Make a remote diagnosis

First steps
Once this has been done, an indication that the invitation has been accepted will be displayed and there will be a short pause while a connection is established between the two computers. Next, a dialogue box will appear asking for the connection to be confirmed.

The person who asked for help must click Yes to allow the other person to view their screen. Until this step has been performed, the person who has been asked for help –­ referred to as the Expert in Remote Assistance ­ – will see nothing but a black screen.

Depending on which versions of Windows are being used, the exact layout of the displayed screen will vary, although the options will be essentially the same. The person being helped will see their usual Windows Desktop –­ although the wallpaper image is removed ­ – along with a chat window that can be used to send instant messages.

The helper, or Expert, will see a full-screen window displaying the Desktop of the other computer, and a messaging panel will be displayed to the left of the screen; if this cannot be seen, just click the Chat button.

Messages can be sent back and forth between the Remote Assistance participants just as in a normal instant messaging conversation. There’s also the option of sending files or holding voice chats. If the two computers’ desktops are the same size, it’s likely that the Desktop of the remote PC won’t be fully visible; this can be remedied by clicking the Actual Size or ‘Fit to screen’ button in Windows XP or Vista.

Taking control
Initially, the Remote Assistance session starts in viewing-only mode. This means the Expert can only view what is happening on the screen of the other computer, but there may be occasions when it would be helpful for the helper to take control of the remote PC.

To do this, click the ‘Request Control’ button in Vista or ‘Take Control’ in Windows XP. The person being helped must confirm that the other user should be able to control their computer, and in the case of Vista, they can also allow the Expert to control User Account Control dialogue boxes that may appear.

Once sharing has been started, both parties are able to control the computer of the person being helped ­ – although it makes sense for only the Expert to do so, otherwise confusion may ensue. Either party can stop sharing at any time by simply clicking the ‘Stop Sharing’ button or by pressing the Esc key.