How to block remote access on Windows 11, including AnyDesk, ScreenConnect and Quick Assist
Remote Desktop is only one door. Scammers usually use AnyDesk, TeamViewer, ScreenConnect or Quick Assist. How to close each, and what settings can't do.
Most guides to blocking remote access on Windows 11 tell you to turn off Remote Desktop. Do that, but know it's only one door. In a tech-support or "bank fraud team" scam, the caller usually asks you to install a remote access app such as AnyDesk, TeamViewer or ScreenConnect, or to open Quick Assist, which is already on Windows. Here's how to close each door, and where settings stop helping.
Step 1: Turn off Remote Desktop
Open Settings, then System, then Remote Desktop, and make sure the switch is Off. On Windows 11 Home there is usually no switch at all, because Home can't accept Remote Desktop connections in the first place (Microsoft Support). That's why turning it off doesn't stop most scams: the scammer isn't using it.
Step 2: Turn off Remote Assistance
Windows also has an older helper called Remote Assistance (msra.exe). Press the Windows key, type "remote settings" and open "Allow remote access to your computer". On the Remote tab, untick "Allow Remote Assistance connections to this computer", then click OK.
Step 3: Remove remote access apps you don't use
Open Settings, then Apps, then Installed apps. Look for AnyDesk, TeamViewer, ScreenConnect (it can also show as ConnectWise Control), RustDesk, UltraViewer, Splashtop or LogMeIn. If nobody in the house uses it, click the three dots and choose Uninstall. If you're not sure, write down the name first, then remove it.
Some scam installs of ScreenConnect don't show up neatly in the list. If a stranger was on the PC recently, also check Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) for anything named ScreenConnect or ConnectWise.
Step 4: Deal with Quick Assist
Quick Assist comes with Windows and connects with a short code, which makes it a favorite of fake support callers. If you don't use it, uninstall it: Settings, then Apps, then Installed apps, search for Quick Assist, then the three dots and Uninstall (Microsoft Learn). The catch is that it can be installed again from the Microsoft Store in a minute, if a caller asks.
Step 5: Use a standard account for everyday use
A standard (non-administrator) Windows account can't install most programs without an admin password. Create a separate admin account, keep its password somewhere safe, and use the standard account every day. If a caller asks you to install something, Windows will ask for a password you don't type in from memory.
Step 6: Teams and Zoom
Microsoft Teams and Zoom can both hand control of your screen to someone in a call. There's no single setting to switch that off for good. The rule is simple: never accept "give control" or "request control" from someone you didn't call yourself.
What settings can't do
Every step above can be undone by the person sitting at the PC, and that's exactly who a scammer is talking to. A good caller will say "your computer is blocking our security tool, I'll walk you through fixing it." Settings help, but on their own they rely on that person never giving in under pressure.
The scale is real. The FBI's IC3 2025 Internet Crime Report lists 47,794 tech-support scam complaints and $2,134,675,818 in reported losses, about $44,000 per complaint (IC3 2025 report).
If someone is already connected
Disconnect from the internet straight away (unplug the cable or turn off Wi-Fi), hang up, and follow our two-minute checklist. Then call your bank from another phone, using the number on the back of your card.
A second person on new connections
Xcelcor Guardian is a Windows 11 app that holds new connections from Quick Assist, AnyDesk, TeamViewer, ScreenConnect, Remote Desktop and other common remote access tools until someone you trust approves them, by email or on xcelcor.com. The person at the PC only gets a Refuse button, so a caller can't talk them into approving. It doesn't cover Teams or Zoom screen control or Windows Remote Assistance, so keep Steps 2 and 6. It doesn't see the screen, files, passwords or banking, and it works alongside your antivirus. It lowers the risk; it doesn't stop every scam. Start free for 14 days on one PC, no card needed.
Related: the bank asked me to install AnyDesk and a holiday checklist to protect a parent's computer.
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