Specifies whether users can solicit another user's assistance via Remote Assistance. If you use Windows Firewall in your ...

"Specifies whether users can solicit another user's assistance via Remote Assistance.  If you use Windows Firewall in your organization, depending on the kind of operating system installed on the computer, you might also need to configure certain firewall policies for Solicited Remote Assistance to work.

If you enable this policy setting, a user can create a Remote Assistance invitation that another person (the "expert") can use at a different computer to connect to the user's computer. If given permission, the expert can view the user's screen, mouse, and keyboard activity in real time.

The "Permit remote control of this computer" setting specifies whether a user on a different computer can control this computer. If a user invites an expert to connect to the computer, and gives permission, the expert can take control of this computer. The expert can only make requests to take control during a Remote Assistance session. The user can stop remote control at any time.

The "Maximum ticket time" setting sets a limit on the amount of time that a Remote Assistance invitation can remain open.

The "Select the method for sending e-mail invitations" setting specifies which e-mail standard to use to send Remote Assistance invitations. Depending on your e-mail program, you can use either the Mailto (the invitation recipient connects through an Internet link) or SMAPI (Simple MAPI) standard (the invitation is attached to your e-mail message).

Note: The e-mail program must support the selected e-mail standard.

For all the computers in your organization using this policy setting, add the following entry to the Windows Firewall: Define program exceptions:

%WINDIR%\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\Helpctr.exe:*:Enabled:Remote Assistance – Windows Messenger and Voice

For the computers running the Windows 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1) operating system, enable the policy setting "Windows Firewall: Allow Remote Desktop Exception".

For the computers running the Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) and Windows XP 64-bit Service Pack 1 (SP1) operating systems, add the following entry to the policy setting, "Windows Firewall: Define program exceptions":

%WINDIR%\SYSTEM32\Sessmgr.exe:*: Enabled: Remote Assistance

Note: Enabling the "Allow Remote Desktop Exception" policy setting will work for computers running all versions of Windows on which this policy setting is supported, but it will leave port 3389 constantly open.  By configuring a program exception for Sessmgr.exe, port 3389 will be opened and closed dynamically on computers running the Windows Server XP SP2 and Windows XP 64-bit SP1 operating systems. However, the Sessmgr.exe exception will not work for the Windows Server 2003 SP1 operating system; instead, the "Allow Remote Desktop Exception" policy setting must be configured.

If you disable this policy setting, users cannot request Remote Assistance.

Note: An expert can connect to this computer only with the explicit permission of the user. If this policy setting is disabled or not configured and disabled in Control Panel, the "Offer Remote Assistance" policy setting will also be disabled.

If you do not configure this policy setting, users can enable or disable and configure Remote Assistance themselves in System properties in Control Panel. If this policy setting is not configured, the default maximum time a Remote Assistance invitation can stay open is determined by the Control Panel setting."