Windows 7 / Getting Started

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Using Remote Assistance with Earlier Windows Versions

Windows 7 is not the first version of Windows to include Remote Assistance; it's also available in Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2003. For the most part, experts and novices on any of these platforms can use Windows Remote Assistance to help each other. There are some limitations:

• If either computer is running an earlier version of Windows, Windows Remote Assistance in Windows 7 reverts to the capabilities of the earlier version. New connectivity features such as Easy Connect and NAT traversal using Teredo are unavailable.
• Windows Remote Assistance in Windows 7 does not support voice chat, which was supported in Windows XP.
• Pausing a session is a feature that was introduced in Windows Vista. (The expert can't see what occurs while a session is paused.) If a novice running Windows 7 pauses a session, an expert running Windows XP receives no indication that the session has been paused.
• You cannot offer assistance from a computer running Windows XP.
• Invitation files created on a computer with the "Windows Vista or later" option enabled are completely encrypted and cannot be used on computers running earlier versions.