TeamViewer: Show black screen on remote computer

Problem
You connect to a computer in another room or a remote workplace using TeamViewer. But, the folks sitting around that computer get distracted by all the desktop operations you are doing. Or maybe you do not want to attract their attention. What do you do?
Solution
TeamViewer has a neat feature called Black Screen that can used to achieve this.

The Computer and Contacts window is shown on the right of the main TeamViewer window and it lists the remote computers you have added entries for. Right-click on the remote computer name and choose Properties. In the dialog, click on Advanced and in the Remote Input dropdown choose Disable remote input and show black screen.

Now connect to this remote computer. You can check whether a black screen is being displayed on the display of the remote computer by choosing Actions → Show Black Screen in the TeamViewer toolbar. Sometimes this entry is not enabled even if you had enabled the black screen in its properties. If so, you can explicitly enable black screen for this remote session by choosing Actions → Show Black Screen option.
Tried with: TeamViewer 7.0.12313

How to Log In to Your PC Remotely With TeamViewer

Have you ever been somewhere and wanted to show a family photo or retrieve a document, only to realize that the file is on a home computer? The more connected our devices become, the more they increase our desire to access our information anywhere.
But while mobile devices increasingly outsell traditional computers, a lot of our most important information continues to be stored on stationary home desktops or laptops, which don't offer convenient access from just anywhere because of home firewalls. Even when you're on a home network, having to move to a particular device on the other side of the house can be annoying.
Software engineers have come up with an easier way to gain access from afar. Using simple software, you can see and control a remote computer on another device that you're currently using--even from a different computer network. All you typically need is a working Internet connection for both devices.
Various methods and applications can enable this functionality for your devices. In this guide, we'll focus on TeamViewer, a popular program that offers compatibility with Windows, Mac, and even some smartphone operating systems. Here's how to use it.
Install the Software on the First Computer

1. Download the TeamViewer app from the company's website or from PCWorld's Downloads to the computer that you want to control remotely. In most cases, the full version will suffice; it's free for noncommercial users.
2. After completing the download, launch the installer.
3. Select Install and then Next.
4. For personal use, select personal/noncommercial and then click Next.
5. Accept the license and usage agreement by selecting both checkboxes and clicking Next.
6. For installation type, select Yes to install the host listening software on the current computer; then click Next. The software will now be installed.
7. The app will prompt you to set up unattended access. Click Next, set a descriptive name and password for the computer, and click Next again.
8. Now you need to create a Teamviewer account, to permit easy, secure access to any of your devices that you want to reach. Fill in a username, email address, and password to create the account, and then click Next.
9. Click Finish to complete the setup.

The computer will now be running listening software that waits for approved devices to connect to it, and that can also connect to other computers you configure.
Install the Software on the Second Computer

1. Download TeamViewer from the company's website or from PCWorld's Downloads to another computer that you want to connect to or from. Once the download is complete, launch the app's installer.
2. Select Install and then Next.
3. For personal use, select personal/noncommercial and then click Next.
4. Accept the license and usage agreement by selecting both checkboxes and clicking Next.
5. For installation type, select Yes to install the host listening software on the current computer; then click Next. The software will now be installed.
6. The app will prompt you to set up unattended access. Click Next, set a descriptive name and password for the computer, and click Next again.
7. Select I already have a TeamViewer account. Fill in the username and password that you created previously, and then click Next. Click Finish to complete the setup.

The second computer will now be running listening software that waits for approved devices to connect to it, and can also connect to other computers you configure.
Remotely Connect to One Computer From the Other
With the software is installed at both ends, connecting to the remote computer (typically called the host) from the computer/device where you are currently located (typically called the guest) should be easy.

1. Launch the software on the guest.
2. Enter your TeamViewer account login credentials, and log in.
3. A list of computers associated with your account will be appear in the My Partners list; one of them will be the host computer that you configured earlier. Double-click the name of the remote computer that you want to connect to.
4. Your remote computer's display will appear in a window, just as if you were sitting directly in front of it. Use the keyboard/mouse/touchpad/touchscreen of your current device to interact with it as you normally would. The software will take your local input and send it to your remote computer, which will then send its display back to your current device in real-time. (Note: For security reasons, some keys and key combinations won't go directly to your remote host, like Ctrl-Alt-Del for Windows. TeamViewer enables you to send these special keys and combinations through its software Actions menu.)
5. When you're done accessing your remote computer, close the window to end the session.

TeamViewer will typically work without any additional firewall configuration between devices on any computer network (and even between different ones), as long as both are connected to the Internet. And because it's compatible with many different devices, you can do neat things like control your Mac from Windows, your Windows PC from a Mac, or even your computer from your iOS/Android phone!

Top 10 Windows 7 tips

Windows 7 keyboard shortcuts

Use the below Windows 7 keyboard shortcuts to make the most of your Windows 7 experience.

Windows key and the arrow keys

Pressing the Windows key and Left or Right arrow keys will dock the window your viewing to the left or right-hand side of the screen. Pressing the Windows key and the Up arrow will maximize a window and pressing the Windows key and the Down arrow will resize and then minimize the window.

Use Shift: To stretch a window vertically, press the Windows key + Shift + the Up arrow. If you have multiple monitors use the Windows key + Shift + the Left or Right arrow keys to move the window to another monitor.

Windows key and plus and minus keys

If you ever need to zoom in or out of what is being displayed on your screen press the Windows key and the + (plus) or - (minus) keys. Pressing the plus zooms in and once zoomed in the minus will zoom out.

Clear all background programs

If you are not viewing a window in full screen and have other windows open in the background clear all background open windows by pressing the Windows key + the Home key.

• Full listing of computer shortcuts

Use the Windows 7 search

Find and run anything in Windows by using the Windows 7 search box. Click the Start orb or press then Windows key and type the name of the program you wish to run or file you wish to edit. Windows 7 will usually do a good job at finding an exact match and simply pressing enter will execute that program or open that file. If more than one match is found, use the up and down arrow keys to select the file you wish to open and then press Enter.

Running as administrator: Some programs may require administrator mode in order to function properly. You can run any program as administrator from the search box by typing the name of the program you want to run and then instead of pressing Enter to run the program press Ctrl+Shift+Enter to run as administrator. If you want to click and run a program as administrator hold down the Ctrl+Shift and then click the icon.

Take full advantage of the Taskbar

Pin programs to the Taskbar

All programs can be pinned to the Taskbar and allow easy access to your favorite programs without having to use the Start Menu. To Pin a program to the Taskbar right-click on the program or shortcut to the program and in the menu choose the Pin to Taskbar option. Alternatively you can also drag the icon to the Taskbar.

If you want to remove a pinned program, right-click on the Taskbar icon and click Unpin this program from the Taskbar. Alternatively you can also drag the icon off of the task bar and then click Unpin this program from the Taskbar.

Move the icons and pinned programs

Any pinned or opened program on the Taskbar can be moved and arranged. Left-click on any icon on the Taskbar and drag it to the location you want it to remain.

Windows key and a number

Pressing the Windows key and a number on the top row of your keyboard will open the Window corresponding to the open program on your Taskbar. For example, in the below picture of the Windows 7 Taskbar, Firefox i the first icon, Control panel is the second icon, and Adobe Photoshop is the third icon. If the Windows key + 3 was pressed, Adobe Photoshop would become the active window. To make it even easier arrange your icons (as mentioned above) from left to right by most frequently opened.

Pin your favorite folder

If you frequently access the same folder (e.g. your favorites, my documents, Dropbox, etc.) pin the folder to the Windows Explorer icon on the Taskbar. To do this drag your favorite folder to the Taskbar until you see Pin to Windows Explorer. Once pinned, right-click the Explorer icon to access that folder under the Pinned section.

Open a second instance

If you want to open a second instance or window of a program that is already open, press and hold the Shift key and then click the program icon on the Taskbar.

Get to the Desktop

Click the Desktop button on the far right edge of the Taskbar to get to the Desktop.

 

Customize the Notification area Windows Vista and Windows 7 allow the Windows Notification area (aka Systray) to be modified. By default, many of the icons shown in the past are now hidden and give Windows a much cleaner look. Customize this area to make icons show or not show by clicking on the up arrow next to the icons and selecting Customize, as shown in the picture to the right. Once in Customize you can choose what programs show, don't show, or only show notifications.

Improve the quality of your text

Use the Windows ClearType Text Tuner to improve the overall quality of all text you read on your screen. To start the ClearType Text Tuner click the Start Orb and type cttune.exe and press Enter.

Enable and disable Windows 7 features

Turn on and off Windows features by clicking Start, typing features and press enter. In the Programs and Features window on the left-hand column click Turn Windows features on or off and in the Windows Features box check or uncheck the features you want enabled or disabled.

Use the Reliability and Performance Monitor

View the reliability history of your computer by using the Reliability Monitor. Click the Start orb and type reliability and press enter for View Reliability History. In the Reliability Monitor, you'll be able to view the overall reliability of your computer and be able to identify any past problems your computer has had.

If you want to view the performance of your computer in real time use the Performance Monitor. Click the Start orb and type performance and press enter for the Performance Monitor. In the Performance Monitor, you can view your computers performance in real time or view a log of your systems performance.

Re-enable underlined keyboard shortcuts

 

By default, Windows 7 has the underlines for keyboard shortcuts like those shown in the picture to the right disabled. To re-enable these underlines in all Windows programs follow the below steps.

1. Open the Control Panel
2. In the Control Panel click Ease of Access
3. In Ease of Access click Change how your keyboard works
4. Finally, check the Underline keyboard shortcuts and access keys and then click Ok.

Rename multiple files at once

To change the name of multiple files at once highlight all the files you wish to rename in Windows Explorer and press the F2 key. Type in the new name you wish to use for all files and press enter. Once done all files will be renamed to the name entered followed by a unique number.

Install Windows Essentials

Install missing Windows software by installing the free Windows Essentials software package that includes: Windows Live Family Safety, Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Messenger, SkyDrive for Windows, Windows Movie Maker, Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Live Writer, and Microsoft Outlook Hotmail Connector.

• Official Windows Essentials web page and download.