This feature will be part of Windows 7/Windows Server 2008 R2 release and works for connections to another client machine (physical or VM), or a Remote Desktop Session Host. How to use Remote Desktop Multimon feature: To use this feature, you must: Connect using the Remote Desktop Client 7.0 (mstsc.exe) available initially on Windows 7/Windows. Sep 02, 2020 In Settings, enter ‘Remote Desktop’ and select Remote desktop settings. In Enable Remote Desktop, make sure the feature is turned on. Select Confirm to turn on Remote Desktop. Additional options are available to customize your Remote Desktop, just select Show settings to see what you can change. May 06, 2018 On the Windows PC you want to connect to remotely, download the Microsoft Remote Desktop assistant to configure your PC for remote access. When you're away from your work PC but still need to check in, Remote Desktop on your Windows 10 PC can help you access the apps and files you need to get things done. With Remote Desktop, you can connect to a Windows 10 device from a Windows, Android, iOS, and Mac device.
-->Applies to: Windows 10, Windows Server 2016
When you connect to your PC by using a Remote Desktop client, you're creating a peer-to-peer connection. This means you need direct access to the PC (sometimes called 'the host'). If you need to connect to your PC from outside of the network your PC is running on, you need to enable that access. You have a couple of options: use port forwarding or set up a VPN.
Enable port forwarding on your router
Port forwarding simply maps the port on your router's IP address (your public IP) to the port and IP address of the PC you want to access.
Specific steps for enabling port forwarding depend on the router you're using, so you'll need to search online for your router's instructions. For a general discussion of the steps, check out wikiHow to Set Up Port Forwarding on a Router.
Before you map the port you'll need the following:
PC internal IP address: Look in Settings > Network & Internet > Status > View your network properties. Find the network configuration with an 'Operational' status and then get the IPv4 address.
Your public IP address (the router's IP). There are many ways to find this - you can search (in Bing or Google) for 'my IP' or view the Wi-Fi network properties (for Windows 10).
Port number being mapped. In most cases this is 3389 - that's the default port used by Remote Desktop connections.
Admin access to your router.
Warning
You're opening your PC up to the internet - make sure you have a strong password set for your PC.
After you map the port, you'll be able to connect to your host PC from outside the local network by connecting to the public IP address of your router (the second bullet above).
The router's IP address can change - your internet service provider (ISP) can assign you a new IP at any time. To avoid running into this issue, consider using Dynamic DNS - this lets you connect to the PC using an easy to remember domain name, instead of the IP address. Your router automatically updates the DDNS service with your new IP address, should it change.
With most routers you can define which source IP or source network can use port mapping. So, if you know you're only going to connect from work, you can add the IP address for your work network - that lets you avoid opening the port to the entire public internet. If the host you're using to connect uses dynamic IP address, set the source restriction to allow access from the whole range of that particular ISP.
You might also consider setting up a static IP address on your PC so the internal IP address doesn't change. If you do that, then the router's port forwarding will always point to the correct IP address.
Use a VPN
If you connect to your local area network by using a virtual private network (VPN), you don't have to open your PC to the public internet. Instead, when you connect to the VPN, your RD client acts like it's part of the same network and be able to access your PC. There are a number of VPN services available - you can find and use whichever works best for you.
IN THIS TASK
Summary
This step-by-step article describes how to gain access to local files when you are using a Remote Desktop session to a Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 host computer. For more information about client-side drive redirection with Windows NT 4.0 Terminal Server and Windows 2000 Terminal Services, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
272519 How to redirect a client drive in Terminal Services
How to install Remote Desktop Connection software on the client computer
The client portion of Remote Desktop is installed during the Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 installation process. If you are using Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows NT 4.0, or Windows 2000 client computers to connect to a Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 host computer, then download and install the Remote Desktop Connection Software from the following Microsoft Web site:
How to connect to a remote Windows XP-based or Windows Server 2003-based computer
To connect to the remote computer:
Microsoft Access Remote Desktop
Click Start, point to All Programs (or Programs), point toAccessories, point to Communications, and then click Remote Desktop Connection.
Type the name of the Windows XP-based computer that has Remote Desktop enabled, and then click Connect.
Type your user name and password, and then click OK.
How to control the Remote Desktop
After you establish a Remote Desktop connection, your remote desktop is displayed in its own window. You can use the keyboard and mouse of the local host to control the remote computer.
How to gain access to local files
Windows 7 Enable Remote Desktop
You can gain access to your disk drives on the local computer during a Remote Desktop session. You can redirect the local disk drives, including the hard disk drives, CD-ROM disk drives, floppy disk drives, and mapped network disk drives so that you can transfer files between the local host and the remote computer in the same way that you copy files from a network share. You can use Microsoft Windows Explorer to view the disk drives and files for each redirected disk drive. Alternatively, you can view the files for each redirected disk drive in My Computer. The drives are displayed as 'drive_letter on terminal_server_client_name' in both Windows Explorer and My Computer.
To view the disk drives and files for the redirected disk drive:
Click Start, point to All Programs (or Programs), point to
Accessories, point to Communications, and then click Remote Desktop Connection.Click Options, and then click the
Local Resources tab.Click Disk Drives, and then click
Connect.
How to end the Remote Desktop session
Microsoft Remote Desktop Access Mac
After you are finished using the Remote Desktop connection:
Click Start in the Remote Desktop Connection window, and then click Shut Down.
Click Log Off, and then click OK.
References
For more information about Remote Desktop and how to install Remote Desktop on versions of Windows other than Windows XP, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Download Remote Desktop Windows 10
315328 How to use the Remote Desktop feature of Windows XP Professional