Chapter 15 PC Troubleshooting 663
Remote Assistance
Remote Assistance was introduced with Windows XP. It allows a user to
invite another user to access their computer and assist them in repair. The user
needing help sends an e-mail invitation to another person, such as a technical
support person. Technical support can then repair the system while they chat
with the user.
Remote Assistance should not be confused with Remote Desktop. Remote
Desktop allows a user to connect directly to their computer from another
location. For example, a user could connect to their office computer from their
home computer. The user would have complete control over their office computer
just as if they were sitting at its keyboard. Remote Assistance is a temporary
connection, and a person must be present at both locations.
Figure 15-23 shows the remote connection options listed in the
System
Properties
dialog box under the
Remote
tab. Both Remote Assistance and Remote
Desktop are available in Windows XP Professional and Windows Vista, but only
Remote Assistance is available in Windows XP Home Edition.
Windows Vista Problem Reports and Solutions
The Windows Vista Problem Reports and Solutions utility, Figure 15-24,
identifies problems as they occur on the system and can be used to automatically
find solutions. Problems are automatically reported to Microsoft via the Internet.
If a solution is known, it is sent to the computer and is posted in a window as a
solution. A complete history of all problems and solutions can be archived for
future use and diagnostics. This is a great improvement over previous versions
of error reporting utilities. The path to this utility is
Start | Maintenance | Problem
Reports and
Solutions.
Figure 15-23.
Two remote access
programs are
available in Windows
XP Professional:
Remote Assistance
and Remote Desktop.
The Windows XP
Home addition only
includes Remote
Assistance.