GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Hello Fellow GenVibers, My parents just got their FIRST computer finally and my mom doesn't know what a mouse is.. They are located in NYState and I am in VA. I would like to be able to access their computer remotely somehow to help them set it up and do maintanence and such. Any advice to what software I could use for that?I am on XP and so are they.I have Cable internet and they will be on dialup.

does she have XP home or XP pro?If she has XP Pro then remote PC is built in. If she has XP home, then she will need to get some third party software. Symantec makes a good one called PC Anywhere.

XP home for both of us.. I will check that software out..

I use the heck out of VNC. It's a free, multi-platform app that lets you remotely control other machines.I have used it on dial-up, but each time you need to connect, you'll need the other party to dial out to the net and get their IP address.PC Anywhere, while pricey, may be your best bet. They just have to start the host, and you can then dial their phone number and connect that way... Of course, long distance charges will apply for you. You can also connect via TCP/IP through PC Anywhere, but then you'll run into the above mentioned issue where you'll need them to find their IP each time.Any way you do it though, it'll be sloooow.

I have VNC installed in my Desptop and Laptop to test it ouyt and I couldn't figure it out.... I will try reading instructions from the website for help

Also, using the remote assistance wizard in the "Help & Support" Menu will probably give you the most success.

Your best bet might be just to get them a book or have them attend a class at a local tech college. That way, they will get more out of their computer and will learn how to do their own maintenance.My Grandpa is over 70 years old and just bought his first computer. He reads all kinds of books and can do pretty much anything. He's even been ambitious enough to install a CD-Rom in a friends computer for them!

Pretty simple, in a nutshell you just start VNC server on the box you want to control. On the other box, start VNC viewer and plug in the IP address. That's about it...

But with her using dial-up, things are going to be unbearably slow.

I found VNC is still pretty good over dialup. Better than the rest anyway.Good luck.

my father inlaw went to microsoft.com and found you can do it thru xp home ed. I got an email from him,I followed the link and took control of his computer. I'll see where the site was on microsoft.com

Just remember that in Windows, if you can take control of someones computer, so can just about anyone else with a little knowledge and patience.......