Windows Security · Is My PC Hacked? · Lesson 2 of 5

Remote Access Tools

See how remote help apps work, how scammers misuse them, and how to remove them.

How remote support apps work

A remote access app lets someone else see your screen and use your mouse and keyboard from far away, over the internet. When a trusted person uses one, it is a real time saver.

Common examples include:

• Quick Assist, which comes with Windows. A helper gets a short security code and you type it in to let them connect.
• Remote Desktop, a Windows feature often used at work.
• Apps from other companies, such as TeamViewer and AnyDesk.

These apps are not harmful on their own. Your work help desk or a family member may use one. The danger is who is on the other end.

Scammers love these apps. A tech support scam is a trick where someone pretends to be from Microsoft or another company to get money or control of your computer. It often starts with a surprise call, or a scary pop-up with a phone number. The caller asks you to install a remote app or read them a code.

Once connected, they can do real damage. They may show you normal Windows screens and say they are errors. They may install harmful software, open your bank website, or ask you to pay for fake repairs.

Microsoft's rule is clear. Microsoft does not call people out of the blue to offer tech support. Only let a helper connect if you started the contact, for example by calling your IT staff or a support number you looked up yourself.

Hurry is a red flag too. A real helper will wait while you check who they are.

Finding and removing remote access apps

If you think a stranger connected to your PC, check for remote access apps. Scammers often install one so they can come back later, even after you hang up.

If someone seems to be controlling your computer right now, cut them off first. Turn off Wi-Fi, or unplug the network cable. They can't reach your PC without the internet.

Next, look at your installed apps, the list of programs on your computer.

1. Open Settings, then Apps, then Installed apps.
2. Change Sort by to Date installed. The newest apps move to the top.
3. Look for remote access apps you didn't install, or anything added on the day of the call.
4. Click the three dots next to it and choose Uninstall.

If you are not sure what an app is, search its name on the web before removing it. Leave apps you know, like your printer software or your security app.

Also check startup apps. Open Task Manager with Ctrl+Shift+Esc, choose Startup apps, and disable anything that matches what you removed.

What about Quick Assist? It comes with Windows, so you'll still see it. That is fine. The risk was never the app, but the person you gave a code to. Keep using it only with people you contacted yourself.

Removing the app shuts the door. The next steps, covered later in this course, check for anything left behind and protect your accounts.