How to get the most benefit from remote access computer software

Here’s a remote access computer tip for you if you use GoToMyPC to access your computer remotely.

I use a desktop shortcut with GoToMyPC. If you don’t, you should consider it, because it really speeds up the time it takes to log in to the service. Whereas without the shortcut you have to to to the GoToMyPC website, login, connect, and enter your access code to remotely access your computer, with the desktop shortcut, you simply have to input your access code for the host computer.

Click here to visit the GoToMyPC website

If at any time you become worried about the shortcut, there’s an option in GoToMyPC that allows you to revoke any shortcuts that you’ve created. However, as long as you don’t install this desktop shortcut onto a public computer, you really shouldn’t need to revoke your shortcuts. That said, this is an option if you ever have your computer stolen.

A desktop shortcut is easy to set up. While you’re connected to your remote host computer, access the file menu in the GoToMyPC viewer.

Under File choose Create Shortcut to " … ". You’ll be given a warning message telling you that for security reasons it is not recommended if you’re using a public computer at a location such as an airport, cafe, library, etc. The reason for this is that you’re creating a shortcut that bypasses your account password, leaving between your remote computer and an unauthorized user nothing but a single level of authentication.

You’ll be asked to enter your account password. Once you’ve done so and clicked continue, you should get the message that a shortcut has been placed on your desktop.

This really simple step can help you streamline your offsite work and take the hassle out of logging in and out of your remote access software.

Click here to visit the GoToMyPC website
Access your computer remotely and securely

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You have several options for setting up a remote access computer in your home or home office. Although I use and recommend GoToMyPC for remote access, there are several other good remote access software applications available.

GoToMyPC is the extremely popular remote access program I use. It supports remote printing (to either the printer at the host location or the remote location) and drag-and-drop file transfers. Click the link for my comments about the program.

LogMeIn is a remote access application with a free and a pro version with file transfer, remote printing, and more. I’ve tried this program too, but didn’t find it as nice to use as GoToMyPC.

CrossLoop is a remote access utility with file sharing.

Finally, you can use Remote Desktop, included with Windows XP Pro, Vista, and Windows 7 to connect to your computer across the Internet from nearly any computer, Pocket PC, or Smartphone. Once you’re connected, Remote Desktop gives you mouse and keyboard control over your computer while showing you everything that’s happening on the screen. With Remote Desktop, you can leave your computer at the office without losing access to your files, applications, and e-mail. This option is for those comfortable setting up remote access to their computer and leaving it accessible from the internet.

Maybe I’m worrying unnecessarily about someone else being able to access my computer and files, but I prefer the security of using professional remote access computer software and all its add-ons like remote printing and file transfers.

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If you’re looking for remote access computer information, then I’m glad you found this website. I’ve already posted several times about remote access options and told you my preference is to use remote access software, specifically the program I use. This is my honest review of that program—the good and the bad.

What follows is a review of GoToMyPC (which now has a Mac beta version, so it’s no longer just for remote pc access). If you just want to visit the GoToMyPC website, click here.

I wrote my original GoToMyPC review for another website but noticed that a lot of people were finding it useful, so I wanted to make it easy to find (instead of buried in a website about telecommuting). I didn’t need to read any reviews when I bought GoToMyPC because I had a personal recommendation for the product from the tech guy who comes into my office and does all the computer maintenance and networking stuff.

Now I’ve got my own opinion and I wanted to share it so that those who don’t know who to ask about the software can see what it’s all about from someone who actually uses it on a regular basis.

If you prefer to try before you buy, that’s okay because GoToMyPC has a 30 day trial you can sign up for before you make a decision about the software. Click here to learn more about or sign up for that trial.

The thing I most like about GoToMyPC is the ability to log into my office computer from anywhere. Logging in is simple and quick. All I have to do is enter my username and password, and then my access code.

I can print to the office computer just as easily as I can print to my home computer, which is good when someone at the office (usually my boss) needs a printed report.

If I’m using a computer other than my home computer where I already have a “shortcut” set up, it’s very easy for me to go to the GoToMyPC website, login, and download the small piece of software needed to run GoToMyPC.

From the GoToMyPC website I can review reports of my access activity.

Printing was an issue for me at first because I have an older LaserJet at home, but the customer support talked me through the setup. I’ve successfully used several newer printers without any special setup at all.

I’m not a tech wizard when it comes to remote access security and computers, but one of the things that makes GoToMyPC secure is that it requires two passwords for you to log in, and each has to be at least 8 characters long and use letters and numbers. The first password is your account password and the second is called an access code.

If someone tries to remotely access your computer, they only have a limited number of tries to get it right. However, this can work against you if you don’t find it easy to remember your passwords.

There are other security features and if you’re concerned that someone might gain remote access to your computer, you should review them on the Citrix GoToMyPC website before you sign up. Click here to visit the GoToMyPC website.

Key Features of the GoToMyPC Software

These features are important to me and are a few of the reasons why I recommend GoToMyPC.

• I can log into the computer from anywhere as long as I have internet and a browser

• I can set up a desktop “shortcut” to the program so I can quickly log in from a specific computer

• I can access my remote computer’s software programs, including my email, my office documents, and the network files

• I have the ability to print to either the office printers or my home printer, which is useful if I want to have a hardcopy of a document waiting for me the next time I go into the office, but don’t need it at my remote location

• I have access to activity logs so I can support my at-home work hours

• The price was low enough that my employer doesn’t complain about providing the service for me

• Setup and configuration is simple (I have a video you can watch to prove it) and logging on to my host computer is quick and easy whether I’m using the shortcut or the web interface
• GoToMyPC is a secure program that doesn’t compromise the integrity of my computer’s remote access security

In short, I have no problems recommending this program to anyone who needs remote access computer software for their office or home computer because I’ve found that it fits all my needs for remotely accessing my computers.

Click here to visit the GoToMyPC website for more information about GoToMyPC.

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Computer remote access – what you need to know before you set up remote access to your computer

I’m going to do my best to describe how remote access to any computer works, in an easy to understand way, and I’m going to start with the basics. If you’re just looking for some highly recommended remote access computer software, click here to visit the GoToMyPC website.

A remote access computer is the client computer which is what you’d call the computer that’s trying to remotely access another computer. That other computer—the one you’re trying to access—is the remote access server computer. The remote access server computer is the host computer, or as I call it around here, my work computer. ;)

During the set up of the remote access server, you can easily make mistakes if you don’t know what you’re doing and leave this computer open to lots of other computers and people you don’t want to have remote access to your computer. That’s one very, very good reason why I suggest you don’t try to do it yourself. Use one of the secure remote access computer programs out there and save yourself this disaster waiting to happen.

If you do go the software route, the remote PC access software is the only remote access tool you’ll need to get yourself up and running remotely in almost no time at all. I have a video posted that shows the installation of the GoToMyPC remote access computer software (which I believe is the best remote computer access software out there) and how to set up a computer for remote access.

In fact, you can get remote access to any computer this way. You just have to set up the little piece of software that will reside on the remote access host computer and you’re good to go.

How remote pc access software works – details you should know

If you want secure remote computer access, you’ll need to set up the following:

Remote access – work computer

You install your main remote access software on your office computer and access your office computer from other locations, such as from home, the coffee shop, or the road.

The remote access computer (the client) is whatever computer you’re using to connect to your work computer—probably your laptop or your home computer.

Remote access – home computer

You install your main remote access software on your home computer and access your home computer from other locations, such as the office, when you travel, go on vacation, or are waiting in the lobby of the doctor’s office.

The remote access computer (the client) is whatever computer you’re using to connect to your home computer—probably your laptop, maybe a friend’s computer, or your work computer.

More “how-to” remote access computer tips

The thing about software like GoToMyPC is that it can do some really neat things, like allow you remote access to your computer files and documents. But I also find it highly-useful to transfer my files between my computers. Here’s how.

GoToMyPC and other programs like it let you drag-and-drop files from one computer to the other. Most of the time, I just drop them on my desktop, but I have also successfully dragged-and-dropped files directly into folders. It’s web based remote access since it gives you remote desktop access through a browser-like window that can be minimized or enlarged, and this is very useful because not everything I want to do when I’m working has to be done on the remotely accessed computer.

Copy and paste between remote computer desktops (most remote desktop software allows it).

Remote access reboot is possible with GoToMyPC since the software is set to be loaded when the computer starts. I recommend leaving this set so that if the power goes out and your automatic backup power source fails, you’ll still be able to access the computer remotely once the power returns. Otherwise, when the power goes out, you’re stuck with a remote computer that doesn’t have the remote pc access software loaded. Can’t do much with that, trust me. :)

Also, this way, if something happens and the remote computer crashes you can send a CTRL+ALT+DEL and restart it. (GoToMyPC lets you do this.)

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As usual, when I reference the software I currently use, I’m talking about my preferred remote access solution, GoToMyPC, which I recommend as the best remote computer access program out there. If you just want to go to the GoToMyPC website, click here.

Back when I was trying to use a bad version of remote pc access software, I knew having access to good remote access technology would be useful to me. I wanted to use it when I couldn’t make it into the office because of bad weather. I lived far away from the office and traveling in bad weather has never been something I like to do. But in the end, the software didn’t work out and I didn’t know how else to access a computer remotely.

Then, years later, in a different job, I actually started working from home a lot. That’s when remote access to my computer became not just a useful possibility, but an essential tool for me. You see, I needed to gain remote access to computer software that wasn’t installed on my home computer, to use with files that had to be opened with that software.

I’ve found that controlling a computer remotely through GoToMyPC is the easiest way to get work done. I don’t have to bother with installing copies of software on multiple computers. I don’t have to buy extra copies of that software.

It’s expensive to put a full copy of Office on a computer these days—at least several hundred dollars. Quickbooks, too, will run at least $199 or so for the basic full version.

If I had to work from home using files from the office and software on my own computer, it would easily cost twice as much as it does to run remote access computer software.

Being able to control remote computer software so that I don’t have to have that software and those files on my own home computer is the best and cheapest way to work from home. Not to mention not having to worry about making sure I have the right files and stuff when I leave the office and any security issues involved with taking those files out of the office environment. My boss considers this a serious benefit to using the remote desktop connection instead of me working on files directly on my home computer. It’s win/win. With GoToMyPC, he gets work done securely. I get to work from home without cluttering up my home computer. :)

Click here to visit the GoToMyPC website.

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When I first thought about working from home so that I wouldn’t have to travel an hour one way by car to get to the office, remote access computer software wasn’t something I was ignorant of, but I hadn’t had any good experiences with it.

In a previous job, the company I worked for had used a program that I had had a lot of trouble setting up on my home computer and I’d never been able to reliably access a remote computer with it. It frustrated me, because it shouldn’t have been so hard to set up a stinkin’ remote access computer program! But that was the days of dial up internet, and it really was a horrible little software program. :)

What do I do when I have remote PC access to my work computer?

I use QuickBooks extensively. I actually thought of signing up to the QuickBooks remote access service but when I mentioned it to the computer guy that comes into the office to take care of our network and other technical issues, he suggested GoToMyPC because he had other clients that used it and they seemed very happy with it. I looked it up later and after reading about it, I was sure it would work for me way better than a piece of software that would just let me access one program on my work computer.

What I also learned was that there are different kinds of remote access services out there. Some are for simple access to single programs and some are true PC access software. Not only will these latter programs let you access documents on your PC, but they’ll let you run programs just as if you’re sitting in front of your other computer—it’s a real “remote access solution” (maybe I should say “remote desktop software or solution”?) that gives you the ability to remote access your work computer, home computer, or whatever computer you have set up. Click here to visit the GoToMyPC website.

The thing is, it’s a whole lot better if I can have remote mail access so I can write and send work email from my office computer, and access all my work documents without having to carry copies home.

Frankly, remote desktop software is exactly what I needed and how I use it today is a testament to that fact. I send a lot of email at work—especially when I’m not “at” work. I don’t want all that email following me home, and there’s something about being able to turn off the remote desktop connection I have with the work computer and leaving all those emails behind. :)

Home/work separation is always difficult for people who work from home, which I found out the hard way, and this makes it just a little easier. “Oops, I’m sorry, I wasn’t connected to the office computer after hours—I didn’t get that email.”

Since I’m fairly comfortable downloading and installing software on my own, I didn’t wait for the computer guy to install the program. This particular remote computer access program was a breeze to set up on the remote access host computer. My home computer set up was even easier—until I had to install my older/out-of-date HP laser printer. I should have expected that though because my printer isn’t even compatible with Vista (which runs on my home computer). I had to play around with it darn near forever just to get it installed and running when I bought a new computer and switched from XP to Vista. Anyway, I called their support and they walked me through the set up and I was immediately able to print anything from my office computer to my home computer just as if it was installed on the office network! Now that, my dears, was awesome. ;)

The thing is, remote access software works for me because it’s easy to use and easy to set up. I’m actually pretty good with computers when it comes to certain things, but networks and remote access setup aren’t one of my strengths by far. (My brother set up my home network for me and I’ll have to call him again if I have to get a new computer any time soon.)

I would never be comfortable trying to set up Windows Vista or XP, or any computer for that matter to use its own remote access technology stuff, so I rely on good software to do it for me. I don’t trust myself to set it up correctly or securely. Leaving your computer open to others is a risky proposition and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Go for something secure like I did and you’ll never worry about it. :)

Anyway, I think the program I use is probably the best remote computer access software out there right now and I’ve told a lot of people about it, including friends I’ve worked with. A couple of them use it now too and like it, so I know I’m not alone when I say it’s a true solution when you’re looking for a way to remotely access your computer from home, or anywhere else for that matter.

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1. Use software. Install remote access software on the computer you want to access remotely.

Technically minded people might try to set up a direct remote connection between two computers, but for me, that’s a skill I don’t have. Using software (like GoToMyPC) is how I get remote access to a computer.

2. Log in to the website of the remote access software site.

3. Click connect.

4. Type my access code/password.

5. Get to work.

I’ve found that with the right software, it really is that easy.

I know you might have expected more trouble than this, but the process is not difficult and it’s also very useful.

I’ve used GoToMyPC as a way to use all my power hungry applications on my desktop from my laptop and it works great. It means I can be anywhere in my house or yard, as long as I’ve still got internet, and use my older laptop to do work that needs to be done on the newer, faster computer that’s in my home office.

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I’ve used a variety of programs to access my computer remotely, starting with the popular GoToMyPC and LogMeIn. Although LogMeIn is a decent option, its interface is not nearly as usable and friendly as GoToMyPC’s user interface, which I’ve been using for two and a half years now. I admit that when I tried LogMeIn, I was already a happy GoToMyPC user. It’s been remotely connecting me to my work computer for all those years and I even use it on my Laptop to access my home computer.

Remote access software can be scary because it leaves your computer open to security breaches. That’s why it’s so important to find secure remote access computer software. Doing it yourself or using untrustworthy software can be a disaster waiting to happen! Trust me, I don’t know a lot about networks and network security, but I’ve seen my boss lose an entire hard-drive of data because he didn’t take the right precautions when he set up access on his laptop. It cost over a thousand dollars to send his hard-drive off to a data retrieval specialist. I know because I paid the bill. My boss wasn’t happy, but I’m sure some criminal hacker was very pleased.

I made this site because I wrote a review of GoToMyPC on a blog and it was getting a lot of visits from people looking for information about remote pc access. That made me realize how useful my review of GoToMyPC was and I decided I would share it in a way that made it easy to find and while I was at it, I would try to share as much of my personal experiences with remote computer access as I could. That’s when I came up with the idea for the Remote Access Computer Tips website.

I hope you find something useful here.

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