I can't really describe my problem over the phone. Can I get some help without coming to the desk?

If your computer is running Windows XP or later, there's a nifty little program called Remote Assistance that lets you do just that. (Sorry Apple fans, there's no equivalent for Macs.) This allows the person assisting you (in this case, probably an ITS consultant) to see exactly what you're seeing on your desktop, to chat with you through an instant messaging window about your problem, and if it becomes necessary, to take control of the computer and perform complicated steps for you. (Don't worry, though; this last part requires your consent, and you can see what's going on the entire time.) Do keep in mind that this requires a network connection, so if you're having some sort of connectivity issue, this method won't work. Once you have opened a connection you will be able to see the person's desktop and work on the computer as if you were physically in front of the machine. This feature is built into Windows XP and later, so both people must be running a new enough operating system. In addition, since you must have a network connection to connect, you can't use this to diagnose connection problems.

How do I set up Remote Assistance?

1. Go to Start > All Programs > Remote Assistance. (It should be listed at the end of the stuff that came with the computer, before any programs you've installed yourself.
   
   
   If you don't see this in the Start menu, click on Help and Support. At the top of that window, you should see an option that says Invite a friend to connect to your computer with Remote Assistance. Click this link.
   
   
   
2. Now you should have the Remote Assistance help window open. Click the link that says Invite someone to help you.
   
   
   
   • If at this point you get a message saying "Your current system settings prevent you from sending an invitation," you have Remote Assistance disabled. To enable it, click Ok on the message window and right-click on the My Computer icon and choose Properties. In the window that pops up, select the Remote tab. Make sure the box next to Allow Remote Assistance invitations to be sent from this computer is checked, then hit Apply.
     
     
     Once the Apply button is greyed out, hit Ok and try again to click the Invite someone to help you link. It should work this time.
3. You can certainly send a Remote Assistance request through e-mail, but the best way to do it is to click Save invitation as a file (Advanced) at the bottom of the screen.
   
   
   
4. Type your name into the box. You should set the invitation to expire in 1-2 hours, depending on how long you think it will take to resolve your problem. Two hours is usually more than enough.
   
   
   
5. Make sure the box next to Require the recipient to use a password is checked. DO NOT USE ANY OF YOUR OWN PASSWORDS. You will need to tell the ITS consultant (or whoever will be helping you) this password, so DO NOT use your Pomona password or any of your other passwords. Something like password or sagehen will be fine here. Make sure you tell your recipient the password, so they can connect to your computer once they receive the invitation. Then click Save Invitation.
   
   
   
6. You now have a couple of options of where to save your file. If you have an AIM screenname, you can save the file to your own computer (in which case you don't need to change the name) and send the file through AIM to Pomona ITS. Your other option is to use Tempdisk, a temporary storage drive on the network. In the "File name" box of the Save window, type \\campus.pomona.edu\resources\tempdisk. (You might be prompted to enter your username and password. Make sure you enter your username in the CAMPUS\xyz0200x form.) Open the folder for the current day. Enter your username as the name of the file and click Save.
   
7. You will get a confirmation message saying that your file has been saved. Now you have to wait for the recipient to open your invitation file and enter the password you chose earlier. Once they've done this, you'll get a message asking if you want to allow them to connect to your computer. Click Yes.
   
   
   
8. The person on the other end can now see everything that's on your screen. A chat window will pop up that allows you to communicate directly with your expert. From here, they can give you instructions on how to fix your problem.
   
   
   
9. If you'd rather let your expert do some of these things for you, let them know. You will then get a message telling you that they have asked to share control of your computer. Click Yes to approve.
   
   
   Please refrain from using the mouse while your expert is sharing control. You will still be able to see everything that's going on, and you can resume complete control at any time by pressing the ESC key. Once you've resolved your problem, you can disconnect from the Remote Assistance session by closing the chat window.