Quick answer
Download AnyDesk only from anydesk.com, and install it rather than just running the file. Double-click AnyDesk.exe → click Install AnyDesk → Accept & Install → click Yes on the Windows permission prompt → click Install if asked about AnyDesk Printer. Then give your AnyDesk ID to a technician you contacted yourself and click Accept. An installed AnyDesk starts with Windows, so the technician can reconnect after a restart.
Contents
What should you know before installing AnyDesk on Windows?
AnyDesk on Windows can run two ways: opened straight from the file (portable) or installed on the PC. If your IT team supports you on an ongoing basis, always install it.
When you double-click AnyDesk.exe, the app opens and shows an AnyDesk ID immediately, so many people assume it's already installed. It's actually running in portable mode, which stops as soon as the window closes or the PC restarts.
- You'll need: a Windows account with administrator rights, because Windows asks for confirmation during the install
- Download from: anydesk.com/en/downloads only
- Time: about 5 minutes, once. After that you just open AnyDesk and share your ID
How do you install AnyDesk on Windows, step by step?
Follow these 6 steps in order. Steps 1–4 install it on the PC, step 5 confirms the printer driver and gets you started, and step 6 hands over to the technician.
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Download AnyDesk from the official site only
Go to anydesk.com/en/downloads, choose Windows and click Download Now. You'll get
AnyDesk.exein your Downloads folder.Watch out for fake download sites: some search results are ads for look-alike sites. Make sure the domain is
anydesk.com, and never open a file someone sent you over chat or SMS. -
Open AnyDesk.exe and click Install AnyDesk
Double-click
AnyDesk.exe. The AnyDesk window opens with your AnyDesk ID. Don't send that ID to anyone yet: the app is still running in portable mode. Click Install AnyDesk first.Where this button sits depends on the version. In some it's a tile on the home screen, in others it's in the left-hand panel. Look for the words Install AnyDesk on screen.
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Click Accept & Install on the Installation screen
The Installation screen shows a few options. The defaults are fine, so just click the green Accept & Install button at the bottom right.
Mock-up of the Installation screen. Keep the defaults and click Accept & Install. The real screen may differ slightly by version. -
Click Yes on the Windows permission prompt (UAC)
Windows shows a User Account Control prompt asking "Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?" Check that the verified publisher is AnyDesk Software GmbH, then click Yes.
If the prompt asks for an administrator username and password, your account isn't allowed to install software. Contact your company's IT team (see When to call a technician).
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Click Install for AnyDesk Printer, then get started
If AnyDesk Printer was ticked, Windows Security asks "Would you like to install this device software?" Click Install. AnyDesk then shows a welcome screen: click Get Started or simply close it (some versions skip this screen).
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Give your AnyDesk ID to the technician and click Accept
The 9–10 digit number on the AnyDesk home screen is your AnyDesk ID (some versions call it Your Address). Share it with a technician you contacted yourself. When the connection request appears, check who it's from and click Accept.
What's the difference between running AnyDesk and installing it?
Portable mode is fine for a one-off session. If the PC needs restarting, software installing, or ongoing support from your IT team, it has to be installed.
| Topic | Run only (portable) | Installed |
|---|---|---|
| Admin rights needed? | No | Yes (to install) |
| After a restart | AnyDesk doesn't start, so the technician can't reconnect | Starts with Windows, so the technician can reconnect |
| Closing the AnyDesk window | The session ends immediately | Keeps running in the background |
| UAC prompts during a session | The technician can't see or click them; the user must | The technician can see and handle them |
| Unattended Access | Only while the app is left open | Always available |
| Remote Restart / Ctrl+Alt+Del | Not supported | Supported |
Comparison based on the AnyDesk Help Center — Portable vs. Installed and Administrative privileges and elevation (UAC).
How do you let a technician connect without anyone clicking Accept?
Use Unattended Access to set a password on the PC. A technician with both your AnyDesk ID and that password can connect straight away, with nobody needing to click Accept. It suits servers and PCs that need fixing out of hours.
- Install AnyDesk properly first (steps 1–5)
- Open AnyDesk → Settings → Access
- Under Unattended Access, click Set Password and choose a long, hard-to-guess password
- Send the password to your IT provider through a secure channel, never in the same message as your ID
Menu names may vary slightly by version. See the latest steps in the AnyDesk Help Center.
Is AnyDesk safe? Watch out for scammers asking you to install it
AnyDesk is legitimate and safe when downloaded from anydesk.com, but anyone who has your AnyDesk ID and gets you to click Accept can fully control your PC. That's why scammers love it.
- Only share your AnyDesk ID with a technician you reached through a number or LINE account you already know
- Never click Accept on a connection request you weren't expecting
- Watch the screen throughout the session and click Disconnect the moment anything looks wrong
- If a stranger already got in, disconnect from the internet, uninstall AnyDesk, change your email and banking passwords from another device, and call your bank immediately
Why the Hinet team insists on "click Install"
Most clients on Windows can install AnyDesk themselves in a few minutes. What derails remote sessions most often is a client opening AnyDesk and sending the ID straight away without clicking Install. The technician gets halfway through, restarts the PC after a Windows update or driver install, and the machine disappears. Someone then has to call the client to reopen AnyDesk. The other common one is a UAC prompt appearing mid-session: the technician sees a black screen and has to wait for the user to click Yes.
Our take: for one-off help, portable mode is fine. But PCs covered by an IT support contract should be installed properly from day one, with Unattended Access set using a password the IT team manages. That way problems get fixed without interrupting staff. It's also worth recording in the handover documents which PCs have Unattended Access enabled.
When should you call a technician?
If your Windows account has no admin rights, antivirus or a firewall is blocking AnyDesk, or every PC in the office needs it, let your IT team handle it.
- Locked-down company PCs: users can't install it themselves, so an administrator has to enter the admin password or deploy it centrally
- Installed but won't connect: your organisation's antivirus or firewall may be blocking the connection
- Many PCs at once: IT teams can use the .msi installer or a pre-configured custom client, so every PC is set up the same way, more securely
Hinet provides IT Support Outsourcing for both Windows and Mac, remote and on-site. On a Mac? See how to install AnyDesk on a Mac, or use the form below and an engineer will get back to you.
FAQ: AnyDesk on Windows
Why can't the technician reconnect after my PC restarts?
AnyDesk is running in portable mode: it was opened from AnyDesk.exe but never installed, so it stops when the window closes or the PC restarts. Open AnyDesk again and click Install AnyDesk (steps 2–4). After that it starts automatically with Windows.
During a session the technician's screen goes black or they can't click. Why?
This usually happens when a Windows permission prompt (UAC) appears. In portable mode the technician can't see or click that prompt, so the person at the PC has to click Yes or No. Once AnyDesk is installed, the technician can see and handle it themselves.
Windows asks for an administrator password when I click Install. What now?
Your account doesn't have administrator rights, which is common on company PCs. Ask your company's IT team or IT provider to enter it. In the meantime the technician can still help you through the portable version.
Do I need to install AnyDesk Printer?
Not for normal remote support. AnyDesk Printer lets someone print documents from the remote PC to a printer on their own side. If you don't need it, untick it on the Installation screen or click Don't Install when Windows asks.
Is Unattended Access safe?
Yes, if you set a long, hard-to-guess password and give it only to the IT provider that manages the PC. Anyone with both your AnyDesk ID and that password can connect without anyone clicking Accept, so change it straight away if you switch providers or someone who knows it leaves.
Is AnyDesk safe? Can I give my AnyDesk ID to someone?
The app is safe when downloaded from anydesk.com, but scammers often call pretending to be a bank, a government agency or 'IT support' and ask you to install it. Only give your ID to a technician you contacted yourself, and never accept a connection request you weren't expecting.
References
- AnyDesk Help Center — Install AnyDesk
- AnyDesk Help Center — Portable vs. Installed
- AnyDesk Help Center — Administrative privileges and elevation (UAC)
- AnyDesk Help Center — How do I set up Unattended Access?
- U.S. FTC — How to spot, avoid, and report tech support scams
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Technically reviewed by the Hinet Computer System engineering team · Last updated 21 Oct 2026