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Al

What happens if you are behind a router or firewall?

Ciprian Adrian Rusen

It depends a lot on the router and its setup. It should work with most modern routers. With older ones, you might have issues. Try it and see how it works for you.

Daniel Vivas

Check out AEROADMIN, this is the easiest tool for that. Also, it’s firewall-friendly

bala

Al it does work with most firewalls. But beware some antivirus software disable control via remote connection so you have to manual tell the person being helped to disable that option. This is done to maximize security and especially kaspersky disables remote access. Anyway i prefer team viewer as it gives more functions and for some strange reason using easy connect is not supported by my uncles pc.

Ciprian Adrian Rusen

Kaspersky does not disable remote access. I used Kaspersky Internet Security on 3 out of the 4 computers on which I tested this, and it worked just fine.

bala

I have used kaspersky earlier but never remote controlled it. But I think there is an option which disables remote control which is on by default. I also remember once raymond.cc wrote an article about it.

Ciprian Adrian Rusen

If this is was valid, it must have been valid for older versions. I am using Kaspersky for two years (versions 2011 and 2012) and it never disabled anything except the Windows Firewall.

Anonymous

I can tell you two good reasons why Microsoft’s Remote Assistance app isn’t used:

1 – Microsoft doesn’t support other OS’s like Linux and OSX including other versions of their own Windows too (no Vista or XP, in other words which I believe was mentioned).

2 – Usually, when someone is having problems with their computer it’s often because of connectivity issues. Anyone see a “chicken and an egg” thing here? (It’s like being out of gas and someone telling you that you need to “drive” to the nearest gas station – duh!)

One other reason might be due to complexity too. I have to admit, even after reading this that it doesn’t seem anywhere as easy as a pay service like “Go-To-My-PC” would be.

Ciprian Adrian Rusen

I do not agree with most of your arguments:

  • This tool indeed does not support non-Microsoft operating systems. However this is not a big issue as you make it to be. On the PC market, Windows commands 80 to 90% globally. Also, the tool IS available for ALL Windows versions since Windows XP. Only the Easy Connect feature is Windows 7 only.
  • Connectivity issues plague all remote support solutions. This is a problem all of them have, not just Windows Remote Assistance. This is not a real argument.
  • Complexity? This is a very strange argument. Let’s compare TeamViewer (since it is very popular) to Windows Remote Assistance:
    • You need to download and install it;
    • To connect to another computer you need to know it’s ID and password.
    • If you want to use all its features you also need to register and create an account with TeamViewer.

    How is this less complex than using Windows Remote Assistance? No matter how you look at it, Windows Remote Assistance either requires less steps to go through or an equal number of steps.

The only argument I would have expected against Windows Remote Assistance is its bare-bones functionality. It doesn’t give any sexy extras such as: voice chat, file transfer functionality, etc.

Joe R.

I looked at the invitation file and the LHTicket value looks encrypted, presumably with the asker’s private key. After the expert confirms that he is authorized to use the invitation file by entering the password, doesn’t the expert’s remote assistance application need the asker’s public key in order to decode the LHTicket value? If so, how does the asker’s public key get to the expert’s PC? Thanks in advance.

John Carver

You can actually use something like logmein or Ammyy Admin

John

If you’re in a work environment and need to connect to a users PC why don’t you just use: “C:WindowsSystem32msra.exe /offerra”?

Etongwe Sylvester Enyato

Is it possible to use windows remote assistance in windows 10?, because I cant seem to fine the app in the list

john

Yes Windows 10 has windows remote assistance. Though in any version of Windows OS, it’s not an “app’ that is displayed in the list of apps or programs when you click the “start” button. What you do to find it is click “start” or the Windows logo depending on your OS then you type in the search box “msra” which is the name of the executable. I assume it’s short for “MicroSoft Remote Assistance”. You can Pin the msra.exe file to the Start or the Task bar by searching the “msra” then right click it and “Open File Location” the right click the exe in your file explorer and “Pin to Start” – “Pin to taskbar” I hope this helps you

John6

The article is awesome. However, I am a bit confused about a security aspect of Windows Remote Assistance. Can a helper’s computer get virus infected via Windows Remote Assistance when he/she is helping someone whose computer has viruses?

Steve

Providing remote support with windows remote assistance is good. Alternatively, tools like logmein, R-HUB remote support servers, gotomypc, TeamViewer etc. can also be used for remotely accessing computers from anywhere anytime.

Hill

Windows Quick Assist is easier.