About Remote Assistance Sometimes the best way to fix a problem is to have someone show you how. Remote Assistance is a convenient way for a friend in another location to connect to your computer from another computer running a compatible operating system, such as Microsoft Windows XP, and walk you through your solution. After your friend is connected, he or she will be able to view your computer screen and chat online with you in real time about what you both see. With your permission, your friend can even use his or her mouse and keyboard to work with you on your computer. Notes Both you and your assistant must be using either Windows Messenger or a MAPI-compliant e-mail account such as Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express. You and your assistant need to be connected to the Internet while using Remote Assistance. If Windows Firewall is turned on, Remote Assistance will temporarily open firewall ports. If you are working on a corporate or local area network, firewalls might stop you from using Remote Assistance. In this case, check with your network administrator before using Remote Assistance.