What’s the best way to remote access my Mom’s computer? Do web-based options for this exist?
The why: she talked to “Microsoft Windows” last night and gave them access to her machine for 45 minutes. I’d like to get on her computer to put all her photos on her Google account, as surely it’s totally compromised now.
My computer has Windows 7 Professional, hers has XP.
JoinMe.com allows easy screen sharing (not control over, but you could more easily walk her through how to do these things if you can see her screen at the same time she does, as in "move your mouse to the left, now up, now click there…etc.). Works good and is easy to use for old, tech-challenged people. My mom got it installed in 5 minutes, which was surprising. Plus is free to trial.
I’d go for TeamViewer, quick, easy, full control.
ETA: Didn’t mention: free for personal use!
I’ve never had issues with the built-in Remote Desktop functionality from Windows.
+1
For times when my dad completely effs up his.
I also use TeamViewer to assist my parents. And there’s an iPhone/iPad app so I can help them away from home.
I use Join.me or Showmypc.com
Teamviewer is good but requires installing a client on both sides (in my experience).
ETA: Contrary to the post above, Join.me does allow remote control. You need to request it and they have to approve it.
My company uses Join.Me for conferencing. It’s made by the people who make LogMeIn. We used LogMeIn Pro to manage our field reps’ computers and a lot of us in IT used LogMeIn Free for our personal computers – until LogMeIn Free was discontinued.
I’ve switched to using TeamViewer to help my in-laws manage their computers. We tried Join.Me but after the 30-day trial it started nagging us to buy a license. Now they continue to send me and my in-laws e-mails (since the log-in credentials, even for the trial version, require a working e-mail address) offering discounted licenses.
Yes, TeamViewer requires a client installation on both sides (and it was quite a pain to get my in-laws to install it properly). However, I can now access their machines either directly from my client or via TeamViewer’s website. Log-In is required either way, and there are modes which can require permission or password access to that it’s not just another wide-open portal for the hackers. For instance, I have my client set so that my lack of response is refusing permission to access my computer; meanwhile, I have my in-law’s client set to automatically grant me (and nobody else) access if I issue a connect command.
A minor side-benefit is that TeamViewer has its own chat window and voice-chat modules built-in, so we discovered we didn’t have to run Skype at the same time as we were interacting via TeamViewer.
–G!
I’ve used TeamViewer to help my mom and my father-in-law. I love it! The biggest problem I have is having to repeat “Mom, don’t touch anything!!” while we’re connected. But that’s not a software issue - that’s a Mom issue. 
big supporter of logmein. We use the professional version at work, I have a paid subscription for my parents computer, and couldn’t be happier.
Another vote for TeamViewer. Nicest of the freebies and more responsive than most web-browser-based solutions.
I also use TeamViewer to help my parents out. The hardest part was talking them through the process of downloading it from the website.
Now that they have it, they can just click the icon, read me the password, and I’m in.
I recently happened on Google Chrome Remote Desktop and have found that rather easy to set up and useful.
ETA: Not sure how it would work when the computers involved aren’t typically signed into the same Google account, come to think of it.
Another TeamViewer fan here. I downloaded and installed it for my mom during a visit, and it’s been awesome ever since. 
I use remote desktop a lot at work to log in to lab machines or my office computer when in the lab. I am not sure how I would be able to log into a machine that was behind the NAT firewall that most residential users have. The other services listed here solve that problem by having both machines connect to a 3rd party server that mediates the connection. Can you do this with remote desktop?
The irony is that these scam callers have already figured out the optimal way to get non-computer-literate people to give them remote access to their computer. From what I’ve seen, they generally use TeamViewer (example).
Another vote for TeamViewer for remote tech support. It’s a terrific tool with full control. It supports multiple monitors and you can send Ctrl-Alt-Delete too.
Another TeamViewer user here. I bought my Mom her computer, and installed it before I gave it to her.
When you first use it, Windows asks if it can open up access to RDP on the Windows firewall, and you allow it.
I’ve never had a problem with it navigating my WRTG54 router. I do not have any special port settings for it. My business partner comes on my computer all the time to fix fucked up Visual Studio projects. I just create a file using the tool, send him the file via email, and he’s here.
Zipper are you talking about using windows remote assistance to create a file that you then send to your business partner? That does look like it would be pretty useful in this situation. I never knew about that.