A remote desktop is a feature in Microsoft Windows that lets you access your local computer remotely from another location. For example, you can use a home laptop to connect to an office PC and run applications or print documents from there. It works in a similar fashion to connecting your mobile device to a home computer: You use the software to send signals from your mouse and keyboard, and the host computer computes what you’re doing and displays it on the remote monitor.

How to Connect a Remote Desktop

First, you need to install the Remote Desktop client app on your desktop. This is a free program available on the Mac App Store and Google Play, as well as Microsoft’s own desktop. You can also find third-party options for Linux and other platforms, though these are generally inferior to RDP in terms of security, performance, and ease of use.

Once you have the RDP client installed, open it and select “Start a Remote Session.” If you don’t already have a connection to the computer you want to connect to, click the Create New Connection button. You will then be prompted to enter a name, username and password for the connection.

On the next screen, you will be able to set up the connection by clicking on “Show Options.” You can adjust screen size, login information, availability of local hard drives and printers and keyboard and sound behavior. You can even set up clipboard support, which allows you to copy text and files from the remote desktop to your own desktop.

You can also configure the settings in the Remote Desktop client, including enabling local printing from a remote printer, allowing the desktop to be pinned to the start menu, and setting up an administrator session. These options are optional and not always necessary, but they can make your experience using the Remote Desktop client easier.

How to Connect a Remote Computer

To start a remote desktop connection, you will need an internet connection and the public IP address of the computer you want to connect to. If you are using a wired network, you will also need a router that supports the VPN and firewall protocols to allow this type of connectivity. If you are using a wireless connection, the router may be configured to limit network traffic or require the user to enter a password before they can connect.

If you are unable to connect, it is usually due to an error with the network. This may be caused by issues with the VPN, a network switch or a specific subnet.

This can occur when you attempt to connect a desktop with the wrong user ID, or if you have an incorrect certificate in your firewall or router settings. You can fix these errors by following the instructions in this article:

Once you have established a connection, you can launch applications or access files on the remote machine. This is a great feature for people who have trouble with a specific application or file on the local machine and want to see what it looks like from a different location. You can also use a remote machine for training purposes and to share content with a larger group of users.