Feedback issues

[RhinoCan]

I need some help understanding and preventing feedback in the audio of Teamviewer.

I'm new to Teamviewer although I have used similar programs in the past, including GoToAssist and LogMeIn.

I've done a full install of version 10 for Windows on both my own computer and my mother's. We are both running Windows 8.1.  I'm pretty proficient with computers but Mom is not. She's 88 and I just helped her buy her second computer; she got her first one at 84. She also lives in a different city so a program like TeamViewer is very helpful when she has trouble with things, as she regularly does.

Typically, she will Skype me to tell me she's having a problem as this helps us avoid the cost of long distance. Then, I fire up the screen-sharing program, TeamViewer 10 in this case. Unfortunately, as soon as the TeamViewer session starts, I get feedback and it is quite severe. In fact, I'm inclined to just stop Skype and open up a Notepad window to use as a crude chat window to talk to my mother.

I've tried the Audio option in TeamViewer and the feedback is not as bad as it is when I use Skype and TeamViewer together but it's still pretty bad. What do I need to do to reduce the feedback? I've fiddled with mike and speaker levels on both computers but can't seem to find a combination that ensures we can still hear each other but without feedback.

I'd appreciate some guidance on this. (For what it's worth, I had the same problem with LogMeIn when I was also using Skype to talk to my mother. I know that the problem goes away if my mother and I talk on the phone while I help her with TeamViewer but I'm trying to avoid that if I possibly can.) 

[Admin]

Teamviewer mirrors the default noise that the host computer is hearing as well as the monitor display.
You can disable audio on the remote computer from Teamviewer via. the Audio/Video settings at the top of the remote teamviewer icon to "disable remote sounds".

And Or
Turn Off 'Computer Sounds' in Team Viewer (sounds option in Audio/Visual and it worked)

[RhinoCan]

Sorry for the delay in responding.

I really appreciate your help but I'm not quite clear on what those actions will do to help my situation. It sounds as if you're proposing that I turn off my mother's microphone, speakers or both. That's going to make it impossible for her to hear me and/or me to hear her, isn't it?

[ShadowIce]

By default TeamViewer will capture any sound the remote PC plays and transfers it to the local PC and plays it there. So if you use Skype, TeamViewer captures the audio from Skype on the other side and transfers it back to your PC. That's where that echo comes from. To disable that follow Admins advice, go to TeamViewer options -> Remote Control and disable "play computer sounds & music".

Echo while using TeamViewer VoIP is another problem (probably). In that case I recommend using the same sound card for playback/recording and if possible a headset. Echo is always caused by the side that doesn't hear echo. For example if you hear echo but your mother doesn't it's caused on her side and needs to be fixed there.

[RhinoCan]

Thanks to you both for your suggestions.

One of the challenges with following these suggestions is that TeamViewer is so new to me. The UI is not as intuitive as it could be so I have trouble finding the things I'm told to click on. 

I'll look at these suggestions again when I do my next TeamViewer session and see if I can find the options you suggest.

[RhinoCan]

Just a quick followup to say that the "turn off computer sounds" (or whatever the precise wording is) made a huge difference in eliminating the feedback. Now I can take to my mother via Skype while helping her with her computer issues. (I really need Skype or something like it to get her to the point where she can start TeamViewer and give me the current password. She still struggles with that part.)

[Phred]

Note, RC, that, unless it's changed recently, Skype has a function that displays the remote screen to the caller/other person.
That means that if you were to use Skype alone and talk to you mum, you could direct her to perform the actions that you would otherwise do yourself via Tv.
With only one program running you'd be using your bandwidth more efficiently and things would perform more responsively.
Whether you're a patient instructor or not, I don't know, and similarly I don't know if your mother could perform the given instructions - but it might help to build her confidence if she does the work.
'Give a man a fish....' etc - or in your case, an 88 year-old mother.