Firstly you should click on the normal Windows Start button (or just press the 'Windows Logo Key' to the bottom left of your keyboard) and then click on 'Help and Support' which is usually the third item from the bottom of the right hand column of options.

The Help and Support screen has different styles but I have chosen the most legible rather the one with a blue background and fancier graphics. You will see an option to the top of the right hand column of options which is entitled 'Invite a friend to connect...' - click on that.

Note that at several times during these screens you MAY be interrupted by your Firewall or other defence mechanisms that want to check that you really do know what you are doing! If the prompts relate to 'Help and Support Centre' then allow then to proceed although you MAY wish to allow them on a 1-off basis rather than click on the option which says 'Remember this setting/option/choice'.

Click on the 'Invite someone to help you' button and you will see the screen below. If you are using a Private Networking tool (VPN) such as Hamachi to connect to the person who is offering assistance then please make sure that it is both active and connected before proceeding to the next step below.

This page is dedicated to the choice of using e-mail to request assistance so enter the e-mail address of the person to help - you can use the one shown - the upper case is only so that the characters are easy to read.

IF you are a user of Windows Messenger AND you are sure that it will work in your circumstances then see Assistance by Messenger & online. Note that there are problems using the Messenger option when you are accessing the Internet via a router (even if not using Wireless) and that is why this page exists.

Please don't waste too much time keying in your name or message UNLESS there is information that you can cut and paste which is relevant to the problem or challenge with which you want help.

For security reasons you can set the request to expire after a period of time and you can also specify a ONE-OFF PASSWORD (Please, please don't use anything that is used elsewhere - especially not a password used elsewhere!).

IF you think that assistance may be required over a period of time greater than a few hours - such as when I have commissioned a new PC for you! - then you can specify days because on every occasion that the person who is helping needs to (re-)onnect to your PC you will be asked if you want that to happen.

When you click on the 'Send Invitation' button you MAY get the screen to the right because there is a setting in Outlook Express which allows you to be warned whenever an e-mail is being sent on your behalf. Don't worry if it looks like the picture to the left - this is simply a reflection of what you have done in the steps above - simply click on 'Send'.

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