Asking for Assistance

To begin a Remote Assistance session, the novice must ask for help. If both parties are using Windows 7, the simplest way to do this is by means of a feature called Easy Connect. Alternatively, the novice can send the assistance request via instant messaging or by transferring an invitation file (for example, via e-mail).

Requesting Assistance with Easy Connect

To invite someone to help you using Easy Connect, follow these steps:

1. Open Windows Remote Assistance, which can be done in any of the following ways:
   • On the Start menu, click All Programs, Maintenance, Windows Remote Assistance. More simply, type remote in the Start menu search box and click Windows Remote Assistance (not Remote Desktop Connection).
   • At a command prompt, type msra.
   • In Windows Help And Support, click the Ask button and then click the Windows Remote Assistance link.
2. In the Windows Remote Assistance window, click Invite Someone You Trust To Help You.
3. If you have previously used Easy Connect, the next dialog box will show you when and with whom that previous session took place, giving you the opportunity to reconnect with a single click. If instead you want to establish a new connection, click Invite Someone To Help You.
4. If you're setting up a new connection, Windows Remote Assistance presents a 12-character alphanumeric password:

Accepting an Invitation to Help Using Easy Connect

After the novice has invited the expert, using Easy Connect, the expert does the following:

1. Open Windows Remote Assistance. (See step 1 in the preceding list.)
2. Click Help Someone Who Has Invited You.
3. Click Help Someone New (or, to reestablish a prior connection, select that connection from the list).
4. Click Use Easy Connect.
5. Enter the 12-character password. (The password is not case-sensitive.)
   Windows Remote Assistance will use the password to match the novice with the helper (or present an error message if the password has been entered incorrectly). Then the novice will be asked to confirm the connection.