Strange Remote assistance problem

My mother in law is 86, is 250 miles away, and has an XP laptop (not sure
whether SP3 is installed or not) and is NOT, I repeat NOT, able to do much
in the way of technical "stuff" on it.
I usually do remote assistance via Windows Live Messenger.
However, in the last fortnight, something (or somebody!) has messed with
some setting somewhere and this is the result: She cannot log on to Windows
Live messenger at all. We have done disk cleanup, deleted cookies and temp
and temp internet files. I can log on to her WLM account from my machine,
but all she gets is "Cannot sign you on at this time" messages.
So, I though I'd try TeamViewer. Works here on my LAN, works from here to my
daughter's machine 150 miles away. When she clicks on the customer exe, she
gets a window up saying "No connection to the Internet" and the ID box
shows the local IP and no password.

I'm stumped as to what might be causing this. She can surf the internet,
download files, send emails, etc etc but NOT log onto WLM or use TeamViewer.
Any thoughts anyone?

Gordon wrote:

> My mother in law is 86, is 250 miles away, and has an XP laptop (not sure
> whether SP3 is installed or not) and is NOT, I repeat NOT, able to do much
> in the way of technical "stuff" on it.
> I usually do remote assistance via Windows Live Messenger.
> However, in the last fortnight, something (or somebody!) has messed with
> some setting somewhere and this is the result: She cannot log on to
> Windows Live messenger at all. We have done disk cleanup, deleted cookies
> and temp and temp internet files. I can log on to her WLM account from my
> machine, but all she gets is "Cannot sign you on at this time" messages.
> So, I though I'd try TeamViewer. Works here on my LAN, works from here to
> my daughter's machine 150 miles away. When she clicks on the customer exe,
> she
> gets a window up saying "No connection to the Internet" and the ID box
> shows the local IP and no password.
>
> I'm stumped as to what might be causing this. She can surf the internet,
> download files, send emails, etc etc but NOT log onto WLM or use
> TeamViewer. Any thoughts anyone?

You won't like my answer but I'm going to respectfully give it to you
anyway: have a local professional take a look. Unless she can get on the
Internet with TeamViewer or the like, there's nothing you can do from 250
miles away. So either go visit her or get someone local in. :-)

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

"Malke" <malke@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:uzslsOV3IHA.3480@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> Gordon wrote:
>
>> My mother in law is 86, is 250 miles away, and has an XP laptop (not sure
>> whether SP3 is installed or not) and is NOT, I repeat NOT, able to do
>> much
>> in the way of technical "stuff" on it.
>> I usually do remote assistance via Windows Live Messenger.
>> However, in the last fortnight, something (or somebody!) has messed with
>> some setting somewhere and this is the result: She cannot log on to
>> Windows Live messenger at all. We have done disk cleanup, deleted cookies
>> and temp and temp internet files. I can log on to her WLM account from my
>> machine, but all she gets is "Cannot sign you on at this time" messages.
>> So, I though I'd try TeamViewer. Works here on my LAN, works from here to
>> my daughter's machine 150 miles away. When she clicks on the customer
>> exe,
>> she
>> gets a window up saying "No connection to the Internet" and the ID box
>> shows the local IP and no password.
>>
>> I'm stumped as to what might be causing this. She can surf the internet,
>> download files, send emails, etc etc but NOT log onto WLM or use
>> TeamViewer. Any thoughts anyone?
>
> You won't like my answer but I'm going to respectfully give it to you
> anyway: have a local professional take a look. Unless she can get on the
> Internet with TeamViewer or the like, there's nothing you can do from 250
> miles away. So either go visit her or get someone local in. :-)
>
>
Thanks - I'd resigned myself to having to wait until I have physical access
to the machine - any tips on where or what I should start looking for?

Gordon wrote:

> Thanks - I'd resigned myself to having to wait until I have physical
> access to the machine - any tips on where or what I should start looking
> for?

Honestly, I don't know because I don't know what she's got on there. It's
possible she said "yes" to a security program offered by her ISP and now
she's got two firewalls going. It's also possible she said "yes" to some
screensaver she liked which turned out to not be a screensaver.

If she were here I'd run over for you, but you live in the UK, don't you? Of
course, if you want to pay for my airline tickets... ;-)

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

"Malke" <malke@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:Otyla9V3IHA.3480@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> Gordon wrote:
>
>> Thanks - I'd resigned myself to having to wait until I have physical
>> access to the machine - any tips on where or what I should start looking
>> for?
>
> Honestly, I don't know because I don't know what she's got on there. It's
> possible she said "yes" to a security program offered by her ISP and now
> she's got two firewalls going. It's also possible she said "yes" to some
> screensaver she liked which turned out to not be a screensaver.
>
> If she were here I'd run over for you, but you live in the UK, don't you?
> Of
> course, if you want to pay for my airline tickets... ;-)
>

When I win the lottery.......it would be nice to meet you!