Forum Discussion
Remote assistance with Quick Assist is changing
Nathan_Pfeifer this is another enormous fail for Microsoft. The Experiences + Devices team needs to learn how the customers are using the tools before they make changes that remove all the benefits.
Our enterprise adopted Quick Assist as our remove support tool, completely replacing a third party product because:
1) It was native to Windows 10, and subsequently Windows 11.
2) NO ADDITIONAL COST or LICENSING required
3) No deployment tools required. Just point the end user to the search bar, type "quick assist" and click on the icon. As simple as falling off a log.
Russell Mosier and Bianca Taylor, from the Experiences + Devices team should not be excited. They should be ashamed that their company ignored the end user experience, in favor of software development ease.
There may be a compromise, but right now you are losing customers for that app. The Enterprise is still your bread and butter Microsoft, if you are going to empower the end user, you have to do so within the enterprise operational security models.
In our eyes, learn from your mistake and put it back into the OS, natively, where it belongs
Just the addition of adding alphanumeric to the code equation makes what was once a ridiculously simple way to connect that much more of a pain. "A as in apple S as in Sam, did you say F? NO S!, P as in Paul, did you say T? OMFG as in ... well never mind...
I didn't even have to tell them to type Quick Assist in the search box, it was TWO KEYTAPS, tap Windows and type the letter Q, in a sea of consumer fails, this was something Microsoft got right, big time. I too who only support regular consumers, was saving a TON OF $$ by not having to subscribe to overpriced remote control solutions.
I have so far not done the update, as I am waiting waiting, to make sure my end users who can barely use a mouse let alone deal with the Store can deal with the change, I may be over reacting but the alpha numeric is already a PIA.
- fully agree, just add more numbers if 6 are not enough. teamviewer has 10 numbers by now.
For all the admins out there, like me, please follow the tutorial below to install the new Quick Assist for All Users without using the Microsoft Store:
Follow this Site's tutorial to download the Quick Assist AppxBundle directly from the Store: https://lazyadmin.nl/it/install-microsoft-store-apps-without-store/
Run this PowerShell command (in Administrator Mode) to install it for all users (change the packagepath if stored elsewhere): DISM /online /add-provisionedappxpackage /packagepath:"C:\Temp\MicrosoftCorporationII.QuickAssist_2022.509.2259.0_neutral___8wekyb3d8bbwe.AppxBundle" /skiplicense
To remove the old Quick Assist from the Start Menu delete this shortcut: "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\Quick Assist.lnk" and if you want the old version fully gone then remove it from here as well: C:\WINDOWS\system32\quickassist.exe
Good luck, but Microsoft still sucks for changing it.
Thank you so much for your post! It was just what I needed to sort out my issue, our users need admin credentials to install any kind of app and most organizations are most probably set up this way. Your post solved my issue.
Thank you once again, 👍.
edd080 You're welcome. You may have to run this command first in an elevated PowerShell prompt before running the DISM command (change Path if you use a different location): Add-AppxPackage -Path "C:\Temp\MicrosoftCorporationII.QuickAssist_2022.509.2259.0_neutral___8wekyb3d8bbwe.AppxBundle"
Also, I was unable to run it as a GPO startup script, since the SYSTEM account is not allowed to run the Add-AppxPackage command. I guess I can use our Asset Management System, which can run scripts as different user, but it just doesn't work as well as GPO.
Do you have any suggestions on how to deploy on users systems as administrator?
- Yes, it works to install the new Quick Assist. There is only one catch, it eliminates the automatic update. So, that means you have to update it manually. That's quite cumbersome, to say the least. But, it seems like the only way.
It depends, if Microsoft will be including QuickAssist in their future ISO and feature updates, like they do with Legacy QuickAssist (
I certainly hope so!Nope they don't for Windows 10, see below, absolutely insane!), then it will be updated every half year. We don't provide access for our users to the MS store, so all the preinstalled appx apps we don't remove are only updated through the bi-annually feature updates which has never caused any problems.From their FAQ:
Will Quick Assist only be available in the Store going forward?
The Quick Assist Store app will be preinstalled in the next update for Windows 11. Users who are currently part of the https://insider.windows.com/en-us/ can test this today.
Note: Windows 10 users will continue to download the Store app.
