Author Topic: Windows Quick Assist?  (Read 569 times)

Brad Johnson

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Windows Quick Assist?
« on: December 05, 2022, 10:06:37 PM »
Been using Teamviewer for years to save my sanity (i.e. help Mom with her computer). Tonight it popped up a "commercial use detected" message on every computer in the house. I can do the "petition for reinstatement" thing, but Google-fu seems to indicate if it happened once, it will likely happen again... repeatedly and without warning. Not acceptable. I may only use it every month or two, but when I need it, I need it right now.

Searching for options and discovered Windows Quick Assist. Had no idea it existed but it seems what I need - A simple remote connection which can be setup to run from a desktop icon and allows basic control. Has anyone used it? Thoughts?

Brad
« Last Edit: December 06, 2022, 09:04:39 AM by Brad Johnson »
It's all about the pancakes, people.
"And he thought cops wouldn't chase... a STOLEN DONUT TRUCK???? That would be like Willie Nelson ignoring a pickup full of weed."
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lee n. field

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Re: Windows Quick Assist?
« Reply #1 on: December 06, 2022, 08:15:58 AM »
One of the vendors I deal with moved to that for remote support.  Seems to work fine.
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WLJ

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Re: Windows Quick Assist?
« Reply #2 on: December 06, 2022, 08:23:30 AM »
Been using Teamviewer for years to save my sanity (i.e. help Mom with her computer). Tonight it popped up a "commercial use detected" message on every computer I in the house. I can do the "petition for reinstatement" thing, but Google-fu seems to indicate if it happened once, it will likely happen again... repeatedly and without warning. Not acceptable. I may only use it every month or two, but when I need it, I need it right now.

Searching for options and discovered Windows Quick Assist. Had no idea it existed but it seems what I need - A simple remote connection which can be setup to run from a desktop icon and allows basic control. Has anyone used it? Thoughts?

Brad

Is there a limit for number of computers the home ver is installed on? Maybe you accidentally exceeded it.
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WLJ

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Re: Windows Quick Assist?
« Reply #3 on: December 06, 2022, 08:44:02 AM »
Hmmm
Spent a few minutes doing a google search for QA being free for personal use and a bunch of links to their pages come up but the pages the links take me to make no mention of it being free for personal use only free for download then there's a subscription fee.
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Brad Johnson

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Re: Windows Quick Assist?
« Reply #4 on: December 06, 2022, 09:10:56 AM »
Is there a limit for number of computers the home ver is installed on? Maybe you accidentally exceeded it.

Nothing changed, that's the rub. We have the same setup we've had for years - two desktops and a laptop. I only use it from one of them, and only connect to parents' home machines. It's always a single connection and I use it maybe once a month, tops.

Windows did a bunch of updates last week. Maybe something in the update triggered TV's fit?

The only change to our home network was setting up a guest wifi SSID. Could that have done it?

Brad
It's all about the pancakes, people.
"And he thought cops wouldn't chase... a STOLEN DONUT TRUCK???? That would be like Willie Nelson ignoring a pickup full of weed."
-HankB

Brad Johnson

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Re: Windows Quick Assist?
« Reply #5 on: December 06, 2022, 12:55:09 PM »
Found a good video covering how it works. Actual product use starts at 1:30.

Brad
It's all about the pancakes, people.
"And he thought cops wouldn't chase... a STOLEN DONUT TRUCK???? That would be like Willie Nelson ignoring a pickup full of weed."
-HankB

Brad Johnson

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Re: Windows Quick Assist?
« Reply #6 on: April 17, 2023, 10:28:47 AM »
Revisit because I tried Quick Assis last night. When it worked, it was great. Unfortunately, connectivity was an issue. It took three tries to get a connection. Once connected, I was getting random connection drops. Don't know if it's on the server end, or something to do with parents' or our internet service.

Also, TeamViewer is just about on my last nerve. I tried doing the "reset request" thing, the one where you send a request to have your identities reset to Personal Use. Seems email from TeamViewer is blacklisted on att.net and yahoo.com servers. Not a single thing from them came through. A cursory Google search reveals it's a common issue that TeamViewer doesn't seem very concerned with. I have a throwaway gmail account, so used that to submit another reset request. That one at least went through, but it's now been most of a week with no reply. As of last nigh, all my machines still pop up a "Commercial Use Detected" warning and kill the connection. You also can't call and actual person unless you have a paid account. They force free users to either go to the user forums, or trudge through the automated response system which ultimately points you to the user forums anyway. Yeah, I know it's a freebie, but the lack of response is kinda a jab in the eye.

Brad
It's all about the pancakes, people.
"And he thought cops wouldn't chase... a STOLEN DONUT TRUCK???? That would be like Willie Nelson ignoring a pickup full of weed."
-HankB

MechAg94

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Re: Windows Quick Assist?
« Reply #7 on: April 17, 2023, 12:32:20 PM »
Is 'Remote Desktop' still a thing?  Or does that not allow the access you need?
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Brad Johnson

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Re: Windows Quick Assist?
« Reply #8 on: April 17, 2023, 02:00:13 PM »
I used RDP a lot for work but I think it's limited to logging in under your own identity. I need to be able to see what Mom has on the screen. If someone has a way to use RDP in that capacity, I'm all ears.

Brad
« Last Edit: April 17, 2023, 03:12:25 PM by Brad Johnson »
It's all about the pancakes, people.
"And he thought cops wouldn't chase... a STOLEN DONUT TRUCK???? That would be like Willie Nelson ignoring a pickup full of weed."
-HankB

MechAg94

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Re: Windows Quick Assist?
« Reply #9 on: April 17, 2023, 02:30:58 PM »
Ok.  We use it to connect operations computers to remote sites at work.  I never tried to use it beyond that.
“It is much more important to kill bad bills than to pass good ones.”  ― Calvin Coolidge

cordex

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Re: Windows Quick Assist?
« Reply #10 on: April 17, 2023, 02:44:27 PM »
Remote Desktop Shadowing is a thing, but I don't think it's available on Windows 10 or other client versions.

Brad, look at Chrome Remote Desktop for a free option that might fit your needs here.

lee n. field

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Re: Windows Quick Assist?
« Reply #11 on: April 17, 2023, 03:15:33 PM »
Is 'Remote Desktop' still a thing?  Or does that not allow the access you need?

RDP is a thing, but I would say to only use it across the Internet if your Internet connection was through a VPN.  VPN to remote first, then RDP to desktop.
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Brad Johnson

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Re: Windows Quick Assist?
« Reply #12 on: April 17, 2023, 03:21:49 PM »
Remote Desktop Shadowing is a thing, but I don't think it's available on Windows 10 or other client versions.

Brad, look at Chrome Remote Desktop for a free option that might fit your needs here.

I didn't realize Chrome had that functionality. Just looked into it. Pretty sweet. I can install it on Mom and Dad's computers and set up a standalone icon for simplicity. Definitely going to give it a try next time I'm there.

Brad
It's all about the pancakes, people.
"And he thought cops wouldn't chase... a STOLEN DONUT TRUCK???? That would be like Willie Nelson ignoring a pickup full of weed."
-HankB

HeroHog

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Re: Windows Quick Assist?
« Reply #13 on: April 17, 2023, 07:09:38 PM »
Have you tried Distant-Desktop? It's my go-to these days.

https://www.distantdesktop.com/
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