.

Remote Assistance for the SOHO Network

An easy solution to providing Remote Assistance support over a Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) LAN, that is not a domain or a trusting domain environment, is to use the Invitation by File method. In the scenario the Expert receives a telephone request from the Novice for assistance. The Expert would simply click on a desktop icon and initiate the Remote Assistance session. The Expert would provide Remote Assistance for the remote XP Pro/Home machine while the Novice is watching the actions performed while sitting at his or her desktop. The Expert can easily configure the Windows XP Remote Assistance feature to provide easy one click access to support across a local area network (LAN).

Enable Remote Assistance on the Novice desktop

Reference Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 305608 - HOW TO: Enable Remote Assistance in Windows XP

Configure the Invitation File

  1. Open Help and Support on the Novices XP Pro/Home machine.

  2. Select Invite a friend to connect to your computer with Remote Assistance.

  3. Select Invite someone to help you.

  4. Select Save invitation as a file (Advanced).

  5. Enter a descriptive name.

  6. Set a time limit. Note 30 days is the default limit in XP.

  7. Click on Continue.

  8. Use a password.

  9. Select Save Invitation.

  10. Save the file to a folder that is shared with others across your network.

  11. Close Help and Support.

  12. Go to Experts XP Pro/Home PC and copy/move the file from the shared folder on the Novices XP Pro/Home machine to the Experts XP Pro/Home desktop. Rename the desktop RAInvitation shortcut icon with a unique name to clearly identify the Novices XP Pro/Home machine.

XP Pro RAInvitation file Ticket Expiration Time customization

The default ticket expiration time can be extended beyond the default 30 days to a maximum of 99 days.

  1. On the Novice users XP Pro machine, log on as an Administrative user.

  2. Go to Start -> Run and type gpedit.msc at the command prompt.

  3. Navigate to Local Computer Policy -> Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> System -> Remote
    Assistance -> Solicited Remote Assistance    .

  4. Open Properties and select Enable.

  5. Select Allow helpers to remotely control the computer, change the Maximum ticket time (value) to 99 and make sure Days is selected in the Maximum ticket time (units) window.

  6. Select Apply then OK.

  7. Go to File -> Exit.

  8. Log off as the Administrative user.

  9. Repeat the Configure the Invitation procedure Steps 1 through 12 but select a value of 99 days.

XP Home RAInvitation file Ticket Expiration Time customization

The default ticket expiration time can be extended beyond the default 30 days to a maximum of 99 days.

IMPORTANT: This procedure contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article numbers to view the Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:

256986 - Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

322756 - HOW TO: Back Up, Edit, and Restore the Registry in Windows XP.

  1. On the Novice users XP Home machine, log on as an Administrative user.

  2. Go to Start -> Run and type regedit at the command prompt.

  3. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\TerminalServer

  4. Add a DWORD of MaxExpiryUnits with a decimal value of 2 which indicates days.

     HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\TerminalServer\MaxExpiryUnits    REG_DWORD    0x00000002 (2)
     

  5. Add a DWORD value of MaxTicketExpiryUnits with a value of 99.

     HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\TerminalServer\MaxTicketExpiryUnits    REG_DWORD    0x000000063 (99)
     

  6. Go to File -> Exit

  7. Log off the Administrator account and reboot the PC.

  8. Repeat the Configure the Invitation procedure Steps 1 through 12 but select a value of 99 days.

Connect to Novice Desktop

When the Novice user needs assistance you can now simply click on the customized desktop RAInvitation shortcut icon on the Experts desktop. Follow the normal Remote Assistance procedures to help the Novice. The Configure the Invitation File procedure Steps 1 through 12 will need to be repeated after the time limit automatically expires the active ticket.