Hello. I am new to this forum, and don't know anything about Windows or administration.
I would like to know what I would need to do to manage another Windows computer remotely.
This might include the ability to changes settings on the remote machine, update software, and securing it.
The issue is that unless you use something like Teamviewer, updates are going to lock you out, since the system would have to reboot when done and will drop the connection. Securing the system is done at the machine not outside on the Wild Web. Settings are done at the machine, and really should not be done via remote connection.
Not the answer I was looking for...
I thought it was pretty common for System Admins to be able to manage other machines remotely? (You certainly can do it with webservers.)
Yes, I can see times where someone would need to restart the machine, but once they do that, isn't there a practical way to be able to do things remotely?
For instance, I know someone out of state who would be interested in having full disk encryption installed on his computer, but because of the distance, I cannot do that in person.
I sure wish there was some way to do some of the things I am trying to accomplish...
That will be the only answer that you will get when it comes to how the behavior works when trying to do things that should be done at the machine. Unless you have a Lenovo that allows you to use their way of remote into a machine, you are still in the same boat. Trying to do encryption from a remote connection is like signing your death warrant if it is a customer's machine and something goes wrong if you cannot confirm a backup of the machine.
Teamviewer is great for general remote support, but no good for activities that require a pc to be booted from a winpse environment generally.
This is not going how I expected...
I feel like I am in a real bind here, and am hoping all of your Windows gurus can help me find a solution...
There are a couple of problems that I'm trying to resolve...
1.) My last accountant disappeared on my and turned out to be untrustworthy
2.) I won't let any accountant put my SSN or EIN into his software
3.) I found a CPA out of state that sounds very competent, respects my privacy/security concerns, and said he might even let me manage his computers
4.) I really want an accountant that runs FDE and take other security measures to protect my info
5.) It is *IMPOSSIBLE* to find any accountants in today's world that give a flying fajita about privacy/security - especially now that everything is being filed online, accountants are even more INSECURE with SSN/EINs
6.) Because I see this enormous audience of people who need my help making their clients data more secure, I want to try and tap into it!
7.) By data I am an IT contractor and that means I constantly move around, soit is hard for me to find a good local accountant or customers from one region. (But if I could provide security services for accountants out-of-state, then I could do much more.)
In the end, it seems to me that there are tons of IT pros who supports websites and webservers and other things "remotely". SO I guess I am not sure why I couldn't do the same.
Ironically, I am pretty handy with securing Mac computers, but I don't know much about Windows which is why I am here.
Just so it is clear...
I am a very HARD-WORKING and ETHICAL IT guy.
I am also struggling to make a living, and looking to expand my horizons by learning new things and starting a side business.
Here is hoping you guys can help me get there!
Again if you use VNC, RDP, Teamviewer, you will end up creating problems if you are changing settings, encrypting a drive or folder, updating, because it will disconnect you. There is a way to run a Powershell script for updating outside of system, but it can disconnect you if you try to update the driver of the network adapter. If something goes wrong with changing settings, GPO, registry, you can get disconnected and not be able to gain access. If you are trying to encrypt, once again you can get disconnected and not gain access.
You have been warned already that if you try to do what you are wanting to do, you can end up signing your death warrant as we say if this is a customer's machine or if you are running as a VM and someone on the other end does not know how to fix things if you are not in the same area as the server to go fix it.
I do not care what you are or how hard you do it. I have been doing this stuff for over 35 years and I have even had to go oh crap when something went wrong and I could not go to fix it, so had someone else do it.
Since you have this thread and this one Windows 7 vs Windows 8 vs Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums talking about the same thing. If you have a mutual interest and if the accountant is asked by the Fed's and state to have a review of records and they are lost because you are wanting to do this stuff as you are mentioning in this and do not have a backup going every day. You can get fined or even lose everything if you get sued by the accountant.
Let an outside party handle his machines and let him use a trusted offsite backup to handle keeping the data secured and if anything happens to his computers, there will be a copy that he can get back online with. It does not matter what OS you are running and what he is running. Windows is Windows regardless of the GUI.
I am starting to see that remote access probably wouldn't help with a lot of the things I want to do.
And you bring up some interesting points about liability on my end.
Then again, you are leaving out a couple equally important points...
1.) You assume that accountants do s*** to protect their clients' data.
2.) You are forgetting that if this (or any) accountant's IT ignorance leads to a data breach, then it is I who has another kind of liability
Yes, it makes sense to know what I am doing before I offer any of my services, but anyone who does IT work can get sued. If concern of liability was a limiting factor, then NO ONE would work in IT - especially not supporting small business owners. Right?
One way to secure your info would be to buy a computer and set it up the way you want and then mail it to him.
Or you could find an accountant that is certified with HIPPA
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