Remote Assistance fizzle

Hi,

I have had tons of problems with Remote Assistance trying to access a friend's desktop. Another of her friends can use Remote perfectly and has access to her desktop with no problem, but I cannot access it. However, she can access mine okay. I have worn Microsoft out and beat their techs into the bushes trying to solve it. Because of some other problems I decided to do a totally fresh install of XP Home and am using the NTFS now instead of FAT32. I'm using Windows Firewall, which is set correctly for Remote and have a router, a Belkin. After the new install I got rid of the RA (Remote Asssitance) problem I was having but now have a brand new one. This is the message I get now when trying to use it:

"Remote Assistance connection could not be established because the
remote host name could not be resolved. Please try again."

This is the reply I got from the MS tech after this latest snafu.

"This issue can occur if the DNS does not resolve the correct name to the IP
address. At this point, let's test if we can connect to the remote computer
using the IP address without using the computer name.

To check the IP address, let's perform the following steps:

1. Click Start, choose Run, and then type CMD.
2. Type IPCONFIG to find the IP address on this computer."

I have no idea what I was supposed to do with the IP address once I got it. I haven't heard back from them. The tech probably had to go for more Excedrin. I did bypass the router and connected directly to my cable modem to see if that was the problem but it still gives the same message. I hope someone here knows how to remedy this so I can get RA going.

Thanks to all.

Ron K.

 

what remost desktop software are you using? and when you type in cmd ipconfig that finds your internal ip address wich wouldn't help out anyone tryin to get to you. try turning off the firewall completly and do you have norton or any other firewall? if so shut them off also

 

I'm not using any other firewall except Windows. Not sure what you mean by which remote desktop software am I using other than Windows Remote Assistance itself. I figured the same thing that you said, and that was, how in the world would knowing MY IP address help anything???? I'll try the firewall shutdown and see if that helps. I did try it before on the other go-round but this is a different setup so I'll give it a shot and see what happens.
Thanks
Ron K

 

The tech was probably seeing if you had a DNS server entry. Did your friend make a username and password for you? Also, did they give you permissions? I had a friend set up Remote Desktop and he forgot to give the user remote access rights, but I'm not sure that that is going to solve this problem, but it is something to check.

 

I shut off the firewall and still get the same thing. My friend didn't make a user name and password for me, but she didn't for her other friend, either, who had no problem accessing her desktop. I doubt she even knows how to do that. I was sure a clean install would take care of this but it didn't. WOW! Any more ideas folks?

Thanks,

Ron K.

 

ok then here is a series of questions for you, what OS are you using and what OS is your friend using? Also what OS is the friend that has a working connection using? Is the computer you are trying to connect to using a firewall? Because it could be blocking you specifically, because of something she accidently did. Are you and your friend on the same network, or are you setting this up to be a connection over the net? If over the net are you through the same ISP? (this is kinda to do with the firewall on her side)

 

I love questions cuz it means we're headed somewhere! All 3 of us are using Windows XP Home Edition. She is using Windows Firewall. How can she tell if she blocked me accidentally?? We are not on the same network or ISP. That is all different. Her friend doesn't have the same ISP as either one of us. If you figure this out I'll double your pay from what I've been paying you.
Thanks
rk

 

http://www.wown.com/j_helmig/wxprmass.htm

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;555179

 

I haven't tried it in Safe Mode yet. MS techs have run out of gas and have assigned someone to call me on the phone so now I have to block out 4 hours a day, not knowing when they are going to call. Unbelievable that their tech support can't resolve this.
I didn't answer sooner because I thought I'd get an email notification that someone had replied, like WorldStart does.
Thanks
Ron K.

 

You do get an email notification, if you set up your options that way.

I can tell you this.

If you don't have the IP address, then MS support won't be able to help you.

If they determine the problem to be the remote machine, they won't be able to help you.

The artciles I posted shouyld have helped, did you go through them?

Can you ping the remote computer by IP address?

These are things you need to try. There are almost no issues that I cannot resolve that an MS escalation engineer can(formerly being one, I know this for a fact).

Number one cause for RA issues: Firewalls.

If port 3389 is not opened on the remote machine--then RA is a no go.