Remote Control of Computer... .

David333

I'm preparing an old laptop for use by my mum. It's running XP Home and she should be connected by broadband. Now, I'm running Vista and am pretty certain that she'll have numerous problems with her laptop so I thought that if I could take control of her computer from mine, I would be able to sort the problems out.

Is there any way I can set it up now so that when I do give my mum the laptop she'll just need to click on a shortcut to allow me to have access...?

4Fingus

Yes this is possible but there are a number of questions:

1. Are you in the same house? ie. On the same network?
2. Do you both have broadband and if so, is it fast enough?
3. How secure do you want the connection to be?
4. How technical are you when it comes to firewalls and opening ports? The problem also arises with Dynaimic IP addesses?
5. Do you use MSN Messenger? That has a built in remote support system...

It goes on... remote support is a mine field and has more options than answers. Looked at goto my PC?

David333

4Fingus wrote: »

Yes this is possible but there are a number of questions:

1. Are you in the same house? ie. On the same network?
2. Do you both have broadband and if so, is it fast enough?
3. How secure do you want the connection to be?
4. How technical are you when it comes to firewalls and opening ports? The problem also arises with Dynaimic IP addesses?
5. Do you use MSN Messenger? That has a built in remote support system...

It goes on... remote support is a mine field and has more options than answers. Looked at goto my PC?

I only thought of it a few minutes ago. I was wondering what programs to install (word processing, e-mail, anti-virus, etc) then I thought that this would be ideal so that I'm not trying to explain things over the telephone. I shall have a look at goto my PC. In reply to your questions:-

1. We won't be, no.
2. Yes and yes.
3. I wouldn't want anybody else accessing either of our computers remotely... .
4. I don't know a great deal about ports but could work it out. With regards to IP addresses I imagine mine is dynamic... .
5. I don't... .

David333

'Goto my PC' looks like the kind of thing I'd want (also LogMeIn) but the free trial only lasts 30 days and I was hoping to find something free which I could use at some indeterminate point in the future in an emergency... .

4Fingus

Given your answers then yes this is very possible. Netmeeting will do the job and is included with windows. There is a product called VNC that is better but not so secure.

If you click start, run, and then type conf click ok. Thats a powerful tool but needs a little configuring. You will need open the firewall ports for that.

If I'm honest, dont support the blessed mother in law, once bitten you will never hear the end of it! If after this warning your still up for it, I 'll help as much as i can..... once they know you can take control you will not hear the end of it.!!!!!!

Mano et Mano .. dont do it!

David333

4Fingus wrote: »

Given your answers then yes this is very possible. Netmeeting will do the job and is included with windows. There is a product called VNC that is better but not so secure.

If you click start, run, and then type conf click ok. Thats a powerful tool but needs a little configuring. You will need open the firewall ports for that.

If I'm honest, dont support the blessed mother in law, once bitten you will never hear the end of it! If after this warning your still up for it, I 'll help as much as i can..... once they know you can take control you will not hear the end of it.!!!!!!

Mano et Mano .. dont do it!

It's the mother rather than the mother-in-law so I'm kinda compelled to help ;-) I just think it's going to save me so much time doing it myself rather than attempting to do it over the phone!

I can't find 'Netmeeting' on Vista or should I be setting this up on her XP laptop?

HappyIdiotTalk

There are 4 ways to do this that I can think of. Firstly you could install GotoMyPC and use that. However I dislike this idea as your using a third party service which is not nescessary, and you'd have to trust them.

So, as your mum is on XP, Remote Assistance could be the solution. I would try this approach first as its already installed on her computer and does the job nicely. Here is all the info you need for that:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/remoteassist/default.mspx

Failing that, you could use Remote Desktop... so long as she's using XP Pro (its not available on XP home). This is how I do it.

And failing that, you could install a VNC server such as TightVNC which would allow you to remote in at will without any intervention from your mother. Its also free and fairly quick.

These last two options require you to setup port forwarding on your router tho. Its not difficult tho and once done never needs to be done again. Try remote assistance first, and if that doesn't work let me know and I'll explain how to setup Remote Desktop or TightVNC.

4Fingus

Ah.. Vista....

All MSE users.. I'm not a vista user... does it have netmeeting? It should have...

If it's your mother then of course it a different barrel of fish.... There are options but none of them easy. why not both create MSn accounts and look at that possisblilty just for support.

HappyIdiotTalk

4Fingus wrote: »

Ah.. Vista....

All MSE users.. I'm not a vista user... does it have netmeeting? It should have...

If it's your mother then of course it a different barrel of fish.... There are options but none of them easy. why not both create MSn accounts and look at that possisblilty just for support.

If she's on Vista, get her to minimise or close everything so that only the desktop is visible, and then press F1 on the keyboard, and select Remote Assistance from the menu that pops up. Get her to save the invitation as a file and email it to you as an attachment. Its a doddle if it works. You basically open the file and your computer will automatically connect.

David333

Wow!

Okay, I've just used 'Remote Assistance' and it works and I can control the laptop which is pretty amazing I think! Thanks for the recommendation... .

I went through 'Help and Support' on XP, invite somebody to help you, and then sent an e-mail to Vista, offering access.

Do you think that it would be safe if I sent a password-protected invitation to my computer now, which I will be able to use at some point in the future...?

David333

David333 wrote: »

Wow!

Okay, I've just used 'Remote Assistance' and it works and I can control the laptop which is pretty amazing I think! Thanks for the recommendation... .

I went through 'Help and Support' on XP, invite somebody to help you, and then sent an e-mail to Vista, offering access.

Do you think that it would be safe if I sent a password-protected invitation to my computer now, which I will be able to use at some point in the future...?

I'm quoting myself now... .

I can send an invitation which I could store on my computer but it expires after 30 days. Do you think there's any way to potentially make it a shortcut so mum would just have to click once in order to offer me remote access to her computer?