What You Can Accomplish Using Remote PC Access

Sometimes, you're not near your computer, and you just need something on it. Or you want to let a technician into the inner workings of your machine, so that they can figure out what's wrong with it. People in either of these situations can benefit from having some form of remote PC access.

Remote PC programs allow access to your computer's files and software from a computer or electronic device that is not at the same physical location. One of the remote access features of Windows 7 is the ability to stream music from your personal computer onto any other computer. Other capabilities include remote access to the desktop and files, as well.

Microsoft began selling their operating systems with remote access software built in when Windows 2000 and XP came out. This version of remote software is not very highly thought-of, however-- it is generally considered buggy and hard to deal with. Windows 7 has software specifically for sharing media files with other computers, which is more popular. Free and purchasable software is available for download from the internet, as well. Remote access software has multiple uses. One use is the ability of remote access to set up a home or office computer with a centralized database of information, from which multiple people can work. This allows an office, company, or other group of people who are physically spread out in location, to work on the same plans, files, and software.

Technical services also benefit from remote access software. Being able to let a technician find the problem themselves, rather than relying on the rather tedious process of asking you to perform tasks and report the results, can save time and money. Because in-person technical service can be so expensive, but technicians can find out much of the same information via remote access, it can be money saved without sacrificing quality, too.

Choose a remote access software type that is liable to work well on your machine, whatever it might be. Most remote access software was created to run on one operating system, such as Mac, Linux, or Windows, and even if it was later adapted to run on the others, will usually perform best in its native environment. Make sure you check online and find out if your choice of software is likely to work on your machine. Having remote software on your computer can open it to unwanted access by foreign programs, such as viruses and other bugs. To avoid catastrophe, it's always a good idea to back up your computer right before installing remote access software. If you don't plan to use the software repeatedly, it's worth considering whether to remove it and wipe and restore your computer after you are finished with it.

The good parts and the bad parts of remote PC access software make the decision easy for some people, but most will have to think about it for a while. If you truly need the functions of remote access, the risks may be worth taking. If you can do without, then you might find more peace of mind by not using it. If you do install or run any kind of remote access software, make sure to keep your antivirus software updated.