Crossloop: A Lifesaver for Remotely Troubleshooting Granny's Computer

We've all been there. We're the family geeks and so every tiny thing that goes wrong on anyone's computer results in a 'phone call to us.

This is fine when auntie, uncle, grandparent or whoever is just down the road. It's easier to grab your coat and head on over there. It might only take ten minutes and it will earn you brownie points.

At least there's usually a nice cup of tea and a slice of cake in it for whoever can remove the virus, identify the strange flashing light, configure emails or reset the homepage.

But what happens when your computer illiterate loved one is miles away? As a veteran and a survivor of those calls, I can tell you with absolute clarity. It's a recipe for writing off the next hour, while trying to persuade the person on the other side to just press the right button, click the right icon, open the blooming start menu...

You're not only the geek here. You're a counselor too. Things are repeated over and over again, because they've forgotten what you wanted them to press. They were too busy apologizing for interrupting you or else telling you for the 10th time in five minutes that they don't know a thing about computers. There was none of this in their day. It's all a confusing muddle. They're putting it through the window in a minute. Sorry, what did you want them to press again?

It's difficult not to feel like Roy from The IT Crowd at times, answering each 'phone call with, "Did you try turning it off and on again?"  But help is at hand.

It's like being expected to speak a whole new language instantly. The person on the other end of the telephone is saying things like, "You need to run CMD and flush the DNS. If that fails, then clear the Java cache in the control panel."

They're saying it slowly and loudly, as if that will suddenly confer upon you a degree in Computer Science. You wished it would. That would save you from feeling so patronized by a kid, whom you recall being in nappies.

It's humiliating to have to ask their help, when it's obvious that they think you quite stupid. You're being told to open the start menu, but nothing on your screen says 'start'. Look at the 'desktop', it's in the bottom left-hand corner. In your lexicon, the desktop is the piece of furniture made of wood or formica, on which your keyboard rests.

You feel like cringing, as you have to ask, "What's the desktop again?" That sigh and strained tone, on the other side of the telephone, tells you that you're straining their patience to the limit. You try to explain that, when you were their age, there weren't even televisions in most people's houses. Sir Tim Berners-Lee hadn't even been born, let alone invented the world wide web. People had conversations face to face and worried about putting food on the table, while bombs were falling from the sky.

Even when you've located the start button, there's nothing inside that says 'Run'. You're on Windows 7.

It would be so much easier if they'd just pop round and click these buttons themselves. It would get them out of the house for a start and it would be nice to see them. You could perhaps teach them proper social interaction by example. A real conversation over a cup of tea and a slice of cake. In the old days, there was no cake unless everyone put their ration books together. Even then, powdered eggs made it taste funny. The cake really was a lie.

Unfortunately, they're so far away, studying at that fancy university or gone to the city to find work. So you'll have to survive this telephone call, feeling ridiculous and trying desperately to make them understand that it's not your fault. You weren't born knowing advanced technology. You were born knowing the real world instead.

But there is a compromise here. They could virtually come over and that's the best of both worlds.

The first time I discovered Crossloop, I wanted to prostrate myself in front of the developers and kiss their feet until the end of time. I'm pretty sure that my elderly uncle felt the same, though probably with a little more decorum.

We were both veterans of seemingly endless hours of those telephone calls. This time his computer had been infected with a virus that was reasonably complicated to remove. Even I had to give it some thought. I'd have to go into the registry and other high risk areas; or, more to the point, I'd have to describe to him how to do these things.

I searched for an alternative and found a comment in a forum recommending Crossloop. It was free. It was easy to download. It allowed me to operate my uncle's computer from my own house. I cleared out that virus so fast. Moreover, I took the opportunity to do a bit of basic PC housework, which forestalled many other future problems.

My uncle merely sat back and watched, as his cursor moved across the screen and files opened up, ran programs and closed again. I was talking to him on the telephone as I did it. I was able to demonstrate things in minutes, which would have taken an hour to explain. It was sociable and relaxed. I quite enjoyed it and, at the end of the session, the computer was running beautifully.

Once Crossloop has downloaded, click on the icon and you will be invited to register on the site. There are benefits to registering, including a newsletter to keep you up to date with tweaks and other news.

This isn't strictly necessary though, so click 'tell me later' and the Crossloop interface will pop up. It is pictured to the left.

Use the default name or else type over it with your own name. This is the access box. This is for the geeks. All they need is the access code in order to connect with a remote computer at the other end.

Click the 'share' tab and this session's access code is displayed. It changes each time you open Crossloop. Access is for one session only, so no-one will be able to gain control of the remote computer permanently.

This is for the person who wants a geek inside their PC fixing everything. If you trust someone to look at your computer for you, then tell them the access code.

They will copy or type the code into the box on the first tab. This will prompt a request for access on the remote computer. Approve it and they are in.

You just have to sit back and either watch, or go and do something else, until your computer is fixed.

The Crossloop access code should only be given to someone whom you trust. You are effectively handing over control, as if they were sitting in your computer chair, using your mouse and keyboard. Of course things could go wrong, if they really wanted to mess things up.

However, there are some built-in tools for protecting yourself.

• The Access Code is for one session only. As soon as either side has disconnected that Crossloop call, the access code will change. This means that another code will have to be given before your geek can get back into your computer.
• The host computer user can over-ride the remote one. Even if Crossloop has been used to allow a geek into your computer, you never relinquish full control. You can still use your own mouse and keyboard; and your computer will prioritize your use over that of the remote user.
• You can instantly cut the remote connection. As soon as you press the 'disconnect' button on the Crossloop interface, or else switch the computer off, the remote user cannot access your PC.

In short, Crossloop cannot be used later in the day, when you're not watching, for malicious purposes. The remote user simply would not be able to get in.

Crossloop is not only safe and easy to use, but it'll save the sanity of everyone who needs to download it. Enjoy!