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How to Enable Remote Desktop in Windows 10 [Quick Guide]
Learn how to configure remote connections on your device
4 min. read
Updated onOctober 8, 2024
updated onOctober 8, 2024
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Sometimes in order to fix a certain computer problem, you need to access the problematic PCremotely.
Accessing a computerremotelyisn’t that hard, and today we’re going to show you how to do it using the Remote Desktop Connection on Windows 10.
What is Remote Desktop Connection?
Remote Desktop Connection is a useful Windows feature that allows you to access a different PC on your network, or on the Internet, from your own PC.
This feature requires that both computers are powered on and connected to the Internet, and if those conditions are met you can use your PC to fix problems on any other PCremotely.
By using this feature you’ll get full access to all files that are stored on that PC, and you’ll even get the live desktop, so you can see the changes in real-time.
Before we start explaining howRemote DesktopConnection works, let’s get familiar with certain terminology.
A computer that is used to access a remote computer is usually called a client, and the remote computer is called the host.
If you want to use this feature, both the client and host operating systems have to support it natively.
Bear in mind that Home editions of Windows don’t support this feature natively, therefore you might have to use a third-partyapplicationin this case.
As we already mentioned, you can use Remote Desktop Connection with computers that are on the same network.
But you can also connect to the remote host as long as the host computer has a public IP address.
How can I enable remote access on my Windows 10 PC?
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The first step is to press theWindowsand theS keysat the same time on your keyboard and then typeallow remotein the search box that opens.
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You will see a list of results. From them, selectAllow remote accessto your computer.
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System Properties window will now open. In the Remote tab make sure thatAllow Remote Assistance connections to this computeris enabled.
If you wish, you can change theAdvanced optionsand set how long can the invitation for Remote Assistance last.
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Moreover, you need to selectAllow remote connections to this computer. If you want extra security, be sure to checkAllow connections only from computers runningRemote Desktopwith Network Level Authentication (recommended).
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You can also set which users can have access to your computer. To do that click theSelect Usersbutton.
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If you wish to add users which do not currently have access to your computer, you can do that by clicking theAddbutton.
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Now enter the user name in theEnter the object names to selectand clickCheck names. If that user is on your network you might need to enter its computer name as well.
Alternatively, you can click theAdvancedbutton and search for the user by yourself. If the user has a Microsoft account, you can use his email address instead.
- After you’re done, clickOK. That user should now be added to the Remote Desktop Users list.
ClickOKagain to close the box.
Before you can use Remote Desktop Connection, you need to make sure that the host computer has Remote Desktop Connection enabled.
You can easily do this via Remote Desktop Connection Settings. From there, you can toggle the feature on and off, as well as select which users have access to the PC.
After the host computer has Remote Desktop Connection enabled, you can access it from a client PC by following the below steps.
How can I use Remote Desktop Connection?
Bear in mind that it’s not mandatory to change any of these options, but if you are an advanced user you might want to fine-tune these settings in order to achieve maximum results.
We have to mention thatRemote DesktopConnection isn’t only limited to the Windows platform, and you can connect to a Windows host by using Linux or Mac OS.
If this feature seems a bit daunting to you, or if your host or client PC doesn’t support it, you can use third-party solutions to remotely connect to another computer. You can evenChrome Remote Desktopwhich is browser-based.
We recommend using a reliable tool,Mikogo, that comes with enhanced security features to ensure your device is accessed only by authorized users, and many other great features.
However, if you’d like to find more options to pick from, just take a closer look at ourdedicated list including the best remote control software.
We hope that our guide helped you enable and use the Remote Desktop Connections feature. Let us know in the comments section whether you encountered any difficulties.
Remote Desktop Connection is a useful tool for system administrators that need to fix problemsremotely, but this feature can also be used by less experienced users.
Feel free to tell us if you have managed to connect remotely using this tool in the comments sections below.
More about the topics:Remote Desktop Connection,Windows 10 Guides
Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Milan has been enthusiastic about technology ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. He’s a PC enthusiast and he spends most of his time learning about computers and technology.
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s one of the Troubleshooting experts in our worldwide team, specializing in Windows errors & software issues.
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Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s specialized in Windows errors & software issues.
