Access Your PC From Anywhere

Access your PC from anywhere withWindows Live Mesh

You may have seen the Windows TV commercial featuring a couple stranded at the airport with nothing to do. Thankfully they were able to go "to the cloud" to access their home PC and watch a recorded show on their laptop. How exactly did they do this? They used Windows Live Mesh.Windows Live Mesh is a free app you can use to access all of your home PC’s files and programs from another computer connected to the Internet—just as if you're sitting right in front of it. With the power of remote connections, it doesn't matter where you are. All you need is an active Internet connection and Internet Explorer. It's like having an insurance policy against being forgetful! Here's how to get Windows Live Mesh working for you.

What you'll need:

• A PC running Windows Vista or Windows 7—this is the one you will be accessing from afar. See the detailed requirements.
• A second PC running Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 and usingInternet Explorer 7, Internet Explorer 8, or Internet Explorer 9—this is the PC that you have with you.

How to set it up

Got all the requirements sorted? Great! Now, to get the goods:

1. Download and install Windows Live Essentials on the PC you want to access from afar.
   This PC will be your mothership, so to speak. Windows Live Essentials includesWindows Live Mesh and several other helpful apps like Windows Live Photo Gallery. Or you can take an à la carte approach and download just Windows Live Mesh.
2. Go to the start menu and open Windows Live Mesh.
   To quickly find it, type Mesh in the Start menu search box. Upon startingWindows Live Mesh, you'll get asked for a Windows Live ID. This is the same as the ID you use for your Hotmail, Messenger, or Xbox account. If you don't already have one, it takes just a minute to sign up.
   Helpful hint: make sure you select the check boxes so Windows Live Meshremembers your ID and signs you in every time your PC starts. That way your PC will always be ready to accept your connection.
   Signing in to Windows Live Mesh
3. Enable remote access on your PC.
   Now that you've got Windows Live Mesh in place, you just need to clear the path to access your PC from afar. After you've signed in, you'll see a screen like the one below. Click the Remote tab at the top of the screen, and then click Allow remote connections to this computer. Note that the first screen shows another thing you can do with Windows Live Mesh—sync folders with other PCs.
   Setting up remote connections to a computer
4. Check the power settings to make sure your PC stays on.
   By default, most PCs are set to automatically sleep or hibernate if left unused for a length of time. To keep your mothership up and running, type Power Options in the Start menu search box, and then click Power Settings. Next to your currently selected power plan, click Change plan settings, and then, next to Put computer to sleep, click Never.
5. You're done!
   Now check it out from another PC by signing on to http://devices.live.com (make sure you are using Internet Explorer as your browser). Find your PC in your list of devices and click Connect to this computer. If you get a message to install anActiveX control, no worries, just click Install and follow the prompts.
   Connecting to another computer in Windows Live
6. Try different options to zoom and view in full screen.
   Once you're connected, you can use the slider in the View window to select the right-zoom setting (which is especially helpful if you are connecting to a PC with more than one monitor). Or you can click the button at the top of the screen to show your remote PC in full-screen mode.
   Choosing a zoom setting in Windows Live Mesh

That's it! Try out additional features—like copying and pasting files or text from your remote PC to the PC you are using. Pretty neat, huh?

One last helpful tidbit: If you frequently connect remotely from one particular PC (like your work PC), you might find it easier to install Windows Live Mesh on that PC, too. By doing so, you can access your remote PC directly from Windows Live Mesh. Check out the details.

The next time you face yet another weather delay at the airport (or if you suddenly need that document on your home PC during a meeting), you'll know how to pay a visit "to the cloud."