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Win XP's Remote Desktop Feature
Windows XP's Remote Desktop Connection feature is especially
easy to use. It's fairly easy to set up and use, but there are
some things you need to know. Pay attention, this will save you
some grief:
1. Both PCs must be running Windows XP Pro. This does not work
with the Home Edition.
2. Both PCs must have the same Windows user name. It's okay if
they both have multiple users, just so long as one of those
names is one they share in common.
3. The host PC, or the one being connected to, must have a
password configured for that common user name. You can configure
both user names and passwords in the User Accounts applet in
Control Panel. (The password does not have to be the same on
both PCs.)
4. The host PC must be configured to accept Remote Desktop
Connection. To do that, right-click My Computer and choose
Properties. Then click the Remote tab. Put a check in the box
under the Remote Desktop header. Be sure to check out the "Learn
more about Remote Desktop" help files linked from this dialog.
Although these files are poorly written, they explain the
caveats I mentioned above in more detail.
You'll also find the Select Remote Users button on this dialog,
which is anything but intuitive. Microsoft needs to rework this
aspect of the functionality. If you address the caveats above,
though, you should have smooth sailing. I did.
Once it's configured, you initiate the connection from the
remote computer (the one that will be accessing the other
computer's desktop). To do that, go to Start Menu All Programs
Accessories Communications Remote Desktop Connection. If
you're running firewall protection, you may want to disable it
temporarily to get Remote Desktop setup. Another trick is to
just type the computer name (not the Windows logon name if
they're different) into the Remote Desktop Connection dialog to
get it going the first time. When you turn your firewall back
on, you may be prompted to permit a Remote Desktop Connection,
and to make it work in future, you'll need to say yes.
After any connection works for the first time, subsequent
connections provide a more convenient version of the Remote
Desktop Connection dialog, which includes the ability to save
your password and also save a desktop icon for the connection.
There are also custom controls for display, sound, shared
devices, programs, and bandwidth. It's this dialog that makes
the experience a good one. In fact, once you get it going,
Remote Desktop Connection works exceedingly well. It has
built-in smarts that help different display resolutions adapt to
one another. I use it constantly, and it has greatly improved my
ability to access email remotely via my network. You can access
anything, though: files, browser, virtually anything on the
target computer. Remote Desktop has a lot of uses.
It takes under five seconds to initiate a Remote Desktop
Connection (at least, on my 100Mbps LAN). The target computer's
desktop opens up as a maximized desktop that overlaps your
screen. But you can minimize it if you want to, resize it, drag
and drop stuff between desktops or folder windows on the two
computers. Remote Desktop is convenient, reliable, and robust.
There are other permutations too. It's possible to set up a
remote connection via the Internet or via a Web browser. That's
called Remote Desktop Web Connection, and here's some
information about it:
• Installing Remote Desktop Web Connection in Windows XP
(Q284931)
There's something called Remote Assistance that's essentially a
temporary and limited use of Remote Desktop. It works with Win
XP Home or Pro, and it allows someone more expert with computers
to take control via the Internet of a computer that's having a
problem. You know, all those family members who call you or
email you with cryptic descriptions of computer problems? If
both of you are running Windows XP, it's a fairly easy
proposition to set up a Remote Assistance connection that allows
you to take control of their PCs for a limited amount of time.
(The access is controlled by a time-limited token passed via
email.)
• Description of the Remote Assistance Connection Process
(Q300692)
Here are some additional Microsoft KnowledgeBase articles that
may help you configure Remote Desktop Connection:
• How to Use the Remote Desktop Feature of Windows XP
Professional (Q315328)
• How a Remote Desktop Connection Affects Windows XP
Professional (Q280828)
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