Connecting to a Remote Desktop on Windows

All Windows PC and Windows Servers have the Remote Desktop Connection tool available as part of the default installation. That includes older versions of Windows such as Windows 7 and 8. If you want to connect to a Windows Remote Desktop using another Windows PC, you can use this tool.

If you’re connecting to another PC on your local network, you’ll need to find the local IP address or hostname first. You can do this by clicking Windows Settings > Network & Internet > View your network properties to view information about your Remote Desktop PC, including the hostname and local IP address.

You’ll need to know the ISP-issued IP address for your internet connection if you’ve accepted the risks and you’re connecting to a Windows Remote Desktop over the internet. Just Google search “what’s my IP” to find it. For secure, enterprise networks, you’ll also need to know the RD gateway address.

To connect to a Windows Remote Desktop on another Windows PC or server:

1- Press Windows key + R on your keyboard, type mstsc into the Run dialog box, then press OK to launch the Remote Desktop Connection tool. Alternatively, press the Start button, then press Windows Accessories > Remote Desktop Connection.
2- Type the IP address or hostname of your Windows Remote Desktop in the Computer text box, then press Show Options.
3- Type the username you’ll use to connect to your Windows Remote Desktop in the User name box.

RDP-Tool-Windows-Expanded

1- Confirm the display resolution and color quality of the remote connection under the Display tab.
2- You can confirm the peripherals you intend to share with your Windows Remote Desktop by pressing Local Resources > More. This will allow you to share your local printer with the remote PC, for instance.
3- Windows will automatically try to determine the quality of your remote connection. If you want to set this manually, choose your connection speed under the Experience tab

RDP-Tool-Windows-Experience

1- Certain enterprise networks require you to use a Remote Desktop Gateway to allow for a tunneled RDP connection to a secure network. You can set this by clicking Advanced > Settings.
2- Once you’re ready to make the connection, press Connect. You may need to press Yes to a warning about the identity of the connection..

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