How to Access Your Desktop PC from Your Laptop with Remote Desktop

You can access your desktop PC from your laptop with Remote Desktop. Remote Desktop allows you to work on your laptop as if it were your desktop computer. To access a remote computer from your laptop, follow these steps:

From the Start menu, choose All Programs→Accessories→Remote Desktop Connection.

The Remote Desktop Connection dialog box appears.

If the computer you want to connect to is available from the drop-down list, choose it. Otherwise, type the computer’s name that you remembered to write down from the preceding section.

The computer must already have been configured to accept a remote desktop connection; refer to the previous section.

Click the Connect button.

You must log in to the remote computer by using an account on that computer.

In the security window, type your User Name and Password.

Follow the same process as you would for logging in to the other computer.

Click OK.

Wait a few seconds. Eventually, the laptop’s screen changes. What you see displayed is the other computer’s desktop.

Use the remote computer

When the remote desktop is set up and connected, what you see on your computer's screen is the display of another computer on the network. Moving the mouse on your computer moves the mouse on the other computer, and ditto for the keyboard. It's just as though you're sitting at that computer, when you’re actually working things from a remote location.

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To break the connection, click the X button in the strip at the top of the screen.

Click OK to confirm the disconnection.

The connection is broken, and you're using only your own PC again.

Comments (4)

Posted by Al JANUARY 16, 2009 | 11:55PM
This will not work on a common home network (workgroup, peer-to-peer). RDC requires a Terminal Services Gateway server.

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Posted by Marian FEBRUARY 02, 2009 | 10:25AM
I tried this on my home network and you're right it won't work. How do you get/setup a Terminal Services Gateway? Can that be done on a home network?

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Posted by John MARCH 06, 2009 | 05:20PM
Useless, superficial, and annoying. Why do you even bother to place this here? There is a WHOLE lot more involved.

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Posted by Jun APRIL 13, 2009 | 07:57PM
Typical. "The computer must already have been configured to accept a remote desktop connection; refer to the previous section." Which one is the "previous" section? There's no link to it.

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