How to control a PC remotely, step by step

What you need before you start

• Two computers running 64-bit Windows 10 or 11: yours and the one you want to control.
• Internet at both ends. They do not need to be on the same network or in the same city.
• Someone on the other end who can accept the connection the first time. If nobody is there, see the unattended access guide.

You do not need: router configuration, knowledge of your IP address, a paid service or an account.

Step 1: install on both computers

LineDesk is the same program on both sides. There is no separate "controller" and "controlled" build — either machine can do both.

1. Go to the download page and click the button. You get a file of about 84 MB.
2. Run the installer and follow the steps. The default folder is fine.
3. Repeat on the other computer.

Step 2: get the remote machine's ID

On first launch, each computer generates its own 9-digit ID. That number identifies the machine, never changes, and is displayed prominently on the program's home screen.

You need the ID of the computer you want to control. Ask the person who is there for it.

• Get it in writing, by message or email. Nine digits read out over the phone go wrong often, and one wrong digit means no connection.
• If you will be returning to that machine, save it in the address book under a recognisable name. Next time it is one click.

Step 3: connect

1. On your computer, type the 9-digit ID into the connection field.
2. Press Connect.
3. A prompt appears on the remote computer asking whether to accept. The person clicks Accept.
4. Done — a new tab opens showing the remote machine's screen.

You have up to two minutes for the other side to answer. That is enough time for someone to come back to their desk and see the prompt.

Step 4: use the session

You are in. Whatever you do with your mouse and keyboard happens on the remote computer.

Full screen

Press F11. The top toolbar auto-hides and you get the whole display. Press F11 again to exit.

Multiple monitors

If the remote machine has more than one display, they appear as sub-tabs at the top. Click to switch and the video does not drop.

Several machines at once

Go back to the Home tab and connect to another ID. Each machine opens its own tab, just like a browser. Tabs you are not watching drop their quality automatically so they never slow down the one you are using.

Chat

The chat button in the session toolbar opens a direct conversation with the person on the other end. Handy for asking them to do something physical — plug in a cable, restart the router — without ending the session.

Files

The Files button opens a dual-pane browser for sending files in both directions. It is covered in detail in the file transfer guide.

Closing

Close that session's tab. On the other side, anyone can cut access at any moment from the LineDesk icon next to the clock.

If something does not work

"The ID does not exist" or it will not connect

• Check it digit by digit. This is by far the most common cause.
• Make sure LineDesk is open on the remote machine. If it is fully closed it cannot accept connections.
• Confirm that machine has internet.

The accept prompt never appears

• It may be hidden behind other windows. Ask the person to check the taskbar — the LineDesk icon will be flashing.
• If the machine is locked or asleep, nobody will see anything. It has to be awake with a session signed in.

It looks choppy or feels slow

• Close tabs for sessions you are not using. They drop their own quality, but closing them frees more.
• Use a cable instead of Wi-Fi if you can, even on just one side. For remote control, link stability matters more than peak speed.
• If a file transfer is running, the video drops quality deliberately to give it bandwidth. That is expected and it recovers when the transfer finishes.

The session drops on its own

LineDesk retries by itself: first it repairs the connection and, failing that, rebuilds the session entirely. If it drops and does not come back, it usually means the other side cut access deliberately or that machine lost internet.

I cannot click on a window

Almost always because that program is running as administrator and LineDesk is not. Ask them to reopen LineDesk with Run as administrator and connect again.

I cannot send Ctrl+Alt+Del

You cannot, and it is not a limitation that can be worked around: Windows reserves that combination for the system. For the same reason, the lock screen and the UAC prompt are not visible remotely.