How To Troubleshoot a Windows PC Remotely

If you are computer reseller then you must be knowing the frustration of attending a customer just to set the default view of all the folders. Sometimes the client is too afraid to do anything himself or is a newbie who cannot understand what to do. Such situations become a waste of time, energy and money. This is a very common thing and happens frequently. So if it is a common thing, Microsoft should have taken care of the situation and should have provided us with a tool useful in such cumbersome situations. And Yes, the name is Remote Desktop.

You can use Remote Desktop to solve such problems. This application is so built that you can access the Client's computer as if you were accessing it from the Client's Location. You can open any application or make any changes in the very same way as you make changes to your own computer sitting in front of it. Now you would have guessed the advantages yourself.

So how to configure that small little useful application on your computer? The solution follows:

To configure this service, you need to have the administrative privileges. This is to confirm the authenticity and help you work more securely. So just log in to your computer with Administrative Privileges. Now make sure that both the computers are connected to Internet. This is pretty obvious but is missed many number of times and get you scratching your head. Now we will be configuring the host computer first.

On the host computer, right click on the My Computer Icon on the Desktop and select the Properties Option. Navigate to the Remote Tab and Select the option that says 'Allow users to connect remotely to this computer'. Click the OK button. Now know the IP address of the host computer. To do this navigate to the Start Menu and select Run. Type 'cmd' in it and press Enter. Now type 'ipconfig/all'. This will present you with a list that has the networking details in it. Note down the IP Address somewhere and type exit to exit the Command Prompt.

Now navigate to Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> Communications. Click on the Remote Desktop Connection. In it Click the Options button for the advanced view. Now type in the IP Address, Username and Password of the host computer in the appropriate Fields. Now click on Connect button and make a connection with the remote Computer.

If everything is correct, you should be able to connect to the client computer successfully and access it with your Keyboard and Mouse. That is all you are required to do.

Sources:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/150068/how_do_i_remotely_troubleshoot_someone_elses_pc.html