Remote Assistance over Local Network ???

We need some help providing remote assistance over our local network. The
connection needs to be provided from a computer running Windows Vista
Ultimate to a computer running Windows XP Professional. At this point, the
computers can connect over the network and share files without any problem,
so the network seems to be working fine. Likewise, the XP computer can
request remote assistance from the Visa computer through email and the
computers connect using that method just fine.

On the other hand, we CANNOT send an assistance request directly over the
network by offering help using a computer name or IP address. When we
attempt to offer help using a computer name or IP address, we get the error
message "Your offer to help could not be sent." The dialog also suggests
several things to check such as permissions, whether computer is ON, or
network problems.

We have checked all these items and feel that everything should be in order,
except one aspect as follows: The help subjects on remote assistance
suggest that the destination computer should have an "Offer Remote
Assistance Helpers" group and that the person offering assistance needs to
be listed as a member of that group. However, after researching, we cannot
find this group on any of our Vista or XP computers, even though help on
'Default User Groups" lists that group as a default group. Nonetheless, we
do find a "Remote Desktop Users" group and have added the person offering
assistance to that group, but to no avail. Can someone direct us to an
article or provide some specific steps that will allow us to make the proper
Remote Assistance connection directly over the local network?

Two other parting questions: FIRST, why in the world did Microsoft remove
the VOICE capabilities from remote assistance in the Vista version of
Windows? SECOND, is there any way to place a Remote Assistance icon on the
desktop or start menu?

Thanks for any help on this subject.

Is this in a work group environment? I know that you can not use the "offer"
functionality in a work group environment with XP but can with Vista Ultimate
and I presume Business edition.

A work around is to create the invitation files on the XP boxes and transfer
them to the Vista box. See this procedure which should also work for Vista
Home editions.

http://theillustratednetwork.mvps.org/RemoteAssistance/RemoteAssistance.html
--

Al Jarvi (MS-MVP Windows Networking)

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights...
The MS-MVP Program - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com



"Blue Max" wrote:

> We need some help providing remote assistance over our local network. The
> connection needs to be provided from a computer running Windows Vista
> Ultimate to a computer running Windows XP Professional. At this point, the
> computers can connect over the network and share files without any problem,
> so the network seems to be working fine. Likewise, the XP computer can
> request remote assistance from the Visa computer through email and the
> computers connect using that method just fine.
>
> On the other hand, we CANNOT send an assistance request directly over the
> network by offering help using a computer name or IP address. When we
> attempt to offer help using a computer name or IP address, we get the error
> message "Your offer to help could not be sent." The dialog also suggests
> several things to check such as permissions, whether computer is ON, or
> network problems.
>
> We have checked all these items and feel that everything should be in order,
> except one aspect as follows: The help subjects on remote assistance
> suggest that the destination computer should have an "Offer Remote
> Assistance Helpers" group and that the person offering assistance needs to
> be listed as a member of that group. However, after researching, we cannot
> find this group on any of our Vista or XP computers, even though help on
> 'Default User Groups" lists that group as a default group. Nonetheless, we
> do find a "Remote Desktop Users" group and have added the person offering
> assistance to that group, but to no avail. Can someone direct us to an
> article or provide some specific steps that will allow us to make the proper
> Remote Assistance connection directly over the local network?
>
> Two other parting questions: FIRST, why in the world did Microsoft remove
> the VOICE capabilities from remote assistance in the Vista version of
> Windows? SECOND, is there any way to place a Remote Assistance icon on the
> desktop or start menu?
>
> Thanks for any help on this subject.
>