ARCHIVED: In Mac OS X, how do I make a Remote Desktop connection to a Windows computer?

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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:

  1. In Windows 8, press Win-q and select Control Panel. Alternatively, in Desktop view, move the mouse to the bottom right corner of the screen and select Settings, followed by Control Panel.
    Note:
    For help navigating, see ARCHIVED: Get around in Windows.

    In Windows 7 and below, from the Start menu, select Control Panel (or Settings, and then Control Panel). Double-click System.

  2. In Windows Vista and higher, click Remote settings. In the "Remote Desktop" section, select one of the two options to allow connections from other computers.

    In Windows XP, select the Remote tab. Select Allow users to connect remotely to this computer.

  3. To choose which users will have remote access, in Vista and higher, click Select Users..., or in XP, click Select Remote Users.... Typically, all administrators of the computer will have access by default. Each user must have a password before you can allow remote access.
  4. When you are finished, click OK. 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

  1. 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:

    For more about remote desktop connections on the IU network, see How to make off-campus remote desktop connections at IU.

  2. Launch Remote Desktop Connection.
  3. In the Remote Desktop Connection window, in the "Computer:" field, type the DNS name or IP address of the destination host.
  4. Click Connect.
  5. In the window that appears, enter your username, passphrase, and domain.
  6. Click OK 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.