Windows admins frustrated by Quick Assist moving to Microsoft Store

[nlinecomputers]

Windows admins frustrated by Quick Assist moving to Microsoft Store

Windows admins have been expressing their dismay at Microsoft's decision to move the Quick Assist remote assistance tool to the Microsoft Store.

www.bleepingcomputer.com

This is a stupid move by Microsoft.

 

[Sky-Knight]

No it isn't... the stupid was them releasing it as an OS component instead of an appx package to begin with. This move is undoing the stupid.

It's an app, not an OS component... it shouldn't be in the base OS. Automatically installed? SURE! But still not part of the base OS.

But meanwhile yeah, putting the genie back into the bottle is a giant source of pain. So buckle up.

 

[nlinecomputers]

No it isn't... the stupid was them releasing it as an OS component instead of an appx package to begin with. This move is undoing the stupid.

It's an app, not an OS component... it shouldn't be in the base OS. Automatically installed? SURE! But still not part of the base OS.

But meanwhile yeah, putting the genie back into the bottle is a giant source of pain. So buckle up.

I’m sorry but what is the difference? Lots of little apps are bundled with Windows. Notepad for example. Walking grandma through going to the store isn’t going to work. User that are restricted like in a Windows Domain can’t get to the store.

 

[Sky-Knight]

I’m sorry but what is the difference? Lots of little apps are bundled with Windows. Notepad for example. Walking grandma through going to the store isn’t going to work. User that are restricted like in a Windows Domain can’t get to the store.

Actually they can... but that's a different discussion. The purpose here is to separate all apps from the OS, it greatly eases patching. All those utility apps, even the venerable notepad should be separate from the OS itself.

And it may seem like a semantic argument, but linux has separate repos for each and every app and component for a reason.

 

[sapphirescales]

it shouldn't be in the base OS

But ClipChamp and Candy Crush Saga should be? Give me a break. Microsoft is obviously doing this because they want to get rid of QuickAssist, probably because they want users to pay THEM for tech support. EVERYTHING Microsoft has done and come out with since Windows 8 is all about screwing over users and enriching themselves. There's not one damn thing that Microsoft has made that's actually useful to end users. Inking in Edge? NO ONE ever asked for that crap! Locking down the OS so it can only run apps from the store? Again, NO ONE wants this!

I miss the days when Microsoft actually made good software and listened to what their users said. You know, the days of Windows XP/7 and when they made great software like Windows Live Essentials. Now we have Windows 11, which is essentially just an advertising platform which forces you to sign up for a Microsoft account. QuickAssist was a happy accident where Microsoft actually made something useful. Can't have that though, obviously. That might actually be good for the end user.

 

[Sky-Knight]

@sapphirescales ClipChamp and Candy Crush Saga are appx apps... so... thanks for making my point for me I guess?

They are NOT part of the OS. Never have been.

And will Microsoft monetize this? No idea... what I do know is the current app is a massive security problem.

 

[nlinecomputers]

And will Microsoft monetize this? No idea... what I do know is the current app is a massive security problem.

Only if it is running. Just like any RAT be it TeamViewer etc. The advantage was that it was easy to get to which has both Pro and Con on it. Frankly, it is easy to get users to download TV than walk them through the store.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Changing how the app is written isn't the issue. It's the removal of the app as preinstalled in Windows. If it was still preinstalled as an Appx app and updated via the store there would be no issue.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Saw how it changed to the Microsoft Store at least...seems like it's been months now, but guess it hasn't been that long. Anyways, haven't had problems with it yet, all of us use it here a lot with "one-off" clients (where we don't have our RMM in place). Or clients that got a new computer and we need to remote onto it once to get our RMM tool on.

 

[Sky-Knight]

Yeah, I've seen the updates, they've all worked. I've had zero issues with continued use of the app. BUT, I suppose the published drop dead date is really when the problems will appear.

But honestly, if the updates don't sort it that means the machine is having update issues which means I'm going to have to see the thing anyway. Anyone that's got the ability to put boots on the ground has the advantage in these cases. I plan to use that, because it's how I keep clients anyway.

 

[nlinecomputers]

The other issue is the store app installs alongside not as a replacement for the previous app. So you end up with two apps on the machine with the same name and different icons. One works one doesn’t. The keyboard shortcut works for the old app not the new. Only the clown academy running Microsoft can do this sh!t.

 

[sapphirescales]

@sapphirescales ClipChamp and Candy Crush Saga are appx apps... so... thanks for making my point for me I guess?

It doesn't matter. They're preinstalled and you don't have to go hunting for them in Microsoft's useless "app" store in order to find them. If anything should be hidden away in the app store it's this useless bloatware.

 

[fincoder]

The old version was saying end of life May 23, just a few days ago. Now it's saying May 30. I guess they've realised how much they've screwed up this transition.

 

[callthatgirl]

am I the only one clicking "not now" lol. I'm still enjoying this over LMIR so if I have to click the ms store, my clients will need me to walk them through it and I'm yet to test this rabbit hole of hell.

 

[HCHTech]

We'll see how it plays out, I guess. We use Splashtop for one-offs, and only resort to QA when we such can't manage to talk some poor old grandmother through getting Splashtop running. Normally we just email them a link, but that doesn't work if email is the problem you're trying to solve. Even with Quick Assist, we usually just use it to make a splashtop session - haha. I'm sure we'll survive without it just fine if that's how it ends up.

 

[fincoder]

am I the only one clicking "not now" lol.

I only got the store version because the prompt was saying the old version was being discontinued on May 23, and because I assumed there'd be some enhancements (turned out to be exactly the same!).

I did some testing in my office and the new version works with the old version anyway, so at the moment we can keep telling our customers to click 'not now'. They definitely screwed up the transition by forgetting to remove the old when installing the new! So now I have both versions, only the icons are different.

I'm hoping they will fix the mess with future updates and make the transition simpler for end users.

 

[frase]

We'll see how it plays out, I guess. We use Splashtop for one-offs, and only resort to QA when we such can't manage to talk some poor old grandmother through getting Splashtop running. Normally we just email them a link, but that doesn't work if email is the problem you're trying to solve. Even with Quick Assist, we usually just use it to make a splashtop session - haha. I'm sure we'll survive without it just fine if that's how it ends up.

Torment, haved lived it lol. How many times with Anydesk "BIG RED BUTTON DOWNLOAD NOW".
CLIENT:No cant see it.
ME: FFS, sighs {silent f's} ok email link.