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Help secure computers remotely

You can use Windows Live Messenger and the Windows Live safety scanner to diagnose and fix everything from viruses to hard-disk fragmentation remotely.

Download Windows Live Messenger

Before you can scan and fix another person's computer, both of you must download Windows Live Messenger. It's free and it comes with the Windows Live safety scanner.

How to run a remote scan on another computer

  1. From your Messenger contacts list, select the friend you're helping and open a conversation window.
  2. Click Activities in the top navigation bar (look for a picture of a movie reel and music note), then select Windows Live Safety Scanner. This will automatically send your friend an invitation to start the scanner.
  3. Once your friend accepts the invitation, the scanner pops up near of the conversation window.
  4. Choose the scan you want to run:

    • Complete Scan. Checks for viruses, wasted disk space, and secure Internet connection. (Recommended)
    • Quick Scan. Checks for viruses in specific areas of your friend's computer.
    • Learn more about the differences between a complete and quick scan.
  5. Run the scan. You can use Messenger to communicate while the scan runs.

Note: The length of the scan depends on the speed of your friend's computer, the amount of memory it has, and how many issues the scanner finds.

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