assistance is, what it's for,
what it does or how to use it.

The good news is .... once you resolve all of those issues .... you are
very likely to be in LOVE ... if, that is, Remote assistance is really
the solution to the problem you are trying to solve.

As others have pointed out, your first issue is that you have two
different (related, but different) products totally confused. Remote
desktop and remote assistance are two different things.

In remote assistance, an "Invitation" (which is a small text file) has
to be created on the computer requesting help (assistance) and it has to
get to the computer of the person who will provide that help.

Your comment that "It wants to use outlook or instant messaging" isn't
quite correct. RA SUPPORTS using either Outlook or IM (any flavor of
"Messenger") for this purpose (conveying the invitation). However, it
does not REQUIRE using EITHER of them. They are just convenient and
available, but, again, neither is required.

ANY means of transferring the invitation file will work. If you look at
the screen below where it offers to use E-Mail or Messenger, below that
you will see "Save Invitation As A File (Advanced)". This allows you to
save the invitation as a file anywhere on the computer (it's small, only
about 1k), after which you can use ANY method you want to get the file
to the other computer (E-Mail attachment, file sharing over a network,
floppy diskette, flash drive, whatever).

RA is for a specific purpose, which is allowing support technicians at
one location to help users at another location by allowing the support
technicians to have the screen (and, optionally, keyboard and mouse) of
the person being helped on their computer. It is not for all purposes.
When it works, it serves that specific purpose spectacularly well.

Re: "I looked at Barry's process, but it seems overly complicated"

The writeup which I posted (which I wrote) solves an all too common
problem in which Remote assistance doesn't work when the client computer
is behind a router with NAT (note: RA often DOES work when the remote
computer is behind an NAT router. Often, but not always. This writeup
addresses those situations in which it does not work. I have no idea
why it works sometimes and not other times.).

Like many computer procedures, this procedure looks far more complex
when explicitly written down in step-by-step form than it does when you
actually do it. It takes about two minutes or less to do it. It takes
longer than that to read the description.

mike wrote:

> Thanks,
> I tried remote assistance. It wants to use outlook or instant messaging,
> both of which are purposely disabled.
> I looked at Barry's process, but it seems overly complicated.
> With VNC, you click the link, enter the ip address or dyndns address
> and it just works...cross platform. I can control a linux machine
> from my PDA.
>
> If M$ would just leave the remote desktop active with remote desktop,
> all would be well.
 
M

mike

Flightless Bird
Barry Watzman wrote:
> You still don't understand what Remote Assistance is, what it's for,
> what it does or how to use it.


Yep, that's the case.
I assist one person remotely. I need to have both screens and mice and
keyboards active. VNC works marvelously for that.

The interesting thing about remote assistance is that it might work
thru a NAT router. The guy on the other end has used up all the entries
in the port forwarding table and has to edit the router configuration
every time to make VNC server work. It's faster and easier for him
to do that than to mess with the invitations and me to mess with turning
RA on and off.

I've also read that RA might be more efficient. My upload speed is only
160Kbps.

>
> The good news is .... once you resolve all of those issues .... you are
> very likely to be in LOVE


I'm still not sure what features I'm supposed to LOVE over VNC????

... if, that is, Remote assistance is really
> the solution to the problem you are trying to solve.
>
> As others have pointed out, your first issue is that you have two
> different (related, but different) products totally confused. Remote
> desktop and remote assistance are two different things.
>
> In remote assistance, an "Invitation" (which is a small text file) has
> to be created on the computer requesting help (assistance) and it has to
> get to the computer of the person who will provide that help.
>
> Your comment that "It wants to use outlook or instant messaging" isn't
> quite correct. RA SUPPORTS using either Outlook or IM (any flavor of
> "Messenger") for this purpose (conveying the invitation). However, it
> does not REQUIRE using EITHER of them. They are just convenient and
> available, but, again, neither is required.
>
> ANY means of transferring the invitation file will work. If you look at
> the screen below where it offers to use E-Mail or Messenger, below that
> you will see "Save Invitation As A File (Advanced)". This allows you to
> save the invitation as a file anywhere on the computer (it's small, only
> about 1k), after which you can use ANY method you want to get the file
> to the other computer (E-Mail attachment, file sharing over a network,
> floppy diskette, flash drive, whatever).


I tried that. As I recall, it wasn't obvious what to do with the file when
it got to the other end. Seems like it had to do with not knowing
what to put in as a domain name for the local network??? I'd already
decided that the work to do it had already exceeded the hassle for VNC,
so didn't try too hard.
I'll have to try it again.
>
> RA is for a specific purpose, which is allowing support technicians at
> one location to help users at another location by allowing the support
> technicians to have the screen (and, optionally, keyboard and mouse) of
> the person being helped on their computer. It is not for all purposes.
> When it works, it serves that specific purpose spectacularly well.
>
> Re: "I looked at Barry's process, but it seems overly complicated"
>
> The writeup which I posted (which I wrote) solves an all too common
> problem in which Remote assistance doesn't work when the client computer
> is behind a router with NAT (note: RA often DOES work when the remote
> computer is behind an NAT router. Often, but not always. This writeup
> addresses those situations in which it does not work. I have no idea
> why it works sometimes and not other times.).
>
> Like many computer procedures, this procedure looks far more complex
> when explicitly written down in step-by-step form than it does when you
> actually do it. It takes about two minutes or less to do it. It takes
> longer than that to read the description.
>
> mike wrote:
>
>> Thanks,
>> I tried remote assistance. It wants to use outlook or instant messaging,
>> both of which are purposely disabled.
>> I looked at Barry's process, but it seems overly complicated.
>> With VNC, you click the link, enter the ip address or dyndns address
>> and it just works...cross platform. I can control a linux machine
>> from my PDA.
>>
>> If M$ would just leave the remote desktop active with remote desktop,
>> all would be well.
 
B

Barry Watzman

Flightless Bird
You are continuing to apply your knowledge of Remote Desktop to Remote
Assistance as if they were the same thing when they are not. As has
been said many times, the two are not the same. When I try to apply my
knowledge of boats to my car, I have problems similar to yours .... I
can't figure out how to either adjust the car's rigging OR how to turn
it's rudder.

Re: "it wasn't obvious what to do with the file when it got to the other
end"

Put it anywhere and just double click on it. However, I'm not sure that
the "file" that YOU are referring to IS a remote assistance invitation.

mike wrote:

>> In remote assistance, an "Invitation" (which is a small text file) has
>> to be created on the computer requesting help (assistance) and it has
>> to get to the computer of the person who will provide that help.
>>
>> Your comment that "It wants to use outlook or instant messaging" isn't
>> quite correct. RA SUPPORTS using either Outlook or IM (any flavor of
>> "Messenger") for this purpose (conveying the invitation). However, it
>> does not REQUIRE using EITHER of them. They are just convenient and
>> available, but, again, neither is required.
>>
>> ANY means of transferring the invitation file will work. If you look
>> at the screen below where it offers to use E-Mail or Messenger, below
>> that you will see "Save Invitation As A File (Advanced)". This allows
>> you to save the invitation as a file anywhere on the computer (it's
>> small, only about 1k), after which you can use ANY method you want to
>> get the file to the other computer (E-Mail attachment, file sharing
>> over a network, floppy diskette, flash drive, whatever).

>
> I tried that. As I recall, it wasn't obvious what to do with the file when
> it got to the other end. Seems like it had to do with not knowing
> what to put in as a domain name for the local network??? I'd already
> decided that the work to do it had already exceeded the hassle for VNC,
> so didn't try too hard.
>
 
R

Roy Smith

Flightless Bird
On 3/16/2010 8:03 PM, Barry Watzman wrote:
> I don't know, I have never seen that behavior, and I've used Remote
> Assistance dozens of dozens of times to help people. I suspect that you
> have some [unusual] security settings on the server computer [the one
> receiving the remote assistance].
>
> [Note: "I've used Remote Assistance dozens of dozens of times to help
> people"; but always over the internet. Never with someone on the same
> [local] network.]
>
>
> mike wrote:
>
>>
>> OK, but it would be more helpful if you used a few more HELPFUL
>> words...
>>
>> I'm sittin' here with two xpprosp3 computers on the same router.
>> On the controlling computer, I click "remote desktop connection".
>> I enter the password.
>>
>> The controlled computer screen comes up on the controlling computer
>> and I can control it.
>> The controlled computer screen immediately switches to a windows login
>> screen asking for a password. Nothing else can be seen on the
>> controlled computer. If I enter the login password, the connection is
>> lost.
>>
>> What now???


Sorry to jump in here a little late, been really busy at work the past
few days. I've tried to use Remote Assistance in the past and have been
frustrated with how it is not user friendly for novice computer users.
I've found that by using Team Viewer
(http://www.teamviewer.com/index.aspx) which is free for non-commercial
use, is much easier for a novice to understand and use.

--

Roy Smith
Windows 7 Home Premium

Timestamp: Tuesday, March 23, 2010 7:44:01 AM
 
A

Adrian C

Flightless Bird
On 23/03/2010 12:44, Roy Smith wrote:

>
> Sorry to jump in here a little late, been really busy at work the past
> few days. I've tried to use Remote Assistance in the past and have been
> frustrated with how it is not user friendly for novice computer users.


It's really the issue of what you call novice users. Some people won't
really get the hang of using different computer programs outside of
their comfort zone (in my case, elderly folks glued to only doing email
and shit scared of the web browser). They don't know what a desktop,
task bar, tray area, the difference between double click and single,
right click, cut, copy & paste etc... Not interested.

This makes it practically impossible to give directions over the
telephone on how to proceed to get applications like 'remote assistance'
running. Face it, you are there running 'remote desktop' stuff because
they can't be bothered learning, and want you to do their work for
them... :-(

I came across an old fellow the other day that hadn't realised that with
Windows, mastery of mouse control is a necessity and not an secondary
optional thing. This right-handed tennis players proudly claims he is
ambidextrous and so the mouse is used on the left. So erratic was his
control on the left that if it was his 'piece' he was holding that way,
he'd be dribbling all over his shoes...

> I've found that by using Team Viewer
> (http://www.teamviewer.com/index.aspx) which is free for non-commercial
> use, is much easier for a novice to understand and use.


That's because you have complete control of the session. No interaction
on their part needed, apart from telling you the id & password.

--
Adrian C
 
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