Lesson 4: Using Remote Access Tools


As a DST, you must be able to configure, manage, and troubleshoot Remote Desktop and Remote Assistance. Remote Assistance and Remote Desktop are both Windows XP Professional features that allow remote access to a computer. However, the purpose of each feature, the method of connection establishment, and the tasks that you can perform remotely are different.

After this lesson, you will be able to

  • Configure Remote Assistance.

  • Configure Remote Desktop.

Estimated lesson time: 25 minutes

Remote Assistance

The Remote Assistance feature allows a user to electronically request help from another user. For example, a customer might invite you to provide remote assistance on his computer. Both users must agree to the connection, and after the connection is established, you can take shared control of the user’s desktop, chat with the user, and send and receive files. Taking shared control of the desktop requires the user’s permission. Remote Assistance can minimize or eliminate the need to physically visit a remote computer to solve a problem.

Establishing a Remote Assistance Session

A Remote Assistance session requires that both the user and the DST actively participate in establishing the connection. The session is established in the following phases:

  1. The user that requires support sends a Remote Assistance invitation to the DST.

  2. The DST responds to the invitation.

  3. The user accepts the DST’s assistance.

To send a Remote Assistance invitation, follow these steps:

  1. From the Start menu, select Help And Support.

  2. In the Help And Support Center, under Ask For Assistance, select Invite A Friend To Connect To Your Computer With Remote Assistance, and then select Invite Someone To Help You.

  3. Select the method that you want to use to create the invitation, as shown in Figure 10-16. You can send invitations directly by using Windows Messenger, by using an e-mail attachment, or by saving an invitation file and transmitting it to the helper user (for example, you could save the file to a shared folder on the network).

    click to expand
    Figure 10-16: Choose the method to create an invitation.

  4. When prompted, enter the requested information, including your name, a message, when the invitation should expire, and (optionally) a password to be used to establish the connection.

  5. Click Send Invitation.

    Note

    When an invitation is sent through an e-mail attachment or saved as a file, the file has a .MsRcIndicent extension.

When you receive a Remote Assistance invitation, you must respond to continue the process. If the invitation is by using Windows Messenger, you must accept the invitation that is presented in the Messenger pop-up window. If the invitation is sent by e- mail, you must open the attached invitation. If the invitation file is transmitted in some other fashion, you must access and open it. If a password is required, you must enter the password in the Remote Assistance dialog box.

Windows then notifies the user requiring assistance that the request has been accepted. The user must click Yes in the Remote Assistance dialog box as a final indication of acceptance, and Remote Assistance then establishes the connection.

Remote Assistance Console

After the Remote Assistance connection is established, the user requiring assistance sees a User Console and the helper sees a Helper Console.

The User Console is shown in Figure 10-17. You can use the Chat History and Message Entry windows for online chatting. The Connection Status window displays the helper who has connected and the connection’s capabilities (Screen View Only or In Control.) The functionality of the remaining buttons is as follows:

  • Stop Control (ESC) Permits the user to regain control if the helper user has taken control. (This can also be accomplished by pressing the Esc key.)

  • Send A File Sends a file from the user’s computer or a network share to the helper’s computer.

  • Start Talking Enables voice communication on computers with voice capabilities.

  • Settings Enables the user to adjust sound quality.

  • Disconnect Ends the Remote Assistance connection.

  • Help Provides access to Remote Assistance help features.

    click to expand
    Figure 10-17: The user requesting assistance sees the Remote Assistance User Console.

Figure 10-18 displays the Helper Console. The Chat History and Message Entry windows are again available for online chatting. The user’s desktop is displayed in the Status window on the right side of the display. The controls for the Helper Console are found across the top of the screen and include the following:

  • Take Control/Release Control Sends a request to the user to take shared control of the user’s desktop. The user must accept the request and can cancel it at any time by clicking Disconnect on the User Console or by pressing Esc.

  • Send A File Sends a file from the helper’s computer or a network share to the user’s computer.

  • Start Talking Enables voice communication on computers with voice capabilities.

  • Settings Enables the user to adjust sound quality and console size.

  • Disconnect Ends the Remote Assistance connection.

  • Help Provides access to Remote Assistance help features.

    click to expand
    Figure 10-18: The helper sees the Remote Assistance Helper Console.

Taking Shared Control of the User’s Computer

To take shared control, the helper sends a request to the user by clicking Take Control. The user must accept the request and can cancel it at any time by clicking Disconnect on the User Console or by pressing Esc.

When the helper establishes shared control of the user’s system, the helper can fully manipulate the computer, including loading and unloading drivers, starting applications, and viewing event logs. However, the helper cannot copy files from the user’s hard disk. The only way for the helper to get a file from the user’s computer is for the user to send it.

When shared control is established, both users can manipulate the mouse and keyboard simultaneously, so consider using the chat or voice communication functions to coordinate input device usage and minimize overlap. Also, the helper must be careful not to do anything that might affect the network connection, or else the Remote Assistance connection might be disconnected.

Remote Desktop

Remote Desktop is designed to allow users to remotely gain access to their Windows XP Professional desktop, applications, data, and network resources from another computer on the network. Users who have been granted permission can remotely connect. After a connection is established, the local desktop is locked for security reasons, preventing anyone from viewing the tasks that are being performed remotely.

Remote Desktop is designed to allow a user to have full control over his or her Windows XP Professional desktop from another computer on the network. This is useful when a user is working from home, another office, or another site and requires access to information from his or her primary office computer. While a user is remotely accessing his or her computer, local access by another user is not permitted. An exception to this is an administrator. Administrators are permitted to log on locally while another user is connected remotely, but the remote session is then terminated.

Remote Desktop requires the following:

  • A remote computer that is running Windows XP Professional and that is connected to a LAN or the Internet. This is the computer to which you want to gain access remotely.

  • A client computer with access to the host computer through a LAN, dial-up, or VPN connection that has the Remote Desktop Connection program or the Terminal Services Client installed. A version of the Remote Desktop Connection program is available for most versions of Windows.

  • A user account with appropriate permissions. The user must be an administrator or a member of the Remote Users group.

Configuring Remote Desktop

Remote Desktop configuration is a two-part process. First, configure the remote computer to allow Remote Desktop connections. Then, configure the client computer with the Remote Desktop Connection client software.

To configure a computer running Windows XP Professional to allow Remote Desktop connections, follow these steps:

  1. From the Start menu (or from the desktop or in Windows Explorer) right-click My Computer and select Properties.

  2. On the Remote tab, in the Remote Desktop section, select Allow Users To Connect Remotely To This Computer, as shown in Figure 10-19, and click OK in the Remote Sessions dialog box.

    click to expand
    Figure 10-19: Enable Remote Desktop on a computer running Windows XP Professional.

  3. If the user account to be used to connect remotely is not a member of the Administrators group, press Select Remote Users, add the appropriate user account, and then click OK.

  4. Click OK.

Verify that the user account to be used to connect remotely has a password assigned. User accounts used for remote connections must have passwords.

Note

If you are using ICF or another personal firewall, you must enable inbound connections on TCP port 3389 to support Remote Desktop connections. You can also change the port on which Remote Desktop accepts connections. For more information on changing this port number, read Knowledge Base article #306759, “How to change the listening port for Remote Desktop.”

After a computer running Windows XP Professional is configured to allow Remote Desktop connections, you can connect to that computer by using the Remote Desktop Connection client software on another computer. From the Start menu, select All Programs, then Accessories, then Communications, and then Remote Desktop Connection. In the Remote Desktop Connection dialog box, click the Options button to display configurable options, as shown in Figure 10-20. The only information that you must enter to establish a connection is the name or IP address of the computer. Other configurable options include the following:

  • General options, including the user name, password, and domain name used for authentication and the ability to save connection settings

  • Display options, including the configuration of the size of the remote connection display (all the way up to full screen) and color settings

  • Local Resources options, including sound and keyboard configuration, and which local devices to connect to when logged on the remote computer

  • Programs options, which provide the ability to automatically launch a program when a connection is established

  • Experience options, which allow the configuration of the connection speed to optimize performance, and provide the ability to control the display of the desktop background, themes, menu and windows animation, and other items that can affect performance

    click to expand
    Figure 10-20: Configure options for connecting to a remote computer.

Managing Remote Desktop Sessions

When you establish a Remote Desktop session from a Windows XP Professional computer, use the Remote Desktop Connections client as follows:

  1. From the Start menu, select All Programs, then Accessories, then Communications, and then Remote Desktop Connection.

  2. In the Remote Desktop Connection dialog box, depicted in Figure 10-21, enter the name or IP address of the remote computer and click Connect.

    click to expand
    Figure 10-21: Establish a Remote Desktop session.

  3. Enter the appropriate user account and password and then click OK.

  4. If another user is currently logged on to the remote system, a Logon Message dialog box appears, indicating that in order to continue, that user must be logged off and any unsaved data will be lost. If this occurs, click Yes to continue.

  5. The Remote Desktop session is established. Figure 10-22 displays a remote connection window.

    click to expand
    Figure 10-22: After connecting, you have complete control of the remote computer.

After connecting to a remote desktop, you have complete control of the remote computer. When you press the Ctrl+Alt+Delete keys simultaneously during a Remote Desktop session, either Task Manager or the Windows Security dialog box for the local computer appears. To access Task Manager or the Windows Security dialog box on the remote computer, select Windows Security from the Start menu.

There are two ways to end a remote session:

  • Log off from the remote computer normally, which closes all programs, logs the user off, and then closes the Remote Desktop connection.

  • Disconnect by either closing the Remote Desktop dialog box or selecting Disconnect from the Start menu. Disconnecting leaves the user logged on at the remote computer, and all programs continue processing. The user will be reconnected to the same session the next time the user connects.

Lesson Review

The following questions are intended to reinforce key information presented in this lesson. If you are unable to answer a question, review the lesson materials and try the question again. You can find answers to the questions in the “Questions and Answers” section at the end of this chapter.

  1. A user calls you to ask for help configuring a hardware driver, but is having trouble following the instructions that you give him over the telephone. You decide that it is easier to show the user how to perform the configuration by taking control of his desktop. What tool is better suited to this task?

  2. What are the requirements for running Remote Desktop?

Lesson Summary

  • Remote Assistance enables users to request support from a more advanced user or from computer support personnel. With Remote Assistance, the user providing support can connect to the troubled user’s desktop, view what is happening remotely, and take control of the system to resolve a problem if necessary.

  • Remote Desktop enables users to remotely access their computers across the network and use the desktop as if they were sitting in front of the computer.




MCDST Self-Paced Training Exam 70-271(c) Supporting Users and Troubleshooting a Micro[... ]ystem
MCDST Self-Paced Training Exam 70-271(c) Supporting Users and Troubleshooting a Micro[... ]ystem
ISBN: N/A
EAN: N/A
Year: 2006
Pages: 195

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