Appendix D: Allowing Remote Assistance Support

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You must perform the following changes to Group Policy settings to fully enable both Solicited (an invitation is sent from the novice computer) and Offer-based Remote Assistance connections for a computer running Windows XP with SP2 or Windows XP 64-bit Service Pack 1.

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Enabling Solicited Remote Assistance
Enabling Offer-based Remote Assistance

Enabling Solicited Remote Assistance

If the Windows Firewall: Allow local program exceptions setting is set to Not Configured (default) or Enabled, then no additional configuration is necessary.

If the Windows Firewall: Allow local program exceptions setting is set to Disabled, or you have already enabled the Windows Firewall: Define program exceptions setting, then you must add the following program exceptions:

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

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

    Note For computers running Windows Server 2003 with SP1, do not add the exception for Sessmgr.exe. Instead, enable the Windows Firewall: Allow Remote Desktop Exception setting.

Enabling Offer-based Remote Assistance

Add the following entry to the Windows Firewall: Define port exceptions setting:

  • 135:TCP:*:Enabled:Offer Remote Assistance

Add the following entries to the Windows Firewall: Define program exceptions setting:

  • %WINDIR%\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\Helpsvc.exe:*:Enabled:Offer Remote Assistance

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

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

    Note For computers running Windows Server 2003 with SP1, do not add the exception for Sessmgr.exe. Instead, enable the Windows Firewall: Allow Remote Desktop Exception setting.

    Note  By opening TCP port 135, you are also allowing Remote Procedure Call (RPC) traffic.