PC troubleshooting tool for online troubleshooting

Network Administrator - Whether an administrator or an unused computer user, one of the biggest obstacles to troubleshooting computer problems is often connecting to the computer that is being debugged.

Therefore, Microsoft has provided a number of quite powerful Internet platform tools that simplify the process of connecting to problematic systems to fix these problems.

With Remote Assistance, Remote Desktop Connection and Problem Steps Recorder, we can control a remote computer as if we are using the keyboard of the computer itself. These tools not only help us save travel time, but can also help us avoid certain situations, such as when the requestor cannot determine the exact settings or settings. error message. In addition to guiding users, we can also directly fix the problem very quickly.

Remote Assistance

Remote Assistance allows us to provide safe and secure technical help for remote computer users.

Unlike other remote access tools, Remote Assistance will not open a user's computer on the Internet so anyone outside can access it. Instead, users will have to send a request for Remote Assistance to approve the help to connect to.

This tool was first integrated in Windows XP operating system, but it has been improved a lot when integrated into Windows Vista and Windows 7. In Windows 7 , click Help and Support , select More Support Options at the bottom of this window, then select Remote Assistance . To find Remote Assistance in Windows versions before Windows 7, click Help and Support and then use the search function to find this tool.



After launching Remote Assistance, we can choose how to send a help request. The way and format of requests also varies a lot in versions that support Remote Assistance. In Windows XP, we can use two methods, including direct messaging or emailing. In Windows 7, we can send an email, save the connection invitation as an attachment (the helper will use this file to connect to the system), or use Easy Connect (this tool sets up connections). The relationship between two Windows 7 systems then uses Remote Assistance to connect.



When selecting a method to send a request by email, the default email application on the system will launch, then we will create an email asking for help and an attachment that the recipient will use to connect. need help. In Windows XP and Vista, users will receive a request to create a password for the remote helper to use to connect to their computer, and Windows 7 will create its own password.

After receiving and opening the attachment, we must enter the password provided to make the connection to the computer requesting assistance. At this point, the user requesting help will see a message asking for permission for the helper to make a connection and give a warning that this connection will allow us (the person who is connecting to) to see everything on the desktop.



When the Remote Assistance session is connected, both the Helper and the Helper will see a Windows screen together. At that time, we can use the chat feature to communicate with the requestor to fix the problem.

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Remote Desktop Connection

Remote Assistance is useful for debugging remote systems, but if you need to connect frequently to a remote system, the Remote Desktop Connection tool will be a better choice. This very versatile tool of Windows allows us to control any remote computer, especially, it is useful for administrators who need to connect to servers or other important systems.

To be able to connect to a remote system using Remote Desktop Connection, the system must be configured to accept these connections. In Windows Vista or Windows 7 , right-click Computer and choose Properties , or go to Control Panel and select System , then click the Remote settings link in the left panel. In Windows XP , right-click My Computer and select Properties, then click the Remote tab.



At the Remote Settings control panel we can deny or allow remote systems to connect to the computer. Members of the admin group will automatically be granted access to systems that have Remote Desktop Connection enabled. So if we want other users to connect using Remote Desktop Connection, we have to include them in this group. Once Remote Desktop Connection is enabled, we will be provided with the address needed to remotely connect to this computer.

To start the Remote Desktop Connection session, go to Start | All Programs | Accessories | Remote Desktop Connection . In the Remote Desktop Connection window, we can enter the IP address or the name of the computer we want to connect to, and the username we are using to make the connection. When the connection process is started, Windows will ask for a valid username and password for the remote computer if it does not save connection information from the previous connection on that computer.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008 allow multiple simultaneous connections via Remote Desktop Connection, but Windows only allows one connection at a time. Unlike Remote Assistance, Remote Desktop Connection only allows remote users to see the desktop, after the connection session is made the screen turns black. If the local login user returns to this system, the connection session will end, so when using the Remote Desktop Connection to troubleshoot the computer, it is necessary to ask the user on the system to request a paused help. use the machine.

Problem Steps Recorder

Windows 7 integrates a very useful new tool called the Problem Steps Recorder. This tool allows us to save every step of the actions performed on the system. We can then use the recorded information to troubleshoot or request troubleshooting when a problem arises.

Problem Steps Recorder is ideal in certain situations. It is often difficult for the user to determine exactly what the problem is, and where it arises, so the troubleshooter is quite difficult. Although Windows Remote Assistance tool allows both users and administrators to see the screen working and troubleshooting together, however, third-party providers rarely use it as a debugging tool.

Moreover, because Problem Steps Recorder data can be sent as attachments, users and helpers do not have to connect with each other. In particular, it is possible to re-check the operations performed before the error arises and can troubleshoot offline problems to make debugging process much more effective.

Problem Steps Recorder does not appear in Control Panel, to launch this tool we will have to go to the Start menu and then enter psr.exe into the Search box and press Enter . A simple console will then appear with several options to start and end the recording process, and allow additional comments.



Problem Steps Recorder's output data is not video but many screenshots, then these images will be made into an MHTML file. To view this file we will have to use the Internet Explorer browser application.

Another feature of Problem Steps Recorder is that we don't have to store lots of data when problems arise. We can use these data to create detailed documentation so that users can fix themselves when there are similar problems arising.

Of course, connecting to a computer that is crashing and observing the problem is just the first step in troubleshooting the remote computer. Sometimes we cannot use these tools, as in the case of a complete knockdown of the system, however, we cannot deny their usefulness when troubleshooting common problems.