[SOLVED] Best Remote Software?

[ThatPlace928]

I have a customer in North Dakota who I tried walking through to a Windows Defender full scan. I walked him through each screen but I can't tell if he's going to the correct one or not, because it appears his options on the screen are different from mine and wherever he's at doesn't show "Scan Options". He didn't have a lot of time to spend and we can only talk by phone. He's going to be calling back in the morning, when we both have time to get through this.

I'm in Arizona and I did his initial Windows 10 upgrade when he came to town as a snowbird a couple years ago. This is the only out of state customer who calls when he has issues but I can't help him this time without actually looking at his desktop. He clicked on what looked like a legitimate site but wasn't and ended up with the Windows "pretender" in full screen with a phone number. So I got him out of that, now a scan needs to be run.

What is the best software to remote in and get the scan started for him or to at least see how he's trying to get where he needs to be?

 

[backwoodsman]

For something simple and easy for occasional use, I'd suggest DWService. I've been using it for a few years. No doubt there are better ones, but I've never seen a better one that's free, and that's the price I can justify at my current level of need for it.

DWService - remote access, remote administration, remote support

DWService offers a service that allows remote access to systems using a standard web browser.

www.dwservice.net

 

[Porthos]

He clicked on what looked like a legitimate site but wasn't and ended up with the Windows "pretender" in full screen with a phone number.

Do you not have Malwarebytes Browser Guard and Ublock Origin on your user's browsers?

 

[ThatPlace928]

Do you not have Malwarebytes Browser Guard and Ublock Origin on your user's browsers?

Yes, I do. And whatever got through, got through the Browser Guard, as well. I have another customer's laptop in front of me running a deep scan for the same exact thing and she also has Browser Guard and paid for protection from MalwareBytes Premium, as my ND customer does, too.

I have run 3 deep scans on the laptop in front of me in the past 30 days. She keeps clicking on things like recipes in Facebook. She knows not to do it but did it anyway again this morning. The first scan actually revealed a PUP that was buried in an archived file, which I thought was weird, the next deep scan revealed a Trojan, which was quarantined by WD, then removed by WD. Today is her 3rd deep scan.

My most urgent need right now is to find the best software to remote into my ND client's laptop before tomorrow morning when he calls.

BTW, I do NOT have UBlock Origin.

 

[britechguy]

Why not use Quick Assist? It's what I use all the time now, and if all you need to do is see his screen and have full control of his computer (upon request) it's the thing to use. It comes with Windows 10 and 11 and has never failed to work for me.

 

[Markverhyden]

He clicked on what looked like a legitimate site but wasn't and ended up with the Windows "pretender" in full screen with a phone number.

Statistically speaking if he never let anyone in then he's most likely good to go.

I run my own SimpleHelp server for my remote access needs. Occasionally it doesn't work because of some setting on the patient machine. In those cases I always use AnyDesk. No purchase or account needed.

If it was me I'd be looking to run an external scan. In this case I'd start with House Call.

Browsers also need to be fully reset.

 

[ThatPlace928]

For something simple and easy for occasional use, I'd suggest DWService. I've been using it for a few years. No doubt there are better ones, but I've never seen a better one that's free, and that's the price I can justify at my current level of need for it.

DWService - remote access, remote administration, remote support

DWService offers a service that allows remote access to systems using a standard web browser.

www.dwservice.net

Thank you. I'll look into it.

 

[mmerry]

I use Zoho Assist for quick connections. There is the free level that gets me by in most cases.

 

[lan101]

Could just use free ultraviewer for occasional usage. That's what all the scammers use to do their evil biddings lol.

 

[ThatPlace928]

Why not use Quick Assist? It's what I use all the time now, and if all you need to do is see his screen and have full control of his computer (upon request) it's the thing to use. It comes with Windows 10 and 11 and has never failed to work for me.

Never heard of it. Is it in Windows 10 already or do you download it?

 

[ThatPlace928]

Could just use free ultraviewer for occasional usage. That's what all the scammers use to do their evil biddings lol.

Yeah, thanks..... lol I need software that doesn't pick up hitchhikers along the way. If that's what the scammers do, I don't want it.... haha.

 

[Porthos]

Never heard of it. Is it in Windows 10 already or do you download it?

Comes from the Windows Store and need to use an MS account to use it on your end

 

[Porthos]

Distant Desktop - Free Remote Desktop Software

With this remote desktop software you can control your computers from any device at a distance. Free for personal and commercial use.

www.distantdesktop.com

 

[ThatPlace928]

Comes from the Windows Store any need to use a MS account

Thank you. I'll check it out. Too bad WD doesn't offer that option in the security screen. At least then I'd feel more protected.

 

[ThatPlace928]

Statistically speaking if he never let anyone in then he's most likely good to go.

I run my own SimpleHelp server for my remote access needs. Occasionally it doesn't work because of some setting on the patient machine. In those cases I always use AnyDesk. No purchase or account needed.

If it was me I'd be looking to run an external scan. In this case I'd start with House Call.

Browsers also need to be fully reset.

No, he didn't. Fortunately, he called me when he got the message.

 

[Kitten Kong]

I use quick assist as well.

Not being in the business full time any longer, I don't have any reason to use software I need to pay for any longer.

 

[ThatPlace928]

I use quick assist as well.

Not being in the business full time any longer, I don't have any reason to use software I need to pay for any longer.

Thank you. That's 2 for Quick Assist. I'm with you on paying for software I rarely or never need.

 

[britechguy]

Is it in Windows 10 already or do you download it?

The answer to that is "yes and no." The original iteration of Quick Assist made its debut with Windows 10. There is an updated version and I believe that Porthos is correct that if you want the updated version on a Windows 10 machine you have to download it from the Microsoft Store. It's already present on Windows 11.

For those of us serving the residential and micro-business markets and who are not MSPs and who don't need many of the bells and whistles that come with things such as Teamviewer and the like, Quick Assist is a perfect solution and one that needs no installation, in most cases.

Windows + Ctrl + Q and it opens.

You do need to have a Microsoft Account and be logged in if you are the person assisting, as like all remote software, there is a go-between server involved. The assistee need not, though.

Also be aware that you, the assistant, cannot interact with UAC prompts directly. You will get a "black screen" on your end when such pops up on the end of the person being assisted. This is, obviously, a security measure. I'm so used to saying to my clients, "hit OK or Yes or continue" on whatever prompt has appeared when I get a black screen I barely think about it anymore.

 

[ThatPlace928]

The answer to that is "yes and no." The original iteration of Quick Assist made its debut with Windows 10. There is an updated version and I believe that Porthos is correct that if you want the updated version on a Windows 10 machine you have to download it from the Microsoft Store. It's already present on Windows 11.

For those of us serving the residential and micro-business markets and who are not MSPs and who don't need many of the bells and whistles that come with things such as Teamviewer and the like, Quick Assist is a perfect solution and one that needs no installation, in most cases.

Windows + Ctrl + Q and it opens.

Thank you. I appreciate that. Once this is done for this particular customer, I'm going to talk her into buying a Windows 11 laptop. She's still on Windows 10. She's an older woman with major health issues and just wants to play games..... mostly. I blocked all the game sites she was using a week ago and installed 41 offline games for her so she doesn't need the internet to play. But she still goes on to use Facebook and that's where she's clicking on bad links the most.

 

[britechguy]

@ThatPlace928

Might it be time to suggest to this individual that it might be better to use a Standard User Account for her day to day activities? That way if she "releases the kraken" of junk software installation, it just cannot happen.

I've set up a number of my senior citizen clients with a local standard account for their daily driving use, while maintaining a Microsoft-Account-linked admin privilege account alongside it for "when needed." For many, it's never needed. I've even had one or two forget the password or PIN because it's virtually never used in practice.