Forum Discussion
MicrosoftRemote assistance with Quick Assist is changing
Hi Insiders! Russell Mosier and Bianca Taylor, from the Experiences + Devices team are excited to share an upcoming change to their remote assistance app, Quick Assist.
Remote assistance with Quick Assist
Quick Assist is an app in Windows 10 and Windows 11 that enables you to receive or provide assistance with your PC over a remote connection. The current built-in Quick Assist app is reaching end of service.
To keep your remote assistance sessions secure, you will need to download the new Quick Assist from the Microsoft Store.
How it works
- Select Start > Microsoft Store.
- In the Microsoft Store window, type Quick Assist in the Search box.
- Click Quick Assist in the list, and then click the Get button.
Find out the rest here in the blog post!
Cheers,
Nathan
Office Insider Community Manager
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How is this exciting news? This is a big problem for our company. The version of Quick Assist that came natively installed with Windows 10 was great because we could instantly provide assistance to anyone with Windows 10, regardless of whether it was their home computer or their work (domain-attached) computer. We could simply have them launch Quick assist and then give them a six-digit support code (Very simple).
Not only does the new version require per-user installation from the Microsoft Store, but the installation requires admin rights. Yikes!
Is there a mechanism for deploying the new version to all users on all machines? A simple GPO deployment would be preferred. Maybe an MSI could be made available? I am a one-man IT department managing roughly 70 Windows PCs and do not have any type of more sophisticated software deployment mechanism in place.
I am hoping that some simple solution is in the works to replace what seemed like an ideal solution that has now been taken away.
Thanks
-paulps_alisto, Thanks for the warning.
Echoing what Paul said: Best thing about the existing Quick Assist is that it's guaranteed to be on every Windows 10 computer, which means we don't have to walk someone through an installation over the phone, which always carries the risk that they will install an impostor (malicious) app.
When someone is in need a remote assistance, IS NOT the time to be installing new software. What if their problem is a full system volume?
Further, if we were involved with the users PC setup, they are almost certainly logged in as a Standard Local Account, and may not be able to install new apps.
I came here looking for details about how Quick Assist is changing. Have searched high and low. Found only instructions to fetch new from app store. In App Store reviews, I see several experiencing trouble with new App. Why from App Store? Why not with Windows Updates? So far, I'm convinced we will stay with the old version.- Nathan_PfeiferAppreciate the note!
Understand the frustration of pushing a user to download the Store app to get a remote assistance app.
The nature of using remote assistance is that one of the parties is stuck and needs help – so it can be frustrating.
There is some underlying functionality, in how we currently have this set up, that needed to be adjusted that led to this.
That being said, this is time sensitive and sometime in mid-May the old version will no longer be usable.
Thanks for the feedback! It is being passed along, rest assured.
Nathan
- Nathan_Pfeifer
Hello Paul, and thanks for the question.
If accessing from the Store page that opens from the app prompt does not work – it is also available as an offline app for distribution and can be accessed via the Microsoft Store for Business. More details are here: Distribute offline apps (Windows 10) | Microsoft Docs
If this will also not work/be viable then we’d love to get some more details about your scenario if you’d like to provide that.
Thanks so much for the feedback!- Thanks for the reply. The article that you referenced indicates that "the Microsoft Store for Business and Microsoft Store for Education will be retired in the first quarter of 2023". It seems like the options described in the referenced article require deployment tools that we do not have in place. I may have to hire a consultant to explore those options. This is so frustrating. The native app just worked.
Unfortunately in the case of business users, they cannot install the app themselves because it requires admin rights and we do not give users admin credentials. Isn't there a way to simply update the native Quick Assist feature through Windows Update? Alternatively (although less desirable)—If the MS Store version of the app were not user-specific, it might be far more practical to get it installed in advance.
- Is there a mechanism for deploying the new version to all users on all machines? A simple GPO deployment would be preferred. Maybe an MSI could be made available?
Nathan_Pfeifer In response to your previous replies, In certain instances It's not a viable option to deploy an offline version. I'm wanting to deploy this via Endpoint Manager (Intune) and the preferred method of publishing the online version via Company Portal. My end users are not local admins nor do I want them to be. I do not wish to deploy an offline version as when an app is updated, it's detection rules are often no longer applicable so I receive error messages as it tries to redeploy the older version.
It needs to be deployable in a system context and Microsoft need to understand that sysadmins do not want their end users to be administrators of their machines.
- The 2 biggest upsides of quick assist were that it was installed on every system by default, and the hotkey for it. I could just ask the user/family member/friend to press the key combo and start troubleshooting. This is going to add a significant amount of unnecessary hurdle, which is going to cost me days in the coming years. The worst part? I don't see any upsides to this change. Please rethink this approach if possible.
Thank you. - This was brought to my attention by our Helpdesk staff and it looks like it's going to be a big problem for us. We also don't grant our users local admin rights. This seems to be a replacement rather than an update, but either way we need our users to be able to get it without elevated privileges.
Please remove the requirement for admin rights, or do away with the May 23rd deadline, or make the update available through Windows Update, or provide an MSI or EXE installer. This is unfortunately a complete disaster and unfortunate choice on behalf of Microsoft.
Took a great feature which was built into the OS, and moved it out to a new distribution channel (ie: the MS Store). I fail to understand the logic behind some of the answers in the Office insider Blog.
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Why was Quick Assist moved to the Store?
We moved Quick Assist to enhance the performance and security of the app. You should see a significant improvement in passcode generation times and a reduction in application errors.
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How does moving an app to a different distribution channel enhance its performance and it's security ? So it's like saying something like Windows Defender would be better off being distributed through the MS Store since it would perform better and be more secure 😞 Come on, let's get real. Also Adding alphanumeric now , even though is tolerable, I think is overkill. Add a few more digits and you should be fine. Already the codes are only valid for 10 minutes, then when you connect, they see the email of the user that is requesting connection permission, and then also need to click and give you permission. It is not like RDP where as long as a remote user knows your IP/username/password they could get in. With Quick Access, it already needs to be synchronized and window of opportunity for any brute force attack is not huge.
I understand that there were security concerns for other various reasons. But they could have easily been addressed and rolled out as part of a regular windows update, to update the integrated app. Or just included it in the next Windows release (22H2).
Already in the last month, I have tried to jump through hoops trying to help 3 elderly family friends who live a decent distance away (one is even in another country). In the past it was simple to just launch quick assist and help them out. Now I have to "try" to guide them through to the microsoft store (which they have never used before), and navigate to find and install the new app (and needed to answer "yes" to 2 runprocess type UAC prompts in in the process). Then after you go through this painful process (since many are barely comfortable using computers), you have them launch it and realize it complains about the lack of the WebView II Runtime 😞 Great.. But obviously, it would make too much sense if that was ALSO available in the MS Store (or downloaded and installed automatically), but it is NOT. Then you get them to close the store, open a browser, do a search for "webview runtime", make sure they go to the correct web page, download the correct version for their machine. Then spend time having them locate the file they downloaded (since their browser was set to auto download without prompting). Then click the executable to install the Webview II runtime.
Needless to say, that many get so frustrated, that they just give up before you even get to installing the Webview runtime, and tell you to "forget it, too complicated, if you are ever in the area, let me know".
Complete failure, for something that could have easily addressed any vulnerabilities by distributing a NEW version as part of a normal Windows update (like it was done ages ago with Windows 7 and the MSTSC/RDP upgrades to address security issues also). And it would have been nice and transparent to most users.
Another poor decision, is that even if you do get it all installed, and then you connect and eventually PIN it to the start menu, all you see is the ICON, with no text saying "Quick Access". 99.999% of other icons have text saying "Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Calculator, Microsoft Mahjong, etc..". Hell even if you pin the CMD prompt to the start menu and is says "Command Prompt". Would it have been so difficult to include the App Name ? Now all you see is a plain blue icon with no description.
The other disappointment is this decision:
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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 Windows Insiders program can test this today.
Note: Windows 10 users will continue to download the Store app.
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Why not also include it preinstalled with the next version of Windows 10 (22H2), and at the same time make sure that CTRL+WIN+Q shortcut brings up the new version.
And this is using it in home environments, where most people are setup as Administrators on their PCs. Must be a bigger nightmare for corporate helpdesks where most machines are locked down.
Hope Microsoft changes their mind and switches it back to an integrated application. Basic little application, but super useful when it is INCLUDED in the OS and you can count on it being there without explaining to a remote user how to install it and it's prerequisites.
- Don't forget the addition of letters in the security code?! What a way to slow down being able to connect quickly. Now I have to sound like I'm pretending to be in the military. Your code is "One, Whiskey, Bravo, Three, Charlie, Alpha". Seriously MS?! I can have people enter 9 digits faster than this cluster of a code. Don't be lazy, just include more digits instead of adding more choices to the 6 digits you already have here. *Sigh*
- Thumbs Down!
The only time I use Quick assist, is when I have to deal with office356 support.
We use Anydesk, err should i say admins and people in the know.
But it was nice to have an alternate option for users and customers that needed help.
MS really screwed up a good thing.
Why couldnt they just update it windows update. IM not going to install it on 50+ PCs.
Bye, bye Quick assist.
Nathan
Is this April Fools or something?
Seriously, your replacing a working, in place, appropriate solution with a half baked 10 lines of difficult. (edited have to half)
Maybe if you told us what you've broken or what the security issue that you've just found is, it will make it a bit easier, but the App Store is a burning mess.
Seriously this is the equivalent of saying "to make a soufflé you mix some stuff, put it in a thing and wait a while" and then expect an amazing meal.
Why don't you try to involve everyone involved to put together the instructions on how to manage apps in Intune and the App Store, now and after you expire the app store.
Then go find out how to find, patch and update Store Apps when the are vulnerabilities found.
Then show us the next gen deployment of ms store apps.
Once you've wandered through that mess, I'll gladly use your detailed instructions on how to do it and share them with the end users in difficulty.
Or maybe you want me to redeploy SCCM and AOVPN to offer remote assistance that way.joseph_mcglynn well this has been what MS has been doing for a long time, like Win11 just randomly dropping things like the ability to move your taskbar onto a different side of your screen or choosing to not combine open windows of the same program, or the timeline feature, although none of these are as big as the removal of a well working quick assist tool.
This cannot be spun in any other way than purely negative.
Quick Assist was one of the better products/tools Microsoft had produced in recent years, and now in true Microsoft fashion, they're undoing that good work.
There's much this post fails to cover:
- Since this will become a Store app, will it still be preinstalled on all versions of Windows similar to other Store apps, such as Mail, Calendar ect...
- If so, will a future build or Windows Update, replace the version which currently exists? Windows Update is the only existing delivery method which would have permission to install this for user accounts which are not Administrators and non-Enterprise devices.
- If users don't have auto updates enabled for the Store, will updates be provided through the next Windows build?
- I have seen users with issues with the Windows store where they cannot download app updates or install new apps.
Following Microsoft articles and running the PowerShell commands doesn't fix the issue, and a clean install is needed (obviously the end user doesn't ever want to do this on their own equipment) - what fail safe will there be for situtations like this?
If the app isn't installed, or needs an update in order to be used, Quick Assist becomes completely useless. What is your plan?
- I have seen users with issues with the Windows store where they cannot download app updates or install new apps.
