Diagnostic finding
Remote control software
This check lists installed programs that can let someone elsewhere see and use this computer. Every one of them is legitimate software, so the question is whether each was installed on purpose.
Remote control software is installed
Confirm every one of these was installed deliberately and is still needed: PROGRAM_NAMES. These are all legitimate tools, which is exactly why an unwanted one is easy to miss. Anything nobody recognises should be removed and the account passwords changed.
With one program the title reads "1 program is installed that can give someone remote control of this computer".
These programs let a person somewhere else see the screen and use the keyboard and mouse. IT support companies, including us, install them on purpose. So do the people behind phone and pop-up scams, who ask the victim to install one and then come back later. The program is the same in both cases. What matters is whether anyone in your household or business knows why it is there.
What to do
- For each program named in your report, find out who installed it and whether it is still used.
- If it belongs to a support company you work with, it can stay. If that company no longer looks after the computer, remove it under Settings, Apps.
- If nobody recognises it, disconnect the computer from the internet before anything else, then call us. Change your email and banking passwords from a different device you trust, not from this computer.
Programs this check looks for
The check compares the names of installed programs against this list. It matches on part of the name, so a program with one of these words in its name is reported even if it is something else.
AnyDesk, TeamViewer, ScreenConnect, ConnectWise Control, Splashtop, LogMeIn, GoToMyPC, RustDesk, RemotePC, SimpleHelp, Supremo, Ammyy, UltraViewer, DWService, Chrome Remote Desktop, VNC (including TightVNC, RealVNC and UltraVNC), Radmin, NetSupport, Zoho Assist, Atera, Syncro, Action1, DameWare, BeyondTrust, Bomgar
What the check reads
Run in PowerShell. This lists installed programs whose names match the list above, with the publisher and install date where Windows recorded one, and changes nothing.
Get-ItemProperty 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*','HKLM:\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Where-Object { $_.DisplayName -match 'anydesk|teamviewer|screenconnect|connectwise control|splashtop|logmein|gotomypc|rustdesk|remotepc|simplehelp|supremo|ammyy|ultraviewer|dwservice|chrome remote desktop|vnc|radmin|netsupport|zoho assist|atera|syncro|action1|dameware|beyondtrust|bomgar' } | Select-Object DisplayName, Publisher, InstallDateThe install date helps. A program installed on the same day as a suspicious phone call or pop-up is worth asking about first. Some programs do not record a date.
What this page is based on
Observed or documented
- The list and the registry locations above are the ones the diagnostic tool uses.
- Programs installed only for one user, which some of these can be, are not listed in these locations, so the check can miss them.
Our judgement
- That scammers commonly use these programs is widely reported, and matches what we see at the bench. This page does not estimate how often it happens.
- Disconnecting before anything else when a program is unrecognised is our advice, so that nobody can keep using it while you investigate.
When this is worth a call
Call us straight away if nobody recognises a program on the list, or if someone who said they were from a company asked you to install it.
Reviewed November 4, 2026 · Applies to Windows 10 and Windows 11 · Finding security.remote_access, wording from Connected Geek Diagnostic Tool 0.9.28