Has it ever happened to you that you are in front of one computer and want access to a file on another computer? It happens to me every now and then. There was a time when I used to go back and forth between the two computers to work with the files I need.
Luckily, Microsoft took note of the problem and said to me, ‘hey, we have you covered.’ Just kidding! But yes, Microsoft did come up with the Remote Desktop Connection tool that I can now use to access files and folders on a different computer without ungluing myself from the chair I am sitting on.
There is a basic requirement for using the Remote Desktop Connection App. The remote computer that I want to connect to should:
- Be turned on
- Be set up for using Remote Desktop Connection
- Be connected to a network
If anyone of these conditions is not met, the tool cannot work!
The Remote Desktop Connection tool will allow you to access multiple computers using the same network, irrespective of where the computers are located. Again, if you log into your employer’s network remotely using a VPN, you can use the RDC tool to remotely connect to all computers in the office.
If you are already using Windows 10, the Remote Desktop Connection tool is already integrated into your operating system. You can also find this thing in Microsoft Store as a Windows 10 Universal app.
Just in case you want to access files and folders on a Windows computer using your Android or iOS device or your macOS computer, you can use the Microsoft RDC app on those devices.
Allow me the opportunity to walk you through the steps.
Setup Process for the Remote Computer
Note that if you are trying to connect to a PC remotely, someone should log into that remote PC physically. RDC cannot work if that remote PC is turned off.
On the PC that you want to connect to, go to Settings >> Remote Desktop and flip on the “Enable Remote Desktop” option. You will see a confirmation screen. Confirm it to move forward.
You will see that two options are checked by default. They are ‘Keep my PC awake…” and “Make my PC discoverable…” Underneath those options, you will see Advanced Settings. Click on it open the Advanced Settings dialog box.
On the screen, check the box which says “Require computers to use Network Level Authentication…”
Now click on the back arrow on the top of the screen and scroll through all the setting options. Actually, there isn’t anything else to do.
In case you use your Microsoft account on the remote PC and have administrative rights, you can use the same account credentials to log into the PC from where you want to access the remote PC.
In case you want to grant access to someone else so that the person can access the remote PC, click on the link which reads “Select users that can remotely access this PC.”
Once you click on that link, you will get the option to add users. You need to add the usernames for that account.
After you add the user, go ahead and copy the PC name. You will need that name to connect remotely.
Connecting Using Remote Desktop Connection from Another PC
Let’s assume that you are in your office, and you want to connect to the PC at your home, and you have already set up Remote Desktop Connection on your home PC. Here is what you need to do:
Step 1: Use the Windows search bar to find Remote Desktop Connection and click on it to run the program.
Step 2: On the popup window that opens, click on Show Options.
Step 3: Add username for the computer to which you want to connect to. Check the option which says, “Allow me to save credentials” if you don’t want to repeat these steps again and again.
Step 4: On the Display tab, configure the display options. You can set full-screen mode and even set the color depth. You may or may not allow the connection bar to show when using full-screen mode.
You may leave the other tabs untouched. The default settings are just fine.
Step 5: Click on the Connect button to see a popup window where you will need to input the password for the remote desktop that you want to connect to.
Step 6: Once you enter the right password, you will see a warning popup about the certificate. If you know which computer you are connecting to and you trust it, you can ignore the warning and click Yes. If you don’t want to see the warning next time, check the option that says, ‘Don’t ask me again for connections to this computer.’
Once you click on the Yes button, the connection will establish. This is what you can see:
That’s it! You have successfully connected to a remote computer using Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Connection tool. You can now happily browse around and work on the remote desktop as if you are working on your computer.
That’s cool, right?
How to Connect to Remote Desktop from Android Device
What if you want to connect to a Windows PC from your Android device? The process is quite similar to what you follow on Windows. Let me walk you through the process…
Step 1: Install the Remote Desktop Connection app from Google Play Store. Once you install, you will see the screen where you need to accept the terms and conditions. This is the screen you will see:
Accept the terms and conditions to proceed to step 2.
Step 2: Once you accept the terms and conditions, you will see the screen where you need to add a desktop.
Tap the + icon on the top and then click on ‘Desktop.’ Of course, you don’t want a remote resource feed. Do you?
Step 3: Once you tap on the Desktop option, you will see a screen where the desktops associated with your account will show up. If you don’t see any desktop, you can add it manually.
If you see multiple desktops, select the desktop that you want to move on to the next step.
Step 4: Once you select a desktop, you will see a screen where you have to add a username. There will be an option of adding the username every single time, or you can choose the option of remembering the username once and for all. The second option is called ‘Add user account.’
Once you add a user account, you don’t need to keep adding a user every single time you use the app.
The screens you see, depending on the choice you make, will be this:
Or this:
Once you add the username or user account, tap on the Connect button that you see on the top right corner.
Step 5: Once you tap the Connect button, you will see the certificate warning. This is the screen you will see:
Ignore it and click on the Connect button. Once you do that, the connection will be established, and you will see this screen:
Now, if you want to close the session, click on the hamburger menu on the top, and you will see this screen:
Click on the X button on the left corner, and the session will end!
That’s it! That’s how you connect to a PC remotely from your Android device using the Remote Desktop Connection application. Don’t miss How to Speed Up WordPress Site
