Give Remote PC Assisstance to Friends with InstantHousecall

remote assistance software free If you’ve ever thought of finding a simpler way to help your friends or relatives with your computer skills, rather than having to be physically there to assist them with the installation of an app or the removal of spyware/viruses, then remote support to their PC might do the trick for you.

We’ve previously covered other remote support programs such as Crossloop, PCHelpware, Schnitz Remote Lite and Teamviewer but today we are going to look at remote assisstance software – Instant Housecall.

Instant Housecall allows you to connect to a friend or relative’s computer. All they need to know is your unique Instant Housecall specialist ID.

-instanthousecall - remote assisstance software

Functionality

This desktop version of Instant Housecall is the Free Edition. It can be installed and configured on computers that operate on Windows 2000, XP, and Vista. Once you’ve downloaded Instant Housecall and configured it, you will be granted temporary access to another computer’s remote system once the user on the other end allows you to obtain it.

The user seeking assistance by you will have to visit FreeRemoteSupport.com and enter your specialist ID which you chose at the time you downloaded and registered your version.

The Grass is Greener on the Other Side

When you have access, you will be able to move the mouse on the user’s desktop, open/close apps, remove/add programs, and more as if you were actually sitting in front of their computer. The specialist ID is very important and it will also act as your username when logging into the system. The user who needs you to come to the rescue will utilize this ID to enter it on the developer’s site (listed above) and download a small client that will allow you to instantly gain access to their PC and fix/add whatever need be.

Immediately after the user has requested your help and installed the simple client on their PC, a small Instant Housecall window will pop-up on your desktop and let you know that your assistance is needed. You will not only be able to manipulate their desktop, but you will also have full control of file sharing/transferring between your computer and theirs. You will also find the use of a built-in chat application helpful as well.

The Conclusion of Your Housecall

Instant Housecall is extremely easy to use because you won’t find any trouble bypassing through the users firewall once they’ve granted you access. You will have full control of their computer as if it were your own, and you will be able to chat with them sending them instructions or confirmations with this app’s simple chat system. This is a professional app that lets you share your PC skills with friends, relatives, and others. If you decide to use this app then you can further read of its functionality with the simple user guide.

If you decide to give it a go, let us know in the comments what you think about it and how it compares to its rivals such as Crossloop.

Tagged: remote access • remote control • tech support

Joel Reyes

From a very young age I've been interested and captivated by technology! Before entering college I began self teaching, exploring, and exploiting new found information on all sorts of technology venues. In addition to my "addiction" to the tech world I also began to gain a large interest in writing. It quickly became one of my strongest subjects where I continued to advance in. As time progressed I started thinking about a future in writing, but what better to write about if not on the subjects I love so much having to do with technology! Thus, several years later I continue writing helpful articles, tutorials, and reviews on computer software, design, development, and programing content.

Daisy

OMG, I love it!

I’m helping my friend with her computer as I write this and this program is totally awesome!

I’m a convert what can I say. Why I like it better: no virus warning popups, so simple, way faster, and easier. Has all the features and then some.

http://www.grindsmart.com Joel

That’s great! I’m glad that you were able to find this app favorable! I hope you will continue to enjoy this software.

We appreciate your comments!

Kelly

I just used this to help a friend of mine fix their computer. Totally worked amazing. Didn’t have to worry about port fowarding and the whole process was very quick. Thanks for the tip!

http://www.grindsmart.com Joel

No problem! Thank you for your comment. This app is quick, simple, and easy to use as you’ve stated. I wish more programs were like this.A

Gary Moody

I just downloaded this application. It didn’t work. I called the company and talked to Corey (Owner). He was very kind. He is an excellent listener. He offered to login to my computer via his application and fix the problem. I granted permission and we were off to the races. I usually get nervous about people editing my registry, but I was able to watch everything on my screen. Everything worked perfectly. Turns out the installation needed modification based on my computer security. The fix involved changing a single registry key from a “0″ to a “1″. I am guessing this is very unusual. Corey was excellent. Thank you Corey. To everyone, use this application. It works perfect and the support (even for the free version) was superb. Now I can help my family fix their computers without having to guess what the screen looks like. YEAH. Thank you MAKEUSEOF.com for another excellent article.

http://www.grindsmart.com Joel

Gary,

Glad you were able to use and enjoy this program. We appreciate your comments, and Thank You for trying it out!

Brady

This program looks awesome. I currently use Crossloop for this kinda task but I’ll give this a go.

http://www.grindsmart.com Joel

No problem Brady, give it a try and see if you enjoy it more then Crossloop. Good luck.
TimA

SO, is the free version better than Crossloop?

http://www.grindsmart.com Joel Reyes

Tim, you would have to make this decision yourself. You could download both applications and see which one benfits you them most speed, memory, and usage wise.

Brad

Looks good – I might give it a try. I use LogMeIn a lot – I have it installed on my parents’ and siblings’ computers. The downside (for them) is that I could theoretically log in at any time but it is great when they need me to look at something and I want to do it late at night or another time when they can’t be available. I just tell them to leave their computer on and I’ll log in that night and fix it.

BTW – awesome web site. I found it about a month ago and have already learned tons of great tips. Thanks!

http://www.grindsmart.com Joel Reyes

Thank you for your comment Brad! Yes MUO is a great website.

With this app you wont find that “downside” as you will find that you cannot log into ones computer without their invitation or permission, as you’ve stated, I know that with other programs you can though.

Anthony

I find Techinline (ttp://www.techinline.com) to be the easiest out of all the remote access tools mentioned above. I use it regularly to support my customers and am very pleased with the performance. For one, it bypasses any installations or downloads, and what is probably most important these days, is a fraction of the cost of some of the alternatives out there, such as LogMeIn Rescue

http://www.grindsmart.com Joel Reyes

Anthony, thank you for your contribution to this article, I appreciate it. I’ve seen this app you’ve described in action, it is a wonderful remote support app. I’m glad you’ve found a software that works for you.
http://www.instanthousecall.com Corey Fruitman

Hi Vyacheslav (aka “Andrew”),

I think of us as colleagues, not competitors. I know it can be difficult for you to obtain publicity for your own software, but it’s unprofessional to post the same comment about your product every time Instant Housecall pops up on your Google Alerts.

Instant Housecall has always respected professionalism toward those in our industry, and we hope you will extend the same to us in the future.

Regards,
Corey.

http://www.instanthousecall.com Corey Fruitman

Hi Joel,

A BIG thank you from the small team here at Instant Housecall!

We appreciate the great review, and the kind words from all of your readers of MakeUseOf.com.

To all of you who took the time to fill out our Feedback Form, thank you — we’re working hard to personally respond to each and every one of you.

Your support has been overwhelming, and I’m glad to hear that you’re enjoying Instant Housecall Free Edition. If you have any questions or if I can help in any way, you can reach me at cfruitman@instanthousecall.com any time.

Thanks again and look forward to making Instant Housecall even better in the months and years to come!

Corey.

http://www.grindsmart.com Joel

Hello Corey, no problem. That’s what we’re hear for at MakeUseOf! We enjoy writing reviews on wonderful software, I wish more people come to know about the great content on this site.

And thank you for developing such a useful software, as this is what many new applications lack now-a-days; usefulness.

http://www.proxynetworks.com Remote control software

Great tool. I found that it works well on Linux too. Thanks.
http://www.insegment.com SEM

Sounds like a great tool. Will you make it for mac? There aren’t too many options for us, and the market is growing…