What solutions to use to control PCs remotely: we focus on ready-to-use programs that do not require installation.
One of the market segments where there is more competition is undoubtedly that of remote control programs. There are many paid solutions that can be found but if you need a solution for remote assistance, free solutions that do not require installation can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
For PC remote control, especially if you were to assist a user who is not particularly familiar with the IT tool, it is unthinkable to choose solutions that involve opening one or more communication ports on the router.
In fact, Remote Desktop remains one of the best solutions to manage Windows computers remotely but it is essential to always update the operating system with the monthly Microsoft patches because security problems are often corrected (exploitable for example by sending artfully modified RDP packages).
For this reason and to have a higher level of security, Remote Desktop should be installed and made accessible behind a VPN.
If the goal was to provide remote assistance whenever necessary, it is advisable to focus on portable solutions that can be used without installing anything.
Chrome Remote Desktop allows you to use only the Google web browser to share everything shown on your system. However, the user who shares is required to install a server component, which is not required for those who connect remotely.
Windows 10 Quick Support
Windows 10 users can share their desktop with remote support providers simply by typing Quick Assistance in the search box and pressing Enter.
Unlike other programs for remote control of PCs, those who request assistance must enter the numerical code provided by the person offering it.
The one who offers assistance must click on Help another person to log in with a Microsoft user account and then provide the other person with the code displayed.
As the last step, he can decide whether to take complete control of the other PC or view what is displayed on the other system.
Both users must confirm remote access and the shareholder will see a yellow box appear around the area that sees the remote attendant for the duration of the session.
By acting on the toolbar at the top, those offering assistance can select the monitor to control (useful in case of multi-monitor configurations), add graphic annotations directly on the other user’s screen, and show what is displayed in the actual size (with the resolution used by the other user, without resizing), send instructions in text form ( Enable / disable channel instructions ), restart the system, open the Task Manager and manage the remote support session.
SupRemo Free: Free for non-commercial use
A program like TeamViewer works well but users have often reported abrupt termination of the work session with reference to possible uses of the program in commercial environments. The free version of TeamViewer cannot in fact be used for commercial purposes but only for private use.
The same limitation is provided for by the Italian SupRemo software for Windows and macOS but the program does not unexpectedly close when used in a non-commercial and non-continuous and infrequent form.
The advantage of SupRemo is that it is a simple to use, portable (does not need to be installed) and above all very light solution. It is also cross platform allowing you to remotely manage both Windows and macOS systems.
Remote Utilities
Remote Utilities is a free remote access program that boasts some noteworthy features.
The Remote Utilities Agent allows you to share access to the PC in use without installing anything (it can also be launched from an external drive): the ID returned must be entered by the remote user to connect remotely. To download it, click on Run-only agent .
The Viewer module is available as a separate component or in combination with the Host component capable of activating PC sharing.
There are versions of the Viewer for Windows, macOS, Linux,top Android, and iOS.
The Agent and Host modules do not require any licenses to function; the Viewer component , that is the client that can be used to connect to remote systems, works in trial mode for 30 days and then switches to the free version.
In the trial version you can control an unlimited number of PCs while with the free license you can manage up to 10.
Remote Utilities integrates a remote task manager, a file transfer module, supports the use of WOL for remote power on systems , remote command prompt access, a remote file launcher, a file manager system information, text chat, remote access to the system log and remote viewing of the webcam.
Remote Utilities also supports remote printing and controlling multiple monitors.
To control a system remotely with the Viewer just extract all the contents of the compressed archive of Remote Utilities, click twice on the rutview.exe file then on Add connection and specify the ID received from the user who started the Agent module on the his PC.
Distant Desktop: completely free, even for commercial use
Another completely portable and free remote access program for both personal and commercial use is Distant Desktop .
The goal of the Distant Desktop developers is obviously to acquire as many users as possible. It is therefore not certain that licensing policies will change in the future.
The user of the computer to be controlled remotely simply has to share his ID and password. Passwords are generated automatically but you can also choose your own to make it easier to remember (but be careful not to set passwords that are easily “guessed” by third parties).
ID and password must be entered in the client module to connect remotely. The tabs at the top of the program interface allow you to manage multiple connections at the same time.
Once the connection to the other PC is established, you can control the desktop, send files and communicate via text or voice.
By clicking on Demonstration mode you can make sure that whoever is connected to the system in use can see what is being done without applying any changes.
