Recommend remote-connection program?

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I have a friend that has some problems on their computer and while I know there are some programs out there that I can buy I would like to know if there is a free one because I only need to use it once or twice and don’t want to buy anything that I will hardly ever use.

Thanks guys..

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I assume you are talking about an app to remotely connect to your friend’s PC is that correct?

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Yes Ted…

I once used PC Anywhere but that was a long time ago and I paid for that.

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What are the OSes involved? With certain SKUs of Windows RDP is an option. A “request for remote assistance” is another way to use straight Windows.

Joe

--Joe

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TeamVieweris a good option.

If both PCs are running Vista or 7, Windows Live Mesh is another great option (I use this one).

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Rurib, that’s an 800.00 program!

While I will need it only a couple of times I might still need it in the future on rare occasions.

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Rurib, that’s an 800.00 program!

While I will need it only a couple of times I might still need it in the future on rare occasions.

Banyarola,

TeamViewer is free for non-commercial use. :cheers:

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

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Banyarola,

TeamViewer is free for non-commercial use. :cheers:

I’m using teamViewer and it is free

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Joe, I’m running Windows 7 and they have XP

Rurib, I’ll check out Team viewer. Thanks

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Your friend should be able to ask for “remote assistance”. See How to use remote assistance, Step by step guide to remote assistance[/url, & Windows remote assistance FAQ for details.

Joe

--Joe

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The download page I went to said it’s free. Perhaps this is a trial edition, but that sounds like all you would need.

Joe, are you speaking of Remote Desktop Connection?

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Joe, are you speaking of Remote Desktop Connection?

NO. The RDP client is available all versions of Windows but only Pro versions or higher can host an RDP session. See the links in my post. Any user can request remote assistance.

Joe

--Joe

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X2
I’ve tried many so-called Remote programs over the years and Team Viewer is the only one that really works.

An associate of mine installs it for every one of his customers, so he can perform maintenance on their PC’s
without any intervention from them at all.

😎

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I’ve been using TightVNC for years. http://www.TightVNC.com Works perfectly fine. Supports file transfers too. Also works from an iPad on the road remotely using PowerCloud VNC or similiar. Cost is free, or give’em the 10$ requested donation which I’ve done a few times already.

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I use TeamViewer and I can run it on my Android smartphone. Download the app from the Android Market. This is a top-notch product.

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It’s a trial version Ted..And it may have limitations on it like a lot of trial version so I don’t want to go through all the trouble if I can’t use it for what I need.

Joe, I’ll check out Remote Asst. I think I hear about that…Is that a Windows program or feature?

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Thanks RG…I probably looked at it too fast…
I will check it out again…

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Also check out Logmein Free. You even get a 14 day trial of the Pro version which then automaticaly drops back to Free if you don’t subscribe.

Logmein does a very good job. Unlike Teamviewer it does not open Port 80 on the target machine.

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Also check out Logmein Free. You even get a 14 day trial of the Pro version which then automaticaly drops back to Free if you don’t subscribe.

Logmein does a very good job. Unlike Teamviewer it does not open Port 80 on the target machine.

I highly recommend Logmein Free. It’s what I use to support my dad’s laptop in Lake Worth, Florida from my place in Searcy, Arkansas. It’s a great option if all you need is to be able to see the remote screen, and you don’t have to be able to print from the remote system to your local printer (one of the features of the Pro version). Just basic remote access. Simple to set up. You’d just have to have your “remote user” go to the Logmein web site, set up an account, pick a password, and then send you the log-in information. Then, you go to the Logmein web site, log in to their account using the info they gave you, and voila! You’ve got access! Once you log into their account, you’ll also need an account and password on their computer, so they’d have to trust you with their local username and password, to be able to connect to their computer.

If you go the Logmein Free route, I’d recommend you install the plug in you’ll likely be offered the first time you log into the account. It lets you open up a full screen (as if you were sitting at their computer) session. It’s a low color session (256 colors is the limit, I believe) but it’s usable for basic remote access/troubleshooting/showing the remote user how to do something. And, as was previously mentioned, it doesn’t require you to open any specific ports on the remote router, which some of the other options would.

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Thanks Tinto..

I have heard of that… I will check that out also…

I want to be able to d/l Microfoft security essentials and a Malwarebytes on the remote PC and run them from my PC and then make the changes they reccomend..

Believe me, I am dealing with a real Novice on the remote end and I have to do everything myself..

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TeamViewer is free for non commercial use.

P.S: As RG had stated, which I found out only after my post.

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Banyarola I use Teamviewer on all my network PC’s and access them from my main PC instead of going to each PC. I also use it to help my friends to troubleshoot problems with their PC’s and transfer files from one PC to another. I used to use Logmein but teamviewer has worked much better for me.

Hope this helps you make a decision.

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I was wondering the same thing, because……
I’ve used it a LOT and my buddy uses it for all his 30+ customers, so he can perform regular maintenance for them.
And, he uses it almost every night, with never a problem.

When you install it, just check the box that says for personal use (NOT Commercial Use). No problemo!

So from what I’ve seen “a lot” would have to be one HECK of a lot.

I’d just say use it and don’t worry about it.

If you have to use it for commercial purposes and to make money off of it, buy the dang thing. It’s really not that much.

Cheers mates!
Doc 😎

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Yes, RG already mentioned that to me.
I just jumped to conclusions without checking it out further..

I’ll look into all these tomorrow…

Thanks again for all your suggestions..

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Team Viewer works great.

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Thanks HS. I’m on thier site now looking it over.

I think I will connect my laptop to my desktop to see how it works.

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Well guys, just an update on how things went.
I d/l Team Viewer and connected my laptop to my desktop to play around with it and like Low Sierra says, it works great.
Pretty easy to setup.

What I especially like is the ability to re-boot the PC you are working on and it resumes the remote session…
Also, you can transfer files, programs etc…

Plus, it has VOIP which I want to learn more about…
Before I use it for real I will play around with it for a few days to get more familiar with it…

Anyway, Thanks for all your suggestions and input…

It was very enlightening…

Now, before I go, I’ll sing a song for you…..

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A Microsoft Tech told a guy I work with about this one: Ammyy
It’s a free download. The download is very quick. You install it on both ends. The program generates a code that you share with the connecting PC. It works through my corporate firewall and is encrypted. Works with Windows and Windows Servers.

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I have been using Logmein.com FREE version for many years. I even have some systems where we use the PRO version. Logmein also has a tool cause Ignition that streamlines the remote access of authorized systems.

Depending on your security needs Logmein is very customizeable, you can generate a password list to be used with a system, long with restrict via IP address authorized systems. It can work through firewalls and proxy settings. It does allow you to reboot the system. Plus it has options to force reboot, cold reboots and other such options that might be necessary. It does have an agent application you install on the remote system, but once it’s install and connect to the internet, the agent with checking and make the system available via your login and password. But then you will need a local user account and local password to actually gain access to the remote system. This is a good security measure. There is logging and report generation available.

If you need a quick remote-session, try “join.me”. This is a web base service provided by the makers of Logmein.com. Just go to the website, click on the Share button. Allow the website to install a small agent and it generate a one-time use code to provide to the person needing access. The user that want to access remotely also goes to the “join.me” website and enters the code from the host and clicks the button. Access to view is granted. Then the user on the host computer can allow “remote user access” to control the mouse and keyboard. This is good in a pinch when you are trying the help someone out quickly without wanting to setup anything permanent or if they are very leery of allowing unmonitored remote access to their system.

I you are looking for an easy, reliable, secure, quick remote-control / remote-support option, then I urge you to take a look at Logmein.com (FREE/PRO) and also join.me.

Sincerely,

Bob Reynolds

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A Microsoft Tech told a guy I work with about this one: Ammyy
It’s a free download. The download is very quick. You install it on both ends. The program generates a code that you share with the connecting PC. It works through my corporate firewall and is encrypted. Works with Windows and Windows Servers.

First up, let me be clear: AMMYY is 100% legitimate. It does a very good job and is well worth a try.

Right, got that bit out of the way. The thing that concerns me about your comment is that Microsoft recommending a third-party tool, when they have their own services to establish remote desktop connections.

More precisely, there are lots of scams running the rounds where “Bob from Microsoft Technical Support” calls to tell you that your machine is infected with viruses. He asks you to go to – yes you’ve guessed it – ammyy.com and establish a remote desktop session. He then finds errors in the event log and persuades the victim they are infected and to go to a website that will, for a fee, clean the pc that was not infected in the first place. Nasty, very nasty.

Anyway, this is a bit of a digression from the main thread, so I’m not saying your colleague fell victim to the scam, but the ingredients are there.

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Well guys, just an update on how things went.
I d/l Team Viewer and connected my laptop to my desktop to play around with it and like Low Sierra says, it works great.
Pretty easy to setup.

What I especially like is the ability to re-boot the PC you are working on and it resumes the remote session…
Also, you can transfer files, programs etc…

Plus, it has VOIP which I want to learn more about…
Before I use it for real I will play around with it for a few days to get more familiar with it…

Anyway, Thanks for all your suggestions and input…

It was very enlightening…

Now, before I go, I’ll sing a song for you…..

I have been using TeamViewer for about a year now and it is excellent. Just tonight I used it to update one of the pc’s at church installing Win7 SP1 and several other updates. The preacher, the secretary, and I all use it to access church pc’s from home. We all love it. And as mentioned, it is free for non-commercial use. If you really want to be impressed, just go to their website and check out who uses it.

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I have a friend that has some problems on their computer and while I know there are some programs out there that I can buy I would like to know if there is a free one because I only need to use it once or twice and don’t want to buy anything that I will hardly ever use.

Thanks guys..

Try a free trial of GoToAssistExpress (http://www.gotoassist.com/). Full featured with no limitations for 30 days. And if you have in iPad, there’s a GoToAssistExpress app that’s altogether free.

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TeamViewer is far and away the best remote-connection program I have used, but if you use it quite a lot they suspect you of commercial use and cut you off. Buying it is VERY expensive.

ShowMyPC has an entirely free unlimited version which has very adequate facilities and they have more powerful paid-for versions as well. It requires NO installation and is just as easy to get going with a real novice at the far end as TeamViewer – just download to desktop and run, give the number to the assister and you are in.

Dermot

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I use TeamViewer on Vists, XP, and Android. It has worked every time everywhere. As someone else said, it also has options for higher security (access control, port control and VPN) but since 99% of the time it is only going through my in-house router I have not tried to use them.

And it is free for non-commercial use without advertising or excessive nagging.

What more could you ask for.

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TeamViewer is far and away the best remote-connection program I have used, but if you use it quite a lot they suspect you of commercial use and cut you off. Buying it is VERY expensive.

Dermot

Would you happen to have an idea of how much is “quite a lot” after which they suspect commercial use? I really like TeamViewer, and don’t use it very much.

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This is slightly off-topic, but the phenomenon of expensive stuff that is free, or relatively so, for non-commercial use is a welcome recognition of the large number of genuine ‘home computer’ users in the marketplace, many of whom are regulars in The Lounge. If Team Viewer proves to be as attractive as it appears it may be, then it certainly will help their product recognition. Mind you, the mathematics of it are skewed somewhat by the fact, as pointed out in the thread, that Windows has the capability built in, but this looks like a very slick product.

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So it looks like there is some non paid commercial use of Team viewer. “and my buddy uses it for all his 30+ customers,”

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The basic commercial license is ~$650 for a lifetime license – not bad if you use it quite a lot but expensive for 2x a month. There is a cheaper license for ~30 hours per month but it is difficult to find – I have not found it yet. See http://www.teamviewer.com/en/licensing/index.aspx.

Dermot

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I used Log-Me-In for a year, until it was time to buy another year. There was a “problem” with my debit card. But, while logmein would not take my card, other providers did. I could not get anyone at logmein to respond to my problem, until I was totally disgusted with them. A couple of weeks later, I got a response, but by then I wanted notthing to do with them. They aplogized, promised that would not happen again. Too bad, the program worked resonably well, but was slow and the characters on my laptop were not as clear as I would have expected. And I never could figure how to print from the desk top to my protable printer that I take on the road. Maybe I will try the teamviewer, free version first. They are much more expensive that logmein. None of the computer people think service is important.

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I tried to get the free program, but they kept asking for my friends number, which I assume is my laptops contact informaiton. My laptop is wireless, something I do not have in my office (used to be my daughters room). So I am unable to get the program. I will try tommorrow AM, if the support people work on Labor Day.

If any of the computer companies were serious about selling their product, they would hire people like me to test their product. If I can understand how to load, and operate a program, anyone can. My rates are resonable, less than my accountant, or attorney charge.

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The granddaddy of all local connection utilities is LapLink, and it’s still around. I even recall a remark made by Woody, in a book or online, to the effect that ‘this ain’t no LapLink’, implying the superiority of LapLink. As the name implies, it typically transferred data between laptop computers and PCs (or larger). I have the current version and cables going back to parallel-port. My first version was for Windows 95 and it came bundled, complete with cable, with an Acer laptop – the best bundled software I’ve ever received.

If you buy LapLink Gold it includes online data transfer for a year, with a modest cost for annual renewals.

If you strictly want remote connection without the file management capabilities, you can purchase Laplink Everywhere, which is less expensive.

LapLink is now far-better known for PC Mover and other software, the original having lost much of its utility now that connectivity is so extensive.

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I just ran across something new to me – qnext. Anyone have any experience with this?

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When you run TeamViewer and your friend does too, it gives your friend a number and password you have to type into your computer to establish the connection. Then it asks for the password.

With a more complicated setup, you can make a connection-password permanent so can log in anytime, but the out-the-box use, he has to give you the connection-number on his screen.

Dermot

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Quite late in seeing this thread, but in the interest of adding yet another free remote ‘access’ program, I submit Crossloop.{ https://www.crossloop.com/download.htm?src=hp }

I’ve been using it for occasional help sessions for two friends (couple years). One is somewhat technical, the other one is really a computer newbie. Both can handle Crossloop usefully (with some ‘getting started’ guidance via the telephone for the newbie).

Of course, Crossloop wants you to upgrade but that is easy to bypass (to their credit).

Bill S

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CrossLoop and ShowMyPc use TightVNC which is an excellent open-source program. They wrap it in a shell which takes care of the details and makes connection easy.

In countries with a really fast and continuous internet I think TightVNC would work wonderfully, but in Africa where the internet varies from slow to non-existent in the course of a few minutes, it becomes a problem. I don’t know how TeamViewer does it, but it works well even here. It seems that they don’t require the last byte to be in place before they display adequately.

I use ShowMyPc because it doesn’t even need to be installed and works as well as my internet allows!

Dermot

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