Ask HN: How do I help my elderly grandmother remotely?

5 points

4 years ago

My grandmother has a Windows 10 PC that looks like it was set up by Geek Squad. We used the built-in Quick Assist app and while I was in I saw a new browser, "Wave Browser" [1], it looks like snuck into her AppData directory. There's also an anti-virus, Webroot, I believe was installed by Geek Squad, which is now out-of-license.

She's called me a few times since, complaining of not remembering her passwords and other small things. I'm worried she's going to have her identity stolen with passwords that are literally her username plus a symbol.

How can I best help in 2022? I've looked at Alexa Together [2], which provides everything but remote access. I'm considering getting her to use a password manager but I'm doubtful she'll remember how it works or that her passwords were generated by the built-in password generator if Chrome.

Sometimes she'll call me to ask for help but I'll tell her she needs to first open the Windows search menu then type in Quick Assist and exchange codes but even that whole process seems to stress her out. Should I suggest unattended access? And if so, what's the best option? Anydesk Unattended Access?

Windows seems like an incredibly hostile OS [EDIT: to her interests of a safe and secure compute environment) but I'm worried buying her a Chromebook will just be too much for her to handle even though it's just Chrome (which she already uses).

HN, I need your help!

[1] https://old.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/ql7x48/wavebrowser_malicious_browser_showing_up_across_a/

[2] https://www.amazon.com/Alexa-Together/b?ie=UTF8&node=21390531011

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