Template:Infobox Windows component Windows Remote Assistance is a feature of Windows XP and later that allows a user to temporarily control a remote Windows computer over a network or the Internet to resolve issues.[1][2] As it can be inconvenient for system administrators to personally visit the affected computer, Remote Assistance allows them to diagnose and often repair problems with a computer without ever personally visiting it.
In Windows Vista, Remote Assistance is a full-fledged standalone application and does not use the Help and Support Center or Windows Messenger. It is based on the Windows Desktop Sharing API. Two administrators can connect to a remote computer simultaneously. Also, a session automatically reconnects after restarting the computer. It also supports session pausing, built-in diagnostics, chat and file transfer and XML-based logging. It has been reworked to use less bandwidth for low-speed connections. NAT traversals are also supported, so a session can be established even if the user is behind a NAT device. Remote Assistance is configurable using Group Policy and supports command-line switches so that custom shortcuts can be deployed.
