Stuck with some computery thing? Look no further!

Computers are complicated things, and I know whereof I speak.  I first had a job working with computers when I was 18 and I'm 72 now.  I worked for IBM for 20+ years, ran my own IT company for 10 years, I have an M.Phil degree and professional qualifications in this stuff ... and I still frequently sit in front of my laptop mystified.  I also worked in the field of computer usability for many years, so I know just how unusable many computer things are.

So let's say that you need help, and you call me on the phone--you figure that with all my experience and qualifications I must be able to help.

But there's a problem.  These days there are so many ways of setting up your computer that when I tell you to look at the top right of your screen for the button to click, or the box to type in, because that's where it is on my screen, we may be way off, because on your screen it's probably down left, or not on the screen at all.

In frustration you suggest unplugging the whole thing and bringing it round to my house, but who knows whether it will do the same thing in my house?  Besides, I haven't got out of bed yet: I'm working in my pajamas from my bedroom!  We need a way where I can look over your shoulder and see what you are seeing.  Maybe even waggle your mouse and type on your keyboard.  Or where you can look over my shoulder and watch me demonstrate how to do it on my computer, while saving on both blushes and travel costs.

And there is an answer--it's called Teamviewer and it does everything I just said.  And it's free.  And it works on PC, Mac, and iOS (I just downloaded it to my iPad, but haven't learned to use it there yet!)

It's a good idea to get TeamViewer on your computer before you need it: you don't want to hve to learn TeamViewer at the same you're struggling with something else.

How to Get Team Viewer

Here we go.  Go you your web browser and enter

www.teamviewer.com


and hit enter ...






and when this screen appears, click the

Download for free 

button as shown here.







When it's finished downloading you should see this at the bottom left of your screen.

I'm very slightly nervous as I type this because I can think of some very rare cases when this DOESN'T appear ... if this happens for you, call me, we'll fix it, and update this blogpost!

Double-click that, and fairly quickly you should see ...



... this box appear.

Make sure the "Personal / Non-commercial Use"
thing is clicked (that's what keeps it free to use)







and click the Accept / Finish button.





Hey presto and TeamViewer is installed.

Now click the Sign In button.

It will take you through all the normal nonsense of typing in your email address, making up a password (at least 6 character, upper and lower case, and some numbers) and then going to your email and confirming by clicking a link in the email they send you, and then confirming something else (I forget what!)

Using TeamViewer

From now on using TeamViewer is pretty straightforward ... you have one simple decision to make.

We are about to link our two computers together, and there are two possibilities.

1. You want to control my computer, so that you can demonstrate something.
2. You want me to control your computer, so that I can demonstrate, or complete the task for you.

First thing to do is to establish person-to-person communication with me--phone me, message me, WhatsApp me, email me--whatever is your thing (or if you're Susan maybe shout up the stairs).

If you want me to control your computer (so I can see what you're doing, poke around, have a look at things, show you how to do it) you send me your ID and password.

Note that every time you use TeamViewer you will have a different ID and password, so I can't take over your computer without you knowing.

If, on the other hand, you want to take over my computer, you ask me for my ID and password.  You type my ID in the box on the right, and type in my password when asked for.

How to Actually Use TeamViewer

Establish Communication

So, it's installed, you've created a userid and signed in: we're all ready to go, and you've got a problem with which you'd like help ... or, someone else is asking for your help.  You don't need to be a great computer whizz to help someone out, just be someone who knows how to do something that someone else doesn't know how to do.  In fact, those who are just one step ahead are usually better at helping than those who have been doing it for years.  But that's another story.  Here's what to do.

1. Find your helper
2. Establish communication with them, via phone, WhatsApp, text message, e-mail, using two tin cans joined together with string, carrier pigeon.
3. Both of you start Teamviewer.  If you have a screen like the last one above, which shows Ids and a password, you're all set.  But if you have a screen like the one on the right, click the place on the left that says "Remote Control".
4. Now you're both looking at the same screen.  You both have Ids, and one of you can see your password.
5. Decide who is going to take control.  Usually that will be the helper.  To make this easier, I'm going to describe what happened when Susan and I tested this out.  I was the helper, Susan was the person being helped.  Susan told me her Id and I typed it in in the Partner Id box under Control Remote Computer.  I then hit the big blue CONNECT button and it asked me for Susan's password.  Hey presto, we were connected.

I captured this from the screen of my computer, but the desktop we are seeing is Susan's desktop.  My mouse moves her mouse pointer, and if I (say) open a file and type, my keyboard types on her computer.  If I save a file--it saves on her computer.  And she can watch it all happening.  When we did this just now we were sitting next to each other on the sofa, but if you're in different places it can seem sort of spooky, sitting there watching things happen on your own computer screen.

It sounds pretty high-powered, but its actually very straightforward.  Give it a try with someone in the family (if you've got two computers in your house).

TeamViewer Meetings

These are rather like Zoom or Google Hangouts, but are great if one person wants to run a training session for several people.  Let's say that there have been several people who have joined recently, and someone wants to show them how Google Drive works.  Instead of  clicking the Remote Control button, as above, you click the Meeting button.  The next steps are fairly obvious as you invite people into the meeting (TeamViewer will give you some stuff to send them, probably via email), that looks like this:

Hello,
Please join the video call, by clicking on this link:
https://go.teamviewer.com/v14/m97399799
Meeting ID: m973-997-99

Regards,
James Hardiman

www.teamviewer.com - Easy online meeting & screen sharing

They just click on the https line, and you're in a video call together.

This box appeared when Susan and I were in a meeting together and I had clicked the "Share my Screen" button, which meant that everyone in the meeting could see my screen, and I could demonstrate to everyone.  I had control of everyone's microphones (to stop the strange "feedback" effect).

You can also use TeamViewer to transfer files, if you've tried something that didn't do what you expected (perhaps you were trying to make a spreadsheet that isn't doing what you want).

That's it, I think.  I think that this can be a brilliant technology for educating everyone about the technology they need to be active in the community.

One last thing ...

Recording a TeamViewer Session

Imagine that you have something that you will need to teach people over and over again ... for instance, every time that a group of new people join up, you need to teach them several things.  So you teach one person ... and you record the session, and then upload it to YouTube.  Henceforth you don't need to worry newcomers about TeamViewer--you can just send them the link to the YouTube video.

How you do this is just a little bit techy, so I won't document it here, but if you want to do it, just ask, and I'll show you how.

In true Blue Peter fashion, here's one I prepared earlier.  It's me showing Susan how to use Notepad to create a txt file that I saved to her desktop.

(Note: there's no sound on this video--I think that's something we can fix.)