Support users with Remote Assistance

By Brian M Posey, TechRepublic, 1 May, 2002 13:55

At this point, the help desk should receive the invitation, either by e-mail, instant message, or by file, and can act on the invitation by double-clicking it. As you can see in Figure C, double-clicking on an invitation opens a screen that provides you with all the details associated with the invitation, such as who the invitation is from, when the invitation will expire, and whether or not a password is required.

Figure C

Double-clicking on an invitation provides you with the invitation's details.

The help desk operator must then enter the password (if required) and click the Yes button at the bottom of the Remote Assistance dialog box. At this point, the person who issued the invitation will get a message indicating that the invitation has been accepted and that the assistant is ready to connect. The system then asks if they wish to allow the person to view their screen and chat with them. When users allow the inbound connection, a window that's similar to the one shown in Figure D will appear on both systems. As you can see, the window allows users and the assistant to have a chat session, communicate verbally, transfer files, or terminate the inbound connection.

Figure D

The Remote Assistance window allows verbal or chat-based communications and file transfers.

By default, the session is in View Only mode. This allows the assistance provider to see users' screens but not control their systems. If users' systems are configured in the Control Panel | System applet to allow Remote Control, the assistance provider can take control of users' machines by clicking Take Control at the top of the Remote Assistance window. Users will then be asked to give the assistance provider permission to take control. If users click Yes, both the users and the helper can move the cursor and interact with users' systems. Users can revoke Remote Control or disconnect from the session at any time.

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