ARCHIVED: In Mac OS X, how do I make a Remote Desktop connection to a Windows computer?
Using Remote Desktop, you can access a computer from a remote location. To connect to a Windows computer from another Windows computer, see Connect to a Windows computer or server via RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) To connect to a Windows computer from a remote computer running Mac OS X, see below.
To enable Remote Desktop, you must have administrative rights on the computer you want to use as the host (i.e., the computer to which you will connect from a remote location), which must be running one of the following versions of Windows:
- Windows 8 Pro, Enterprise
- Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, or Ultimate
- Windows Vista Business, Enterprise, or Ultimate
- Windows XP Professional
Before making a remote connection, first enable the Remote Desktop feature on your host computer, and then install Remote Desktop Connection client software on your client computer.
Enabling Remote Desktop
To enable the Remote Desktop feature on your host (Windows) computer:
- In Windows 8, press
Win-q
and select . Alternatively, in Desktop view, move the mouse to the bottom right corner of the screen and select , followed by .Note:For help navigating, see ARCHIVED: Get around in Windows.In Windows 7 and below, from the
menu, select (or , and then ). Double-click . - In Windows Vista and higher, click
In Windows XP, select the
tab. Select . . In the
"Remote Desktop" section, select one of the two options to allow
connections from other computers.
- To choose which users will have remote access, in Vista and higher, click , or in XP, click . Typically, all administrators of the computer will have access by default. Each user must have a password before you can allow remote access.
- When you are finished, click . Your computer will now be able to accept incoming Remote Desktop connections.
Installing Remote Desktop Connection client software
You can download the Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) client for Mac OS X from Microsoft Mactopia.
Opening a connection
- Depending upon your network configuration and system requirements,
you may first have to establish a VPN connection to your
host computer's network.
At Indiana University:
- You must first establish a VPN connection if:
- You are off campus, connecting to a computer on campus.
- You are on campus, connecting to your home computer in campus housing.
See About the IU VPN.
- Alternatively, from your web browser, you can use the Remote
Desktop application in IUanyWare, located
in the "Utilities" section.
See ARCHIVED: How do I set up and use IUanyWare on a computer or laptop?
For more about remote desktop connections on the IU network, see How to make off-campus remote desktop connections at IU.
- You must first establish a VPN connection if:
- Launch Remote Desktop Connection.
- In the
Remote Desktop Connection
window, in the "Computer:" field, type the DNS name or IP address of the destination host. - Click .
- In the window that appears, enter your username, passphrase, and domain.
- Click to start your session. When you log out of your Windows session, the RDC application will close.
This is document atrk in the Knowledge Base.
Last modified on 2018-01-18 15:28:50.