Remote assistance with Quick Assist is changing

Microsoft

 

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

 

  1. Select Start Microsoft Store.
  2. In the Microsoft Store window, type Quick Assist in the Search box.
  3. Click Quick Assist in the list, and then click the Get button.
     

     

    New-Quick-Assist-Logo.png

     

Find out the rest here in the blog post!

 

Cheers,
Nathan


Office Insider Community Manager


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140 Replies
Thumbs Down!

Having heard old and new may co-exist, and figuring slim to none likelihood of remedy, or even extension of current Quick-Assist support, I just installed the new, twice. Both initially fail, but ultimately working. Hopefully someone finds this useful:
1) a Windows 10 VM that I frequently use for remote support. Mostly generic Windows10, fully updated, but hardly any other software: Result: Fetch and install okay. On first launch, new Quick Assist app hangs for nearly a minute, then fails with unmet dependency: "requires WebView2 runtime".
Am I going to have to walk a user through installing WebView2 runtime as well?
Works after installing the dependency.
2: Windows 11 Pro: As I just installed this OS yesterday, is absolutely a default installation with all Windows Updates applied. It has (1) local user account. Fetch and install from App Store okay (good, no MS Account required). On launch, dialog box with plain blue background and progress circle opens, then a few seconds later, is gone, apparently crashed/closed w/o notice. Launch again, same result. Third try: opens with dialog apparently identical to the prior version, so much so, I thought perhaps I had mistakenly launched the older version. Indeed it is the new.
I was able to share screen between the two.
Re: WebView2: powerful tools, letting Quick-Assist developers make use of all that the WWW has to offer. Seems to me it's likely this change (WebView2) will greatly increase the threat-surface of Quick-Assist.  Consistent with the rest of Microsoft Windows philosophy: forcefully include every bleeding toy, widget, app, we didn't ask for, and make it neigh impossible to remove, less you are large enough to buy and manage LTSC. Stated reasons for new version?: none still. (unofficially, I read, now easier to get remote elevation of privileges). We are left to speculate, but probably increased telemetry.

@Nathan_Pfeifer 

To Whom It May Concern,

 

Please cancel this change ASAP.

 

Leave Quick Assist inbuilt and use Windows Updates to update.

 

I work for a major hospital in Australia, and we use Quick Assist all the time.

 

It will cause major headaches for users Working from Home.

 

Leave it.

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.

@Nathan_Pfeifer 

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:

  1. 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...
  2. 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.
  3. If users don't have auto updates enabled for the Store, will updates be provided through the next Windows build?
    1. 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?

 

Can't it be updated via WinUpdate? Cause two biggest advantages of Quick Assist are that it's already built in and ease of use. Well, Quick Assist was great app, but farewell. Someone should teach Microsoft first rule of programming - If it works, don't touch it!

@Nathan_Pfeifer 

Isn't this a contradiction?

 


@Nathan_Pfeifer wrote:

To keep your remote assistance sessions secure, you will need to download the new Quick Assist from the Microsoft Store.

[...]

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

Users need a new secure app from the store, but admins can keep deploying an outdated (therefore unsecure) version as an offline app. Users are unable to update the app without admin rights, and the admin won't update the offline app, because it is working...

In no way is this related news LOL....Microsoft announced a for fee license add on for a new remote assistance tool....

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-endpoint-manager-blog/remote-help-a-new-remote-assi...

There is something strange when you try to install the store-app without admin rights. There is a screen asking to enter the account details but when just just close it, it still installs the store app. Same thing happens when you distibute the app with Endpoint. Users get a pop up screen out of nowhere and when they close it the apps installs as jou would expect. So why ask for admin rights if they are not needed?

I also noticed that the warning in the old Quick assist app that there is a new version that should be installed has disappeared. Is this for a reason? Maybe because there was a lot of critic?

I'm already running into issues with my Win10 PRO machine. Installed quickassist through the store, once I launch it, I receive the following message "The requested operation requires elevation" for "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\MicrosoftCorporationII.QuickAssist_2.0.6.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\QuickAssist.exe"

I've been through all kinds of permission settings (reg keys, files..). Nothing seems to be different than another Win10 Pro or win 11 machine which works fine. Also other store apps work fine.

Also, what about Win LTSC? Currently QuickAssist works and makes our life easier. But moving to the store app makes things difficult, no store within LTSC build. I already tried using the offline installation(Appxbundle), but Quickassist gives the same error, as my normal Win10 Pro machine. I even added the Windows Store on LTSC, just to see if that makes any difference.

@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 

 

 

 

@Nathan_Pfeifer 

 

We have updated the blog post with a FAQ of some of the most asked questions thus far: Remote assistance with Quick Assist is changing (office.com)

 

Of course these are not answering all of your questions but this thread is being looked at and your feedback is helping (so thank you for sending!).

 

Nathan

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.

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.

fully agree, just add more numbers if 6 are not enough. teamviewer has 10 numbers by now.
a few things tho:

1) why would the store be needed for making sure the performance and security of quickassist, what happened to windows update, oh right you are forcing users to betatest your preview updates, totally forgot about that one. The days when these previews were optional? Pepperidge Farm remembers.

2) would it really have hurt to just add more numbers than to make the code alnum? especially over phone having just 10 possible characters is a lot nicer compared to 36.

3) why are you only pre-installing it on win11 and not maybe with w10 22H1 too?

@Nathan_PfeiferThis is a terrible terrible change; "exciting" but for all the wrong reasons. Finally after 30 years MS had a built-in, simple-to-use tool that was a few clicks and/or words over the phone away from helping an ad-hoc user.

 

Moving the app to the Store, and requiring admin permissions to install it -- please remove the word "Quick" from the title. Half the battle with end-users is just getting to the point you can see their screen. 80 year old grandmas can use quick assist in its current form. Once its in the Store? That's it for the tool. Might as well stop development on it as everyone will move back to other soon-to-be-quicker-than-quick-assist-again tools.

 

Question: are you trying to kill it off? If so... this will do it.

I tried using the instructions at https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-store/distribute-apps-to-your-employees-microsoft-store-f... to get an Offline download of QuickAssist for deployment using a Powershell Script to all our domain PCs. However, both Chrome and Edge refuse to download the package because it is being sent over a HTTP link when we click the Download button in the Business Store.

Please provide an easy way to deploy this app using a GPO and make it possible for us to leave a shortcut to it on all our user's desktops. We cannot ask our users to install Apps from the Store themselves to get support from our IT team.

@Nathan_Pfeifer 

 

Further more to my previous post.

 

Windows Store presents a security threat by the following:
1. Leaving additional ports open on a secure network.

2. Windows Store does not provide a secure GPO Policy for QuickAssist to be included within Windows Remote Desktop.

3. Windows Store does not include any admin/GPO policies for deployment, update and rollback policies.

 

We work in Hospital setting where we need secure information, Windows Store does not include this facility.

 

It is better for QuickAssist Updates to be included in Windows Updates, SCCM for Deployment.