Remote Assistance Challenges

[gmosley]

A friend with a new Windows 7 machine needs my help. I'm looking to Remote Assistance as an alternative to the 20 min. drive to his home.
I tried "asking for assistance" from his machine today, to help him thru the process. The e-mail option (the only viable option) threw up the barrier "you don't have an e-mail client associated with this operation" (or something like that). Since he's using Windows Live Mail, even I was confused and had no idea how to set up this association.
When I got home, I tried the same thing from my own machine, intending to do a little experimentation - no dice! The e-mail is "greyed out"!! WTF?!!! What gives, here? Anybody got any suggestions? Anybody ever get this thing to actually work?

 

[Ryan2320]

What Windows 7 version is he/you are running?

Also instead of him doing the built-in e-mail option do the first one.
Save this invitation as a file

Then he can send it by e-mail himself.

Hope this Helps,
Ryan

 

[gmosley]

But...
Any idea how to create the e-mail association referred to in the error message?

 

[Lemur]

http://www.windows7news.com/2009/11/27/windows-7-remote-tools-remote-assistance/

Invite Another User to Troubleshoot Your Windows 7 Machine with Remote Assistance - How-To Geek

 

[gmosley]

Good article, thanks.
Nothing in it, though, on how to establish the appropriate e-mail client (Windows Live Mail in the case of my friend).
Anybody???

 

[Ryan2320]

Why can't you use Hotmail?
If you selected the Save this invitation as a file
Then you can use any online/client e-mail service..and just attach that file and e-mail it

I'm not sure if I understand you all the way, please go into detail of what you want to do..

Ryan

 

[gmosley]

When you select the "Invite..." option, the second of three options implies an automatic e-mail connection, without the need to pass a password ( could be wrong on that part - can't get that far ).

 

[Ryan2320]

The fast and easy way would be to select the first option..
Now, I am not that aware of why it does not let you choose the e-mail option, (My guess is that a default E-mail client must be selected)

To choose your e-mail client go to start
and search Set your default programs
Hit enter
And look for your e-mail program and set it has default program

Hope this Helps,
Ryan

 

[Ztruker]

Install TeamViewer or CrossLoop, makes the whole remote support process easy.

 

[gmosley]

Thanks, Rich - I'll look into that.
OK, Ryan. Thanks.
I had tried that but GMail, which I use, isn't on the list of programs to choose from. However, I did install Windows Live and, surprise, surprise, it does appear in the list. So I made it default and now option 2 works just the way I would have expected.
Thanks, everyone.

 

[Ztruker]

Gmail is not an E-mail client, it's an E-mail provider. The client would be Outlook, or Live Mail or SeaMonkey, etc. That's why Gmail does not show as a choice. You can setup Live Mail to handle Gmail POP/SMPT so in effect it becomes Gmail (sort of ).