Remote Control Your Computer with TeamViewer
TeamViewer is a popular remote control access software. It allows you to remotely control your computer from another device - whether it is another laptop or mobile devices like Android and iOS. In this article, I'll share with you the benefits of using TeamViewer -- for doing occasional remote access to your files, and to situations when you might need to extend tech support to friends and relatives while using only the internet and the TeamViewer App.
As a long time TeamViewer (and LogMeIn) user, I can't help but immediately share with you the benefits of having TeamViewer:
To summarize the things that you can do with TeamViewer:
- Provide remote access to your computers while they are online
- Provide remote control and "tech support" to the computers of friends and family
- Share your desktop with colleagues at work to show a presentation
- Share your desktop with friends and family to share a demo of how to use an app or program
TeamViewer additional capabilities
- Remote audio and video broadcast!
- Amazing clipboard integration -- what you copy on your local desktop can be pasted into the remote computer (and vice versa!)
I hope the quick intro above encourages you to install TeamViewer, lets continue on and I'll walk you through the download and installation..
1. Go to TeamViewer.com, and click the download link.
2. The TeamViewer installer will begin to download.
3. After downloading, Run the installer
4. You are presented with installation options..
Installation Options Explained: BASIC INSTALLATION
TeamViewer will be installed on your computer. It will enable your computer to be remotely accessible, and it will allow you to remotely-control other computers as well. Take note that this is all possible only when you are physically sitting on your computer to launch the TeamViewer program and relay the ID and passwords to the one that will control your machine.
INSTALLATION TO ACCESS THIS COMPUTER REMOTELY
This is the installation that we need! This installs TeamViewer (see details of basic installation above), and also enables to "unattended access" so that you can remotely control your computer from another device. Choosing this type of install makes TeamViewer always running in the background, always listening and ready to accept remote control access. Security is tightly controlled with the TeamViewer ID and passwords (read more below for details)
RUN ONLY/ ONE TIME USE
This used to be called the TeamViewer Portable install. Basically, all it does it extracts the TeamViewer files that are need for remote access and saves them into a local folder on the computer. TeamViewer is not technically installed in the operating system, but it will run for remote control purposes. This is the ideal use if you are on a computer where installation of programs is not allowed (such as in an office environment, or limited school/laboratory computers). After using TeamViewer, you may then delete the TeamViewer folder -- thus leaving no traces that you had just performed remote access or enabled remote access to your computer while using a limited "Guest" account in Windows.
5. Choose [b]Installation to access this computer remotely (unattended)[b] and likewise, choose
Personal / Non-commercial use 
6. In advanced installation, I choose to uncheck the other options TeamViewer add-ons.
7. TeamViewer has finished installing its program files. Now it asks us to setup for "unattended access". This is basically the part of the TeamViewer installation where we setup the computer to be remotely accessible at any time even when there is no one to physically configure or enable TeamViewer.
8. Step 1 for the Unattended Access Setup is to type a descriptive computer name, and assign a TeamViewer password.
9. Step 2 is to register for a TeamViewer account -- I recommend that you register for an online TeamViewer.com account. A TeamViewer.com account is free, and it provides the additional feature of being able to login to the TeamViewer website and manage your computers with TeamViewer installations.
10. After successful creation of a TeamViewer.com account, check your email to activate with the system generated code.
11. TeamViewer has finished installation. You are taken to the TeamViewer.com website. It informs you that your online account has been created and that you may now login to manage your computers with TeamViewer.
THE BENEFITS OF AN ONLINE TEAMVIEWER ACCOUNT:
Accessible list and easy remote access of TeamViewer installed computers
Access to advanced options with a free time trial
12. Going back to the Computer, you are now presented with the TeamViewer Screen.
Now, to explain the details of the Teamviewer screen:
The first column is for "Allow Remote Control"
If you are online on your computer and would like someone else to take remote control of you computer through TeamViewer, then provide them with the "ID" and "Password". This security feature of TeamViewer is in place so that only your authorized individuals can gain remote access to your computer through TeamViewer. This is specially helpful if you may need occasional tech-support or live assistance while using the computer. With this, the tech-support guy can be from miles away and still be able to control and assist you as if he was sitting next to your computer.
The security of TeamViewer works through the "ID" and "Password". You should also know that your computer is remotely accesssible only when you have TeamViewer running. If you choose to exit TeamViewer or disconnect from the internet, remote access to your computer is disabled.
The second column is for "Control Remote Computer"
This column is what you use if you will be the one to gain control of a remote computer. If you have TeamViewer installed on Grandma's computer, you simply need to know the TeamViewer "ID" and "Password" that is randomly generated by TeamViewer -- call Grandma and have her dictate to you these info while she sits on the computer. The ID and Password are often randomly generated thus enforcing strict security so only you can access Granny's computer and perform tech-support for her and solve that level on Candy Crush
The third column is "Computers and Contacts"
This is basically a list of all the computers where you have TeamViewer installed and have registered to your online TeamViewer.com account.
This is specially helpful when you have multiple installations of TeamViewer on different computers. It gives you a quick list of which computers are online and available for remote access.
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Advanced Remote Control -- Unattended Access
Now the final piece of this tutorial, no modern remote access software is complete without the ability to control a computer even when no one is physically present to launch TeamViewer and relay the random ID na Password to you.
We go back to the "Allow Remote Control' column, and notice the "Personal Password" field.
TeamViewer explains that with this Personal Password, you can give anyone access to your computer.
To explain this further, this is the critical password that we have set in the installation
With this Personal Password setup on your computer, you can be working from a friend's computer or the office computer, launch TeamViewer, and input the "Personal Password" of your home computer and gain access. It may be a good idea to setup different "Personal Passwords" on each computer -- this way you lessen the risk of compromising all TeamViewer installed computers. Or you can setup a scheme of mildly varying Personal Passwords to recall the password for each much easier.
**While writing this post, please feel free to comment if you used to be a LogMeIn "Free Edition" user! Indeed, I am a former LogMeIn Free Edition user. Its too bad that LogMeIn decided to pull the Free Edition after years of benefit. Right now, it seems that TeamViewer and setting up TeamViewer with Untattended Access is the way to go after LogMeIn Free
Remote Control Your Computer with TeamViewer 
