Error message when a Remote Assistance connection fails in Windows Messenger: "Remote Assistance connection could not be established because the remote host name could not be resolved. Please try again"

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SYMPTOMS

When you send an invitation to a computer to use Remote Assistance in Microsoft Windows Messenger, the connection fails. Then, the user of the computer that receives the invitation receives the following error message:

Remote Assistance connection could not be established because the remote host name could not be resolved. Please try again.

This problem occurs even though you and the user can exchange text messages and connect for a voice conversation.

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CAUSE

This problem occurs if the two computers are not in the same private subnet. This problem may also occur because Microsoft Windows Firewall does not allow the computers to connect to Microsoft .NET Messenger Service servers.

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RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, make sure that both computers are in the same private subnet. Use Remote Assistance to modify the RAInvitation.msrcincident file by inserting your IP address, and then provide this file to the user of the computer that receives the invitation.

To do this, follow these steps:

Start Microsoft Internet Explorer. Then, click Windows Messenger on the Tools menu.
Sign in to Windows Messenger by using your account credentials.
Click Start, and then click Help and Support.
Under Ask for assistance, click Invite a friend to connect to your computer with Remote Assistance.
Under Remote Assistance, click Invite someone to help you.
Under Use Windows Messenger, click the contact that you want to invite, and then click Save Invitation as a file (Advanced).
Under Enter your name, type your name. Under Set the invitation to expire, specify the duration for the invitation to remain open, and then click Continue.
Under Require the recipient to use a password, type and confirm a password, click Save Invitation, and then type the following file name:
RAInvitation.msrcincident
Retrieve the public IP address of your computer. To do this, visit the following "What Is My IP" Web site, and then click Copy your IP:
http://www.whatismyip.com/ (http://www.whatismyip.com/)
Note The IP address of your computer is copied to the clipboard.
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In Windows Explorer, right-click RAInvitation.msrcincident, point to Open With, and then click Notepad.

The text is in XML format and resembles the following.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="Unicode" ?>
<UPLOADINFO TYPE="Escalated"><UPLOADDATA USERNAME="UserName"
 RCTICKET="65538,1,999.999.9.99:3389;172.27.12.58:3389;ServerName:3389,*,
lO1vVbeSxuw2EQ/7Tp5NP5UPaVWqc2kS6qDmzJ397yE=,*,*,2xZbp7Pb7+R1+xQCim+VCmcZswU=
" RCTICKETENCRYPTED="1" DtStart="1151968803" DtLength="60" PassStub="mi)9Ct2EVmIlc" 
L="1" /></UPLOADINFO>

In Notepad, replace "999.999.9.99" in the RCTICKET string with the IP address of your computer. To do this, paste your IP address over "999.999.9.99."

After you do this, the text resembles the following.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="Unicode" ?>
<UPLOADINFO TYPE="Escalated"><UPLOADDATA USERNAME="UserName" 
RCTICKET="65538,1,<IP Address>:3389;172.27.12.58:3389;
ServerName:3389,*,lO1vVbeSxuw2EQ/7Tp5NP5UPaVWqc2kS6qDmzJ397yE=,*,*,
2xZbp7Pb7+R1+xQCim+VCmcZswU=" RCTICKETENCRYPTED="1" DtStart="1151968803" 
DtLength="60" PassStub="mi)9Ct2EV9mIlc" L="1" /></UPLOADINFO>

Note The <IP Address> placeholder represents the IP address of your computer.

Save the RAInvitation.msrcincident file, and then exit Notepad.
Send the RAInvitation.msrcincident file as an e-mail attachment to the user of the computer that receives the invitation.
Ask the user of the computer that receives the invitation to save the e-mail attachment. Then, double-click the RAInvitation.msrcincident file to start a new Remote Assistance session.

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STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

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MORE INFORMATION

If the computer that sends the Remote Assistance invitation and the computer that receives the invitation use two different Network Address Translation (NAT) devices, the computers are on private subnets. Then, the computers use their private IP addresses to send the request.

Remote Assistance is designed to work with UPnP NAT devices, such as Microsoft Windows XP. This technology enables a Windows XP client that uses a NAT device to request incoming traffic to port 3389 to be mapped to the client that requests Remote Assistance. Remote Assistance works as expected when the computer that sends the invitation uses a UPnP NAT device.

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