Clear computer connections when using remote access

Q: During the lockdown I am using my computer at work by connecting to it using Remote Desktop. When I do this and join a Zoom meeting, my camera doesn’t work and no one can hear me. What am I doing wrong?

A: This problem is more common that you might think. I am supporting a very large number of my colleagues who are now working from home and are connecting to their office computers remotely to better be able to do their work.

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The most common mistake I am seeing is that when they are connecting to their office computer, they are forgetting that they are actually still using the computer they have in front of them, behind the scenes.

Some of them even seem to miss the fact that they can minimize the remote desktop window and still access the computer at home.

Which leads us to why Zoom is acting up.

If you run Zoom from the computer you are remote controlling, the application looks for the microphone and camera on the remote computer and not the hardware on the computer you are using that’s right in front of you.

When using a program like Zoom, even if you’re accessing your computer at the office, you need to launch the program on the computer you have at the house. That way it will utilize the audio and video hardware on that computer instead of trying to use the hardware on the remote computer.

Q: Are there any diagnostic tools to try to determine why Google Chrome is running slow when everything else on my computer seems to be working normally?

A: When trying to diagnose a program that is misbehaving, there are several steps you can take to try and run it down.

Even if it’s only one application acting up, I find that restarting the computer can often time clear things up.

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If that doesn’t do it, it never hurts to scan for malware. Especially of the program acting up is your web browser, as browsers are one of the prime targets for malware. Try the free version of Malwarebytes or the trial version of HitMan Pro just to make sure you are clear of any possible infections.

And, last but not least, you can try uninstalling and reinstalling the application giving you fits. This can be very effective in sorting out issues with a misbehaving program.

Just be sure you are logging into Chrome and have sync turned on so you save all of your passwords and bookmarks. Information on doing that can be found at support.google.com/chrome/answer/185277.

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