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I noticed in your excellently written article "Remotely Control Somebody's Desktop the Easy Way" that your screenshots of CrossLoop depicted a "Join" and "Host" tab, while CrossLoop's own explanation linked in that article showed "Access" and "Share" tabs.
It seems like there are two different GUI's in these depictions. What accounts for that . . . different versions or what??
Which discussion? I'm confused.
CrossLoop is a great tool, and has gotten significantly better than when I reviewed it the first time (october or so?). The new version integrates with their marketplace, where you can list yourself as a helper and get feedback from people you help. (More on this in an upcoming article)
Your discussion in the "Remotely Control Somebody's Desktop the Easy Way".
By the way, I'm considering doing a "simulation experiment". What I mean is this: I'm going to try and have one of my experienced computer buddies play me and I'll play my sister (see my thread titled "Troubleshooting at a distance" at http://www.howtogeek.com/forum.....replies=42) and have them try to connect with me using one of these remote assistance softwares. That way, I'll be able to see what my sister will have to do, and not only judge how effective it is but also know what she'll have to do exactly.
You may be wondering why I'm so hesitant about choosing a remote assistance piece of software. There's a precise answer to that question: I'M LIKELY TO GET ONLY ONE CRACK AT IT!! That's because if my sister encounters any hiccups, she'll probably NOT let me try it again . . . because she'll have such a bad taste in her mouth.
Look at it this way: It would be like a caveman trying to pilot a space shuttle. Computer are as strange and incomprehensible to my sister as a space shuttle would be to that ancient caveman. So, to borrow from those GEICO ads, I need to make it so easy that even a caveman can do it.
Also, consider that you were doing it for your grandmother. Your grandmother just stepped into to 21st Century, put her stubby pencil down, and got a computer for the first time. She asks you for help, and you say you need to know her IP address, She emails you back, "What the heck is an IP address?" You ask her what operating system she is using. She says, "What the heck is an operating system??" That's pretty much my sister. So, the question I am asking people is "What remote assistance software would you use for a person like that??"
I'm not looking for "what most professionals use" (on one forum I visit, a poster said that and said most professionals use UltraVNC. I'm not looking for what has the most features and such. I'm looking for something that is easiest for the end-user, the person that needs help. NOT the helper. If it's hard for me and easy for her, that's fine.
Crossloop seems to fit that bill somewhat. Is that what you would use, given my focus?? Your article on remote assistance seemed to say exactly that.
I would absolutely use CrossLoop, or a similar solution geared at simplicity (there are a couple of competitors in that space, although not usually free).
Asking a regular user to find their IP address is just a terrible idea. The major problem with using VNC of any variety is that the router is not going to permit it... so you'd have to walk her through not just finding the IP address, but changing router settings (and she likely doesn't know the router password), and by that point you may as well have walked her through fixing whatever the problem is in the first place. That's why CrossLoop was created, to make it simple and easy to use... I'm sure she knows how to use IM and copy/paste the code to you.
Here's what I'd do... I'd organize a trip to go see her, clean up her computer, setup CrossLoop on there and explain to her how to use it. (Double-click, tell me the code, and click share). That's exactly what I did with my mom's computer, and it has worked out well.
Alternatively, you could tell her to find a local geek to fix the problems, because you should keep in mind that once you've got easy access you'll be helping with every double-clicking problem that comes up... =)
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svchost.exe jusched.exe dwm.exe ctfmon.exe wmpnetwk.exe |
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Wfica32.exe Mobsync.exe Cmd.exe Dpupdchk.exe |
