BizTron

Although SharedView is not supported on Vista 64-bit, it runs well (so far) on my Vista Ultimate 64-bit system as I've already demonstrated and lightly tested its capabilities.  For anyone who has had to use Netmeeting, GoToMeeting, or other similar tools and found them quirky, difficult, and/or expensive to use you should check out Microsoft SharedView for its simplicity, functionality, and ease of use.

Without messing with Firewall settings, I installed, configured and invited a guest with ease.  I tested this with someone who should know how it works, (Thanks Dave McBride) but did not provide instructions.  The software did it all.  I had to copy and paste an invitation into e-mail, but in this case I used Live Messenger.  He clicked a link, downloaded the client, and connected to my session.  It was intuitive, since I had done many types of desktop sharing demonstrations in the past, so I could do whatever I wanted.  Of course, now I’m preparing to do several tutorials and help sessions that were never quite that easy before, especially for those who need to use the client.

I’ll update this with instructions and snapshots if needed.  Please, comment if you need help with this product since I am looking for both good and bad experiences to be sure I know to whom I can recommend its use.

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Microsoft SharedView

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

SharedView is similar to Windows Meeting Space, which is included in Windows Vista. However, Windows Meeting Space supports ad hoc meetings, application sharing, file transfer, and simple messaging within a network and works primarily inside the firewall, requiring IT involvement (on both sides) to bridge firewalls. Microsoft SharedView, on the contrary is designed for collaboration over the internet. It works through firewalls using HTTP if necessary. SharedView also runs on Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Windows Server 2003 SP1 or later besides Windows Vista.

Getting Started with Microsoft SharedView...System Requirements

To get started with Microsoft SharedView, you must have the following:

• A computer with a 700 MHz processor or higher that meets the following requirements:
  •  Operating system : Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) or Windows Vista
  •  Memory: Minimum 256 MB of RAM (512 MB recommended)
  •  Hard disk: 10 MB of free hard disk space
  •  Display: Minimum 800 × 600 screen resolution (1024 × 768 recommended)
  •  Applications: DirectX 8.0 or higher installed on your computer. 
• Internet connection: Broadband Internet access, 300 kbs minimum. Slower connections may work, but the experience may not be optimal.
• A Windows Live ID if you want to start your own sessions (you do not need one to join someone else's session). If you do not already have a Windows Live ID or a Microsoft Passport account, get your Windows Live ID account now.

• Windows Vista 32 bit versions
• Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (32bit)
• Windows 2003 Server SP1 (32bit)

Unsupported Operating Systems

I just recovered 2 separate Vista installations that would not reboot properly after apparently receiving a recent “important” update automatically.  This may have been from a February 14^th update and we’re only just learning about it.  I have deduced, yet I’m not 100% sure, that I had installed Vista Service Pack 1 and other updates, but that recently, an auto-reboot revealed that the login screen was not displaying.  One machine showed these symptoms yesterday after having been off for about a week when it auto-magically downloaded important updates and restarted.  When it came back up, nothing appeared on the screen. I ended up returning to the oldest restore point to get back to a stable environment.  Then I installed the updates separately.  Now it works fine.

When my workstation began showing the same symptoms, I looked for the same solution.  Long story short, after trying everything, I ended up restoring the last restore point and applying individual updates until it is almost back to where I want it.  I think I’ll wait to reapply Service Pack 1.  I’m just a little gun-shy.