One of the not-so-famous apps that you get along with your Windows 10 is the Quick Assist, which is a remote-access tool connecting two PCs over the internet so that you can remotely access one PC through another. This helps the person controlling the remote PC trace and fix a problem with it.
Users on both PC's, under Quick Assist, see the desktop of the PC being controlled thus making the app a great tool for teaching
So, helping your parents, or a friend or anyone else which would require you to be there in person, now can be done sitting at your own home, on your PC and this is how:
Essentials before you start.
1. You need to make sure that both the computers are running Windows 10 version 1607 or later. You can just look for Quick Assist on the search box next to the start menu and if you find that the app launches on both computers then you are good to go.
If the Quick Assist app doesn't launch on either of the PCs, you have to update the OS to the latest version of Windows 10.
2. In order to grant permission for Quick Assist to connect their PC to the computer which is to be controlled by the person who is going to give assistance, the person who needs the assistance should be sitting in front of his computer, at least initially.
3. You must have a user account with a Microsoft service if you are the one who will provide assistance to the other person's PC. In case you don't have a Microsoft account the Quick Assist tool will let you sign up for free.
4. Quick Assist requires a fast internet connection on both ends, so you can try video calling each other and if that goes smoothly, then you have a good enough connection.
5. Sound from the remote PC would not be streamed by Quick Assist. This wouldn't cause much trouble unless you are trying to fix an audio issue with the other PC.
Making the connection
Here, we are assuming that you will control the other PC over the internet:
1. Launch the Quick Assist tool.
2. Under "Give assistance" click on the "Assist another person" button, at the bottom of the screen.
3. Sign in with your Microsoft account.
4. A six-digit security code is generated by Quick Assist. You can give this code to the person whose PC has to be connected to.
5. The other person now has to launch Quick Assist on their computer. Then move under "Get assistance" and enter the six-digit security code that was provided to them and click on the Share screen button.
6. Now, Quick Assist will present two options at your end: "Take full control" and "View Screen" As the names suggest, the first allows you to take control whereas the other one lets you view the other PC screen without controlling it. For this guide, click on Take full control.
7. After this, the other person clicks the Allow button on his PC, thus giving you permission to access their computer.
Tools that could be used.
As you are controlling another PC, you will see a toolbar on your screen which has various useful options, at the upper-right of the Quick Assist window.
Select Monitor: You can use this tool to view what is on the other that has been connected to the remote PC.
Annotate: You can use this tool to draw on the other PC's screen. This tool helps you to put emphasis on certain things on the other PC. You can just click Exit Annotation, on the upper-right corner of your screen, to remove the doodles.
Actual Size: This tool could be used to see the other PC's screen in its native resolution.
Toggle Instruction Channel: You can use this tool to chat with the person on the other end. You just have to click this button, type a message in the chatbox and then click send. A notification will pop on the other computer on the clipboard icon. The other person can click on that notification to open the chatbox and then chat away.
Restart: As the name suggests, this tool ends the connection between the two PCs and restarts the remote PC.
Task Manager: This tool will launch the Windows Task Manager tool which you can then use to troubleshoot issues with applications that are running on the remote PC.
Pause and End: They work just like you expect them to, pausing and ending the connection between the two PCs.
