Chapter 41: Using Windows Remote Desktop

Overview

As the name suggests, Remote Desktop is a Windows utility that allows you to connect your computer to a second computer through a local network, a virtual private network or a telephone line. You can originate a Remote Desktop connection only through Windows XP Pro or XP Media Center; it's not available in Windows XP Home Edition.

It's also possible to use Remote Desktop through the Internet, but only if there's an exception to your firewall's list of blocked programs for Remote Desktop connections. This opens a possible security breach, so it's best not to try it.

When a Remote Desktop connection is in place, you can use your computer's mouse and keyboard to control the distant system and view activity on the distant computer's screen through your own monitor display. It's almost as if you're reaching through your own computer to operate another computer in another location.

You can use Remote Desktop to open a file and transfer it to the local computer, print a document on a printer connected to the distant computer, view a video or listen to a sound recording stored on the remote system, and perform most of the other tasks that you could run if you were operating the remote system through that system's own keyboard and mouse. The two computers connected through a Remote Desktop link can also share a clipboard, so you can copy text or data from one computer to the other.

Remote Desktop is a powerful tool for business people who are away from their own offices, such as salespeople who need the latest versions of price lists and proposals while they are meeting with customers or clients, people who want to gain access to files and other resources on their office computers from home, and network managers who want to load configuration settings to distant computers without the need for leaving their own offices. If you're operating a help desk, you can also use Remote Desktop to troubleshoot a distant computer.

In order to use Remote Desktop, both the host computer (the one that controls the distant system and the remote computer (the one that has allowed the host to take over control) must have the appropriate software installed and enabled. The host software is part of a standard Windows XP installation, but you must enable the client utility on the remote computer before you can establish a connection. The software for remote computers, called the Remote Desktop Connection client, also works with older versions of Windows including Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT, and Windows 2000.

This chapter explains how to set up both host computers and remote clients for Remote Desktop, and how to create and use a Remote Desktop connection.

Caution 

Because of the potential security risk when an outsider takes control of a local computer, many businesses don't allow their computers to accept Remote Desktop connections. If your computer connects to a network through a domain, or if you are connected to a business network, consult your network manager or help desk before you allow your computer to accept Remote Desktop connections.

In a corporate setting, a virtual private network can offer most of the same benefits as Remote Desktop, without the same security problems.