> Desktop Support
How to use Remote Desktop (RDP)
Have you ever wanted to work from home and have access to everything you have
on your desktop at work? If you are using Windows XP Professional on your
desktop at work, Microsoft has provided a way to remotely connect to your
desktop from any computer running Windows 95 or newer. This application is known
as Remote Desktop and comes free and is installed by default.
IMPORTANT: I recommend connecting to the MSU network by way of the VPN
before using Remote Desktop from off campus. Click here for VPN instructions.
To enable Remote Desktop begin by Right Clicking on My Computer
and select Properties and you will get the following window.
Click on the Computer Name tab.
Record the Full computer name: which you will use later. Click
on the Remote tab on the upper right of the window.
Click on the checkbox Allow users to connect
remotely to this computer. You may also allow Remote Assistance if you need
someone to be able to help you through a program, but that is a topic for
discussion in another article. Click on Select Remote Users...
By default the person that is currently logged in and any
members of the Administrators group can connect even if they are not listed. If
you want to add additional users click on the Add... button to
allow more people to connect. Windows Firewall, if enabled, will automatically
be configured to allow Remote Desktop from anywhere.
To increase security, you can use a
VPN connection to attach
to the campus and then restrict access to Remote Desktop through the Firewall to
the campus subnet. If you need instructions on doing this contact the HelpDesk
at X1777.
Now that you have your campus desktop configured to accept a
Remote Desktop connection you will need to add a Remote Desktop client if you
are not running Windows XP on your remote computer. The following software
package will install the client portion of Remote Desktop on any of the
following operating systems:
Windows 95, Windows 98 and 98 Second Edition, Windows Me,
Windows NT 4.0, or Windows 2000.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/tools/rdclientdl.mspx
If your remote computer has Windows XP already installed, click
on Start, All Programs, Accessories, Communications, Remote Desktop Connection.
Enter the fully qualified domain name of your computer in the
dialog box. Click on the Options >> button for more connections
options.
You can customize your connection settings depending on the
speed of your remote connection. Click Connect and you will be
connected to your desktop on campus. You will have to leave your computer
powered on, but you do not have to be logged in. If you are logged in when you
remotely connect, it will close your applications that are currently open and
log you off of the campus desktop and display a computer locked screen.
If you are having trouble with this page...you probably can't read this and any contact information I put here would be useless.
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