Re: Remote Assistance

[sf]

On Thu, 14 Aug 2003 18:38:52 -0700, "Gary S. Terhune"
> wrote:

> Please ask this question in the Windows XP newsgroups. Suggest
> microsoft.public.windowsxp.general, or microsoft.public.windowsxp.messenger
>
Do you also recommend microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics?

I'd like to find out which programs I use on my win98 will
be of help on my mother's new XP (she's a computer novice).

I intend to install AVG for her, but will AdAware & Spybot
S&D work on XP? I like RegCleaner too and I also intend to
install the MVPS hosts file to prevent unwanted pop up
windows. How will she scandisk & defrag on XP?

Any helpful suggestions to get her up and running smoothly?
I'd also like to find in her area (Corvallis/Newport,
Oregon) that offers computer training for seniors.

[Gary S. Terhune]

<sf> wrote in message ...
> On Thu, 14 Aug 2003 18:38:52 -0700, "Gary S. Terhune"
> > wrote:
>
> > Please ask this question in the Windows XP newsgroups. Suggest
> > microsoft.public.windowsxp.general, or microsoft.public.windowsxp.messenger
> >
> Do you also recommend microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics?

Sure, why not? My initial recomendations were oriented toward your specific
request for info on RA, but for more extended XP info, there are certainly other
groups to check out.

>
> I'd like to find out which programs I use on my win98 will
> be of help on my mother's new XP (she's a computer novice).
>
> I intend to install AVG for her, but will AdAware & Spybot
> S&D work on XP? I like RegCleaner too and I also intend to
> install the MVPS hosts file to prevent unwanted pop up
> windows. How will she scandisk & defrag on XP?

I use AdAware and RegCleaner on my XP. Don't use SpyBot. MVPS Hosts is great.
Checkdsk is run either via command line or in "disk" properties. Simple checking
can be done while system is up, but, if NTFS, fixing anything usually requires
rebooting to dismount the volume--if needed, it's prompted and a flag set for
next startup. Defrag looks different and *is* different, but it's painless.

>
> Any helpful suggestions to get her up and running smoothly?
> I'd also like to find in her area (Corvallis/Newport,
> Oregon) that offers computer training for seniors.

Can't help you there. However, consider recommending Professional over Home
edition. Why? Because Professional has Remote Desktop (you can actually run the
remote machine from your 98 desktop.) The disadvantage here is that your mom
won't be able to see and participate in what you are doing, the advantage is
that you will be able to do things *for* her if she gets overwhelmed, instead of
being relegated to pointing and suggesting. Of course, RA is also there in Pro
Edition when it's all that's needed, but if you stick with Home Edition, I
suspect you'll kick yourself more than once and exclaim, "I sure wish she had RD
right about now!" I know I do when I get calls from my XP Home customers (who
are, in their majority, "Little Old Ladies".) (I also have a brother with an XP
system who regularly needs me to service his system remotely. He's not exactly
techno-phobic, but he *does* have a temper, and while he's a top-rated aircraft
mechanic/inspector, and has learned to hold on to that temper while working on
expensive machinery, he feels that extending that prudence to computers is
asking too much, <g>.)

Anyway, I specifically do not pretend to have the broad knowledge to participate
in XP discussions at length, which is another reason I stick to 98 NGs. Simply
don't have the time to devote to the amount of fill-in learning required. I set
mine and my clients machines up as I want them to be, and deal with that
limited, known environment. So it's good that you've crossed this to the XP
groups, and I'll bow out, OK?

Might consider making this the last post in this thread that crosses to
Win98.Gen_Discussion. Only reason I leave it in the list is because I don't know
where you're reading it, or if you've subscribed to the others. But I suggest
you do so now, simply to keep the flies off the food, so to speak, <g>.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP for Windows 9x

*Recommended Help Sites*
http://www.dts-l.org
http://www.mvps.org
http://www.aumha.org

How to Use the Microsoft Product Support Newsgroups
http://support.microsoft.com/?pr=newswhelp
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[cquirke]

On Sat, 16 Aug 2003 00:02:09 -0700, "Gary S. Terhune"

>However, consider recommending Professional over Home edition. Why?
>Because Professional has Remote Desktop (you can actually run the
>remote machine from your 98 desktop.)

AFAIK, Home does have that as well.

You want to make sure Remote Desktop isn't used as a built-in RAT by
anyone else who can grab it's tail.


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Error Messages Are Your Friends
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[Gary S. Terhune]

"cquirke" > wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 16 Aug 2003 00:02:09 -0700, "Gary S. Terhune"
>
> >However, consider recommending Professional over Home edition. Why?
> >Because Professional has Remote Desktop (you can actually run the
> >remote machine from your 98 desktop.)
>
> AFAIK, Home does have that as well.

It doesn't. One of the major "feature" difference between the two versions.

>
> You want to make sure Remote Desktop isn't used as a built-in RAT by
> anyone else who can grab it's tail.

I have the machines I service set up in such a way that it is disabled until
it's needed, at which time I have the user on the other end run a script that
sets up auto-logon (so I can reboot it if needed) and enable a couple of other
things, the requisite firewall permission, a service called TZO that provides me
with the IP where the connection is a dynamic IP, etc. When I'm done, the last
thing I do is disable all that stuff.