If you’re even mildly interested in computers, you’ve probably become the designated IT repair person for your friends and family. (And if you think you’ve got it bad, imagine how it goes once they learn you work at a place called “PCWorld!”) But if you’re a long distance away from whoever needs help, you’re typically stuck with the “have you tried turning it on and off again?” solution. That is, unless you have a remote access tool like TeamViewer.
Remote access lets you use the internet to access and control a remote machine as if you were sitting in front of it. And TeamViewer is one of the easiest ways to set it up, with both user and agent programs available on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.
So for a practical demonstration, the PCWorld YouTube team decided to see exactly how much an expert in PC repair could do with TeamViewer. Adam messed up a gaming PC six ways from Sunday, and Gordon has just half an hour to fix it via a remote connection, without physically touching the machine at all. Oh, and he has to do it live, with a streaming audience. No pressure.
Will Gordon be able to unravel Adam’s sinister sabotage with the clock ticking? Will Adam be grateful that Gordon can’t strangle him over a remote TeamViewer connection? You’ll have to watch live at 4 p.m. Eastern/1 p.m. Pacific on Wednesday to find out. And once you’re done, don’t forget to subscribe to the PCWorld YouTube channel.
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer
Michael is a former graphic designer who's been building and tweaking desktop computers for longer than he cares to admit. His interests include folk music, football, science fiction, and salsa verde, in no particular order.