You can control your Windows machine from far away with remote desktop, this is known as virtual network computing (VNC). “Virtual Network Computing (VNC) is a graphical desktop sharing system that uses the RFB protocol to remotely control another computer. It transmits the keyboard and mouse events from one computer to another, relaying the graphical screen updates back in the other direction, over a network.” (source: Wikipedia).
But Windows remote desktop is slow and has poor image quality, and most importantly it is not secure enough. There is no built-in support for secure certificates in Windows remote desktop. And you cannot invite your friend to share the screen for a tutorial, for example.
I tried to find another third-party replacement for remote desktop. There are a lot of remote desktop software options on the net, including Teamviewer, Remote Assistance, realVNC, Famatech Remote Admin, and so on. They are good remote admin tools which have their own pros and cons.
Among all remote desktop software, I can say Famatech Remote Admin is the best, if you need complete features, security, and a user-friendly experience. But good software has a good price too. Famatech Remote Admin is not free, but you can try it for 30 days before deciding to buy it.
Why is Famatech Remote Admin different? Well, from the performance and image quality point of view, Remote Admin gives the best shot. See the test video from Famatech lab here. What I like best about this software is drag and drop file copy — it is so convenient. And also it supports conferencing, which means I can invite my friend to do a quick tutorial.