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Turn on and Enable Remote Desktop (RDP) in Windows 7 x64 and x86 or Windows Vista
Windows 7 ships with Remote Desktop bundled into the operating system, however it is disabled by default. This article will show you how easy it is to Turn Remote Desktop (RDP) on and enable it for your computer.
Introduction
If you're like me, very mobile and always away from your computer, it is a very handy thing to be able to use Remote Desktop to remotely connect back to your Windows 7 computer. If you need access to your PC from another location, this feature is an essential component to your administrative arsenal of tools.
Before you get too excited though, it is important note that Remote desktop (RDP server) is only included in the Professional, Business, or Ultimate versions of Windows 7 and Windows Vista. Home editions do not have remote desktop, however all versions of windows have the RDP client which allows you to initiate the connection to another computer.
Enable and Turn on Remote Desktop (RDP) on Windows 7
The following steps will talk you through the process of enabling Remote Desktop on your Windows 7 or Vista computer:
- Click the Start button
- Right click on Computer and select Properties
- On the System dialog, click Remote Settings
- On the System Properties dialog, select the "Allow connections from computers running any version of Remote Desktop (less secure)" radio button. If you will only be connecting to your computer from another Windows 7 or Windows Vista you can click the bottom radio button instead: "Allow connections from computers running any version of Remote Desktop".
- Click OK
Windows 7 and Vista automatically configures all the required firewall rules, so there is nothing else to worry about. Your computer is now configured to accept Remote Desktop Connections using the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP).
Note: The instructions listed here will work for both Windows 7 x64 and x86 as well as indows Vista.
Conclusion
This article showed how to configure the Remote Desktop functionality in Windows 7 and Windows Vista for remote connectivity using the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP).
[Permalink] - Updated: Monday, May 24, 2010
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