Microsoft Quick Assist – Solve Windows PC problems over a remote connection

Microsoft Quick Assist is a remote assistance tool that allows you to connect to another computer and help them with a problem, or vice-versa. It was first released in 2017 with Windows 10, and it is available on all subsequent versions of Windows.

Quick Assist is a great tool for helping friends and family with computer problems. It is also useful for businesses that need to provide remote support to their customers.

To use Quick Assist, just click the Windows icon and search for ‘quick’, as per the screenshot, and then click ‘Open’. In the unlikely event that Quick Assist is not already installed on your Windows PC, you can download the app from the Microsoft Store.

Once you have opened the app, you can either:

1. Enter the security code provided by the trusted person who will be assisting you, or
2. Click on the ‘Help someone’ button to get the code to give to someone who you wish to help. Note that you’ll need a (free) Microsoft account in order to perform this role.

Once the connection is established, the remote support person can view the other person’s screen(s), annotate it, or even take control of the mouse and keyboard.

Quick Assist is a safe and secure way to provide remote assistance. However, it is important to take precautions to make sure that you only give access to trusted persons.

Here are a few tips:

• Only give the code to people you know and trust. This does NOT include people who’ve contacted you out of the blue via phone or mail or similar, claiming to be from Microsoft, your bank, etc.
• If you are giving control of your computer to someone else, make sure that you have a way to disconnect from them if necessary (Quick Assist has this).
• Don’t walk away from your PC while the person is giving support. Make sure they’re not looking at or doing things that are clearly off-topic.
• If you’re in any doubt whatsoever about the authenticity of the person or their actions, STOP. Ask a 2nd or 3rd opinion from trusted persons who you contact, not who contact you.

Here are some typical use cases for Microsoft Quick Assist:

• Helping a friend or family member with a computer problem
• Providing remote support to a customer
• Training someone on how to use a new software application
• Giving a presentation over the internet

Quick Assist is a powerful tool that can be used for a variety of purposes. By following the tips in this blog post, you can help ensure that Quick Assist is a safe and secure way to provide remote assistance.

Further reading:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/solve-pc-problems-over-a-remote-connection-b077e31a-16f4-2529-1a47-21f6a9040bf3