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Is it possible to give someone else permanent access to a computer via Chrome Remote Desktop?

My use case is simply that I want to be able to assist my elderly father with his Windows computer. I tried having him access the Chrome Remote Desktop support interface (it generates a code that you can share with someone to remote in temporarily)... but even that was too much for him to handle.

Ideally, I'd want Chrome Remote Desktop to just be running all the time and I'd have permanent access to it without him having to intervene in any way. Basically, he'd be logged in with his Google account but have given my Google account permanent permission to access his computer.

Any ideas? I'm open to better ideas!

Rubén
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Sam
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  • Related [1](https://superuser.com/q/583602/152004) – Rubén Nov 13 '21 at 22:28
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    use Teamviewer. – Gantendo Nov 13 '21 at 22:38
  • @Gantendo TeamViewer is really more than I need. My understanding is that Chrome remote is more lightweight. I could be wrong (it wouldn't be the first time). – Sam Nov 14 '21 at 02:10
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    @Sam Chrome remote is not suitable for unattended access. TeamViewer is (and it is free for usecases like this). If you don't want to use TeamViewer, ask a question on https://softwarerecs.stackexchange.com/ They'll tell you to use TeamViewer, or a random VNC type thing – Gantendo Nov 14 '21 at 05:44
  • @Gantendo That is, unless they arbitrarily decide that you're using it for a business. That happened to me when I fixed my dad's android phone, where he had blindly clicked OK on "allow this website show notifications" which duly started bombing him with scam anti-virus notices. Apparently that was the last straw on top of the mother-in-law's laptop accessed once or twice a week depending how often she's got a problem.. Anydesk would be a Teamviewer alternative with similar limitations but at least if you get locked out of one you have the other accessible. – Barleyman Nov 27 '21 at 20:46
  • @Barleyman They also thought I used it for "business" but I wrote 2 sentences and they agreed that it wasn't "business". – Gantendo Nov 28 '21 at 15:11

2 Answers2

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There are tools designed to support this function; Chrome Remote Desktop is not. Any "fix" you do to Chrome Remote Desktop to enable this will be inferior to using a tool designed for the job.

This may not appear to be an answer, but it is the correct answer. When you want a tool you can rely on to be available when you need it to be available, you want a tool that's designed to do that, not a tool you have to manipulate or tweak or coax to do that.

music2myear
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  • Ok. So what's your recommendation? I like Chrome Remote Desktop because it's simple. That's the priority here. – Sam Nov 14 '21 at 02:12
  • We do not recommend specific products here. The related question, and there are suggestions in the comments. – music2myear Nov 14 '21 at 04:16
  • @music2myear Related question does not suggest any alternatives. I'm going to suggest an alternative, feel free to appeal to have my user account banned. – Barleyman Nov 27 '21 at 20:26
  • I'm not an admin. I don't get user accounts banned. This site exists for a specific reason, and has rules that support that reason, and reasons for those rules. It's ok to prefer a different site, perfectly OK. There are sites to get software recommendations, this is not that site. – music2myear Nov 27 '21 at 21:41
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https://remotedesktop.google.com/access

From a Windows or Mac, you can setup persistent remote access. From your dad's computer, visit and login at the URL I pasted above. Scroll to the bottom and click the download button in the "Set up remote access" section.

Once you set this up on your dad's computer, on your computer, you will go to Chrome Remote Desktop and you'll see his computer. When he's online, you'll be able to click and connect to him anytime without interaction on his part.

See pic for screenshot. Screenshot

I hate that you ask a simple question on here and you get grief from these other computer geeks that think everyone out there needs super user tools.

Good luck, I realize this is probably too late and you either figured it out yourself or grabbed another tool.

Toto
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