Enable Remote Assistance Offering in XP/2003

How can I enable Remote Assistance offering in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003?

MSKB 301527 has more:

The Remote Assistance tool can be configured to enable an expert user to initiate a Remote Assistance session by using the Offer Remote Assistance feature. This feature requires the computer of the expert user as well as the computer of the novice user (that the expert user is going to help) to be members of the same domain, or members of trusted domains. Domains are used in corporate networks for security purposes, and a network administrator usually manages them. The Offer Remote Assistance feature is not a viable option for most home-based networks.

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Requirements

To configure the computer of the novice user to accept Remote Assistance offers, you must ensure that the following three requirements are met:

  • The Group Policy on the computer of the novice user must be configured to enable Remote Assistance offers.The computers of the novice and expert users must be members of the same domain, or members of trusted domains.

  • Both computers must have Windows XP installed (or Windows Server 2003).

  • You need to be a user with local administrative rights on the target computer.

To configure the Group Policies for the Remote Assistance tool, you need a list of expert users from which the computers of the novice users can accept Remote Assistance offers. This list must contain Domain User groups and Domain User accounts.

Note: Experts using Offer Remote Assistance will not be able to connect to Novice computer when Solicited Remote Assistance is disabled on the Novice computer.

Configure the Offer Remote Assistance Policy Setting

To configure the Offer Remote Assistance policy setting:

  1. Start the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) Group Policy snap-in: Click Start, click Run, and then in the Open box, type: gpedit.msc. Then, click OK.

Note: In a Windows 2000/2003 Active Directory domain you can easily accomplish the same task by creating and linking a GPO to the entire domain or OU in which the computers are located.

  1. Locate the Offer Remote Assistance policy in the Local Computer Policy’Computer Configuration’Administrative Templates’System’Remote Assistance folder.

  2. Double-click Offer Remote Assistance.

  3. On the Offer Remote Assistance Properties dialog box, click Enable.

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  1. Select whether or not the expert users can:

  • View the computer of the novice user

  • View and control the computer of the novice user

Note: This setting is for the entire group that is listed. The Offer Remote Assistance policy setting does not provide a mechanism to enable one group of users to have the ability to view the computer of the novice user and a second group of users to have the ability to view and control the computer of the novice user. There can be only one group.

  1. Click Show. The Show Contents dialog box is displayed.

  2. Click Add to add the Domain Users and Domain User Groups. There is no mechanism to verify that the groups and users you entered exist.

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  1. Click OK, and then click OK to close the Show Contents dialog box and the Offer Remote Assistance Properties dialog box.

  2. Quit the MMC Group Policy snap-in.

These policies are effective immediately. You do not have to restart the computer.

Note: You must be cautious when you populate the properties of the Offer Remote Assistance Group Policy as you cannot verify the domain accounts that have been entered. It is recommended that you test this policy setting extensively before you attempt a large policy roll out.

Also, the Offer Remote Assistance policy is not available in Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition.

Links

Overview of Remote Assistance in Windows XP – 300546link out ico

HOW TO: Configure a Computer to Receive Remote Assistance Offers in Windows XP – 301527link out ico

Mobile Computing with Windows XPlink out ico

Description of the Remote Assistance Connection Process – 300692link out ico