Windows 10: Quick Assist not working; Stuck on Loading or Connecting on Windows 10

Now more than ever that many people are working from home — Quick Assist in […]

This article Quick Assist not working; Stuck on Loading or Connecting on Windows 10 first appeared on TheWindowsClub.com.

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Quick Assist not working

Good diagnostic step.

You've tried disabling 3rd party program startups, but there could be more things starting beyond those listed in the task manager startup list, if that's what you used.

Ideally you would have hands on access to both PCs... but that's not so. All credit to them for creating a new user account etc.

If you wished to disable more startups on the problem account you could use Autoruns (free from MS). But that seems asking a bit much of someone else remotely.

Of course, the problem could have nothing whatsoever to do with startups... you might want to check all services are default, for example, in particular those necessary for this.

Presumably it's not been blocked by the firewall:

Get and Give Remote Assistance with Quick Assist app in Windows 10
- some unfinished discussion as to whether both accounts had to be MS accounts or not.

I found this:

Windows 10 Quick Assist: Helpful Remote Assistance App or Potential Vulnerability? — Steeves and Associates


https://4sysops.com/archives/remote-control-windows-10-with-quick-assist/

This gives useful detail on how it works. For example, it uses port 443, so you need to check that's not blocked.
It also indicates how to block it- so you can check that doesn't apply.

 

Quick Assist not working




I suppose another possibility might be that some related service is not configured correctly...

E.g. Tweaking.com's repair tool includes a repair to set services to default.

I suggest you look at affected PCs and check installed programs to see if there are any that are common only to those and not others, especially 3rd party security programs with firewalls.

I saw a note somewhere that there's no relevant group policy.

Is this idea relevant?

or this:

- this helped some people
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...1-3a46fe1fd0a6

 

Quick Assist not working

Actually it was me who created the new user on one of my systems that doesn't work with QAssist. That was a suggestion I found on a Microsoft support forum. But unfortunately I suspect the people who respond in those MS help forums are either using 'canned responses' or are simply support robots doing the same.

Note that the MS account requirement is only for the person giving assistance and is not required by the person receiving it and Quick Assist will not even load to the point where I can enter my account details. One curiosity is that if I unplug the Ethernet cable and try to load QA I get a message saying "Network not found" (or something like that) before it gets stuck in the 'spinning dot' stage (does that have an official name?).

I have 2 systems (including the laptop I'm on now) that work fine and can easily compare either of them with any of the three systems I own that do not work with QA. I was going to go through all the services running (or not) to see if there are any differences there. I will also go through the various links and other suggestions in your reply.

It's too bad this is not a known issue with a known solution that would avoid all the work trying to fix this. But I'm stubborn ;-)

Thank you for your suggestions! If I do find the answer I will be sure to post it here.

RP in MTL

- - - Updated - - -

Well I spent quite a bit of time today comparing my laptop (that works fine with Quick Assist) with my desktop system (that Quick Assist does not work with) and I have found no differences that might explain what's blocking it.

- compared all the privacy settings
- compared network share settings
- compared the services (Standard + Extended)
- checked the startup apps (as best as I'm able)
- checked all the Network Adapter settings
- compared the Windows Features that are installed
- checked all the Firewall settings I could find
- tried using Autoruns but I'm not sure if there things I should do with it that I'm unaware of.
- compared the quickassist.exe version on each system and they're identical as are their permissions.

I found no clue whatsoever to why Quick Assist will not load and is stuck on its blue UI w/ a spinning circle of dots.

So, as I did with my other system which had the exact same problem (remember I have 5 systems; 3 do not work + 2 that do work) I created a new User and when I logged in as that new User and on that same computer Quick Assist loads right away without a problem. I used Autoruns to compare the settings of the 2 users on the same system and cannot see anything that might be the cause.

Rather than keep the new user named "test" I might delete it and create a user with a name I can live with and then replicate my preferences, settings and general configuration from the one User to the other and as I proceed I'll keep checking Quick Assist to see if something happens along the way that breaks it. If I end up with a new user that's pretty well identical to the old one but works fine with Quick Assist then I'll keep using it and delete the old one without ever solving the mystery.

RP Mtl