Quick Assist
Quick Assist, Windows 10 feature, allows a user to temporarily view or control a remote Windows computer over a network or the Internet to resolve issues without directly touching the unit.[1][2][3] It is based on the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). It is complemented by Get Help, a feature introduced in Windows 10 that enables the user to contact Microsoft directly but does not allow for remote desktoping or screen sharing.
 | |
 Quick Assist in Windows 10 | |
| Developer(s) | Microsoft |
|---|---|
| Included with | Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 |
| Type | Remote controlling feature |
Before Quick Assist was introduced in Windows 10, Windows XP and later Windows versions offered a similar feature called Windows Remote Assistance.
Overview
Helpers offering remote assistance can open multiple simultaneous sessions—one for each remote computer. However, users seeking assistance from helpers can have only one RA session waiting for a connection. Connect invitations can be sent to multiple recipients—any of which may connect. All subsequent connect attempts will be blocked until the first helper disconnects, after which another helper may connect. If the user disconnects the session, the RA application terminates and no further connections are allowed.
Quick Assist is installed by default on Windows clients, but is not available on Windows Server 2008 R2 servers.[4] The name of the tool differs depending on Windows language, search for "Quick Assist" in the Start menu will locate the tool regardless of the language settings.
Quick Assist requests a code in order to match users to a session. This will allow the giver to access the computer of the receiver in Administrator mode while allowing the receiver to see the choices the giver made.
Connection
It uses TCP 443 and communicate with the following hosts:
| Host | Mandatory |
|---|---|
| channelwebsdks.azureedge.net | yes |
| web.vortex.data.microsoft.com | unknown |
| gateway.channelservices.microsoft.com | unknown |
| remoteassistance.support.services.microsoft.com | yes |
| relay.support.services.microsoft.com | unknown |
| *.lync.com | unknown |
The Quick Assist binary is located at "C:\Windows\System32\quickassist.exe"
History
In Windows Vista, Remote Assistance is based on RDP 6 and Windows Desktop Sharing API.[5] It is a standalone application and does not use the Windows Help and Support Center or Windows Messenger. Two systems administrators can simultaneously connect to a single computer. Remote sessions automatically reconnect after restarting the computer. It also supports session pausing, built-in diagnostics, chat, file transfer and XML-based logging. It reduces bandwidth requirements for low-speed connections. NAT traversal allows a session to be established even if the user is behind a Network Address Translation (NAT) device. Remote Assistance is configurable using Group Policy and supports command-line switches so that custom shortcuts can be deployed.
In Windows 7, Remote Assistance is based on RDP 7 and uses Peer Name Resolution Protocol when connecting using the Easy Connect option.[6] With Easy Connect, only a password needs to be shared instead of an invitation file, and two computers can establish a peer-to-peer connection over the Local Area Network (LAN) or the Internet without a relay server. Windows Remote Assistance does not support file transfer and clipboard sharing in Windows 7.[7][8]
Remote Assistance is installed by default on Windows clients, but must be added manually on Windows Server 2008 R2 servers.[9] Remote assistance sessions may be initiated using the Windows Remote Assistance application available on the Start menu under All Apps → Maintenance[10] or by invoking msra.exe from command-line interface.[11]
The original Remote Assistance is included on all releases of Windows 10 as well, but since the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, its Start menu shortcut is removed, effectively hiding it from the user. Instead, a new app called Quick Assist is added.[12] It has the same functionality and a fairly similar user interface, but it uses a solid white background and wireframe icons, similar to the Universal Windows Platform apps. Unlike Remote Assistant, Quick Assist requires the giver to sign in using a Microsoft account before dispensing help.[13][14]
Quick Assist, unlike Remote Assistance, presents a sparse screen with an explanation of its intended use and two options: Get assistance and Give assistance. The Quick Assist binary is located at "C:\Windows\System32\quickassist.exe".
While Remote Assistance establishes Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connection from to the end user computer (requires tcp/3389 to be opened on the client machine), Quick Assist is cloud-based and requires one outbound connection from the Helper to the cloud service, separate outbound connection to the cloud service from the user machine. No opened ports on the client firewall.
Features comparison
| Feature | Windows Remote Assistance | Windows Quick Assist |
|---|---|---|
| Remote assistance for Windows devices | Yes | Only Windows 10 |
| Remote assistance for MacOS devices | No | No |
| Remote assistance for smartphones | No | No |
| Viewing through device camera | No | No |
| Support of multiple screens on the target machine | Yes (all the monitors or clicking Fit to the size and scroll to selected monitor) | Yes (viewing selected monitor or all of them at once) |
| Keyboard layout used when remotely controlling a machine (the helper needs the keyboard layout to match his/her own computer for efficient assistance) | Using target computer keyboard layout | Using helper's keyboard layout |
| Working with elevated priviledges | No (the screen blacks-out and the user has to finish the action instead of the helper) | No[15] |
| Requirement for client software installation | No (installed in Windows by default) | No (installed in Windows by default) |
| Clipboard sharing (copy / paste text between helper's and end user's machine) | No (workaround: pasting via embedded chat window; limited number of characters) | No (workaround: pasting via embedded chat window; limited number of characters) |
| File transfer (between helper's and end user's machine) | No (workaround: via file share or file sharing cloud service) | No (workaround: via file share or file sharing cloud service) |
| Running scripts remotely (e.g. ipconfig) | No (workaround: scripts have to be copied to the remote machine first and executed from there) | No (workaround: scripts have to be copied to the remote machine first and executed from there) |
| Pausing remote control session by the end user (temporarily stopping screen sharing) | No (only cancelling the whole session) | Yes |
See also
References
- Get help remotely with Quick Assist in Windows 10
- Overview of Remote Assistance in Windows XP
- Windows XP Technical Overview
- "Remote Assistance and Resulting Internet Communication in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2". TechNet. Microsoft.
- "Writing a Desktop Sharing Application". Enterprise Mobility and Security Blog. Microsoft. 23 March 2007.
- Peer-To-Peer based Features in Win 7
- Improvements to Remote Assistance in Windows 7
- "Why doesn't windows 7 Remote Assistance support sharing clipboard and file transfer? Are there any work arrounds? [sic]". Windows Client TechCenter. Microsoft TechNet Social. 2010-12-10. Archived from the original on 2012-03-23. Retrieved 2011-11-09.
- Remote Assistance and Resulting Internet Communication in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2
- Get help with your computer using Windows Remote Assistance
- Initiate Remote Assistance from a Command Line or a Script
- "Quick Assistance: Remotely Control Another's PC / Computer". Windows Call. Retrieved 2019-09-09.
- Popa, Bogdan (9 August 2016). "Microsoft Highlights Its Windows 10 Anniversary Update TeamViewer Killer". Softpedia. SoftNews SRL.
- Srinivasan, Ramesh (2016-08-08). "Using Windows 10's New "Quick Assist" App (Walkthrough)". Winhelponline.
- Remotely assist mobile devices managed by Microsoft Endpoint Manager
Further reading
- "Windows Desktop Sharing API". Enterprise Mobility + Security blog. Microsoft. 8 March 2007.
- Torre, Charles (16 October 2006). "Windows Vista Remote Assistance: Under the Hood". Channel 9. Microsoft.
- Tulloch, Mitch; Northrup, Tony; Honeycutt, Jerry (2010). "23: Support Users with Remote Assistance" (PDF). Windows 7 Resource Kit. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Press. ISBN 9780735627000.