Request Remote Assistance and Check for Updates and Malware
Applies To: Windows Intune December 2012 Release
The Windows Intune Center helps you obtain technical support if you want it. The Windows Intune Center also lets you check for updates and scan your computer for malicious software (also known as malware). By using the Windows Intune Center, you can help keep your computer up-to-date and secure.
What is the Windows Intune Center?
How do I get technical support?
I can’t get support. What happened?
Installing applications
Running malware scans
Checking for updates
What is the Windows Intune Center?
The Windows Intune Center is a program that is installed by your system administrator. Your system administrator uses a web-based service, Windows Intune, to help manage and protect computers in your organization. If you want technical support, Windows Intune lets you send a request for support to your system administrator by using Remote Assistance via Microsoft Easy Assist.
Important
Remote Assistance is not available from computers running Windows 8.
When you request support, your system administrator is notified of your request in two ways:
By messages in the Windows Intune web-based service console
By email
If your administrator can help you and accepts your request for remote assistance, you are prompted by Remote Assistance via Microsoft Easy Assist to allow your system administrator access to your computer’s Windows desktop for a remote assistance session.
How do I get technical support?
You can send a request for technical support to your system administrator by clicking Request remote assistance from your system administrator in the Remote Assistance area of the Windows Intune Center console.
Important
Remote Assistance is not available from computers running Windows 8.
What happens after I request support?
After you request support, the following status message is displayed in the Windows Intune Center console.
Your request was sent to your system administrator. The status of your request is updated when the administrator accepts or rejects your request.
Your system administrator has 30 minutes to respond to your request for support. If the administrator does not respond within 30 minutes, another email notification is sent to the administrator. After one hour, your request for remote assistance times out; if you still need support, you must send a new request.
Important
If you close your request during this time, your request will be canceled and the administrator will not respond.
What do I do if my request is accepted?
If your system administrator accepts your request for support, the following status message is displayed in the Windows Intune Center console:
Your request was accepted. Follow the instructions in Easy Assist to share your desktop with your system administrator.
A Remote Assistance via Microsoft Easy Assist session opens on your computer. You can chat with your system administrator in this session and tell the system administrator about problems that you have with your computer. If you want to share your desktop with your system administrator, click Share My Desktop when you are prompted to do this. Your system administrator will request your permission to control your desktop; click OK when you are prompted, and your system administrator can control your desktop and resolve your support issue.
After getting support, how do I close the remote session?
When your system administrator has resolved your support issue, or you and your administrator have agreed to take other actions outside the remote session to resolve your issue, your administrator releases control of your desktop back to you. You can then close the Remote Assistance via Microsoft Easy Assist session.
Contacting your system administrator by other methods
Your system administrator can configure the Windows Intune Center console to display administrator name and contact information. If your system administrator has provided contact information, you can get help from or ask questions of your system administrator by telephone, or by one of the following methods:
Email. If you have a default email program running on your computer, clicking the system administrator’s email address opens a new email message in your default email program. If you do not have a default email program, clicking the email address opens a dialog box that prompts you to select an email program. If you do not want to specify a default email program, and you do not have one that is installed on your computer, you can copy the email address and paste it into a web-based email program, such as Windows Live Hotmail.
Website. System administrators in some organizations might have a website where you can find more information about how to contact them, or a web-based form that you can use either to contact them or to open a support request. If you have a default web browser running on your computer, clicking the system administrator’s website link opens a new browser window or tab in your default web browser. If you do not have a default web browser, a dialog box appears that prompts you to select a browser. If you do not want to specify a default browser, you can opt to open the link in a browser without making the browser your default choice.
I can’t get support. What happened?
Several conditions can prevent you from obtaining support. Status messages in the Windows Intune Center console inform you if there are conditions or events that prevent Remote Assistance from working.
Your system administrator declined your request. If your system administrator cannot help you now or is busy working with other users in Remote Assistance sessions, your request might be declined by the administrator. You can try contacting the administrator by other methods, or wait for a short period to submit a new request for assistance.
Your last request timed out. If it has been more than one hour since you first requested assistance and the status of the request is still pending, your request times out. You can try submitting a new request for assistance or contacting your system administrator by other methods.
You closed the request and it was canceled. If you close a request before receiving a reply from the administrator, the request is canceled. You can submit a new request for assistance or contact your system administrator by other methods.
Windows Intune Center could not connect to the Internet. Check the network connectivity. Access to the Internet is required for Remote Assistance to work. If you continue to have network problems, you might have to contact your system administrator by telephone.
Not all software that is required by Remote Assistance is installed. Remote Assistance works by using the Remote Assistance via Microsoft Easy Assist program that your system administrator installs on computers in your organization. If Remote Assistance via Microsoft Easy Assist is not installed or available on your computer, Remote Assistance requests will not work. You can try contacting your system administrator by other methods.
If Remote Assistance via Microsoft Easy Assist is not installed, you can try clicking Check for Updates in the Updates area of the Windows Intune Center console. Close the Windows Intune Center, wait a few minutes, and then open the Windows Intune Center again. If checking for updates does not install the Remote Assistance via Microsoft Easy Assist program on your computer, try contacting your system administrator by other methods.
Another Easy Assist session is already running on your computer. You cannot run more than one remote assistance session at a time. If you already have a Remote Assistance via Microsoft Easy Assist session running on your computer, close it before you send another request for assistance.
Servers that support Easy Assist are undergoing maintenance. Remote Assistance may not work when servers that support Remote Assistance via Microsoft Easy Assist sessions are undergoing regular maintenance. Typically, maintenance occurs on Friday from 4:00 P.M. to 12:00 A.M. Pacific Standard Time (PST), which is Saturday 12:00 A.M. to 8:00 A.M. Coordinated Universal Time (Greenwich Mean Time).
Installing applications
You can browse for and install applications on your computers that your administrator has made available for you by clicking Get applications from the Windows Intune Company Portal . The Windows Intune company portal is an interface that your organization provides that lets you add a computer, browse for and install applications that your administrator has made available, and contact your IT (Information Technology) support. For more information, see Using the Company Portal.
Running malware scans
Because your system administrator is managing computers by using Windows Intune, it is likely that automatic scans for malicious software, or malware, are already scheduled to run on computers in your organization. If you suspect that malware is running on your computer, you can start an unscheduled malware scan on your computer by clicking Start Windows Intune Endpoint Protection to scan your computer for malicious software in the Endpoint Protection area of the Windows Intune Center console.
Note
Windows Intune Endpoint Protection is always running on managed computers. It is not necessary to initiate a malware scan in order for Windows Intune Endpoint Protection to be in effect. You only need to initiate this process if you feel that an additional scan is required.
You can select either a Full Scan (requires more time) or a Quick Scan (requires less time). Although Windows Intune Endpoint Protection is scanning your computer, your computer might run slower, because the scan is running over the network. When the scan is complete, results are shown to your system administrator in the Windows Intune administrator console. Your system administrator can tell you what actions must be taken if scan results show that your computer is infected with malware.
Checking for updates
Because your system administrator is managing computers by using Windows Intune, it is likely that the most current updates for your operating system are already scheduled for automatic installation. If you want to make sure that you have all current updates installed, click Check for Updates in the Updates area of the Windows Intune Center console.
Note
Security policy settings in your organization may not let you change some updates settings.
See Also
Other Resources
Microsoft Office Online Easy Assist Help
Microsoft Malware Protection Center
Microsoft Update Solution Center