Do you use several computers in several different places in your home? Microsoft Remote Desktop app, Microsoft’s remote desktop, can help you connect to any of them and control it remotely.
If Windows 11 is installed on some of your machines, it is now possible to use it as a host and as a guest to run queries remotely.
Here are the steps to follow.
Required configuration
Before you start, know that the Remote office only works with Windows 11 Professional and Windows 11 Enterprise. It is not available with Windows 11 Home.
In the following demonstration, the host and guest PCs are both on the same network. If you need to use remote desktop to connect to a PC over the internet, for example from a home PC to a work PC on your company premises, you are more likely to use a VPN or secure gateway to allow connection.
In this case, whether or not you use Microsoft Remote Desktop, you will need to follow your company’s processes and requirements.
1. Enable Remote Desktop
To use your Windows 11 PC as a host so you can connect to it from another computer, you must first set up remote access.
Go into Settings > System > Remote Desktop. Enable remote desktop. Make a note of the PC name, as you will need it when attempting to connect.
2. Grant access to remote users
By default, you will log in to your Windows 11 computer using the configured administrator account, probably your own account. But if you need to grant access to other accounts, enable the option for remote desktop users.
Click on Add to add another account. In the user selection window, type the name of the account you want to add, then click Check names. Click on OKthen again on OK. You will now be able to use this account when logging into this PC remotely.
Log in from a guest computer
You can remotely connect to your Windows 11 PC from a variety of operating systems and devices: not just a Windows PC, but a Mac, iPhone, iPad, or Android device. You just need to download and install the app Microsoft Remote Desktop for your operating system or device.
But for our scenario, let’s say you’re logging in from another Windows PC.
Open the Remote Desktop tool on your guest PC. In Windows 10, you will find its shortcut in the folder Windows Accessories from the menu To start up. In Windows 11 it is located in the folder WindowsTools of the screen All Apps. If you’re having trouble finding it, just click the search icon, type “Remote Desktop,” then click the “Remote Desktop Connection” result.
Type the name of your Windows 11 PC in the field Computer. Click on the button Show options. If necessary, type the username of the account on the remote Windows 11 PC that you want to use. Check the box Always prompt for credentials if you prefer to enter your password each time you connect to this PC, for security reasons. And finally, click Connect.
Type the account password. The first time you connect to a computer, a notification appears telling you that the identity of the remote computer could not be identified. You are asked if you want to log in anyway. Check the box Do not ask me again to connect to this computer. Click on Yes.
You should then be connected to the remote computer at this time. At the top of the screen, you will see a blue login bar with different options. You can check the connection speed using the icons on the left side. The options on the right let you minimize the remote window to the taskbar, change its size, and end the remote session.
Use your Windows 11 PC as a guest
To connect to another computer using your Windows 11 PC as a guest, make sure the remote PC is configured to accept a connection Remote office. On your Windows 11 computer, launch the tool Remote office from folder Windows tools in the screen All Apps.
Before connecting, you can modify certain parameters of your remote session. In the window Remote Desktop connectionClick on the button Show options. In the tab Generaladd the username if needed and check or uncheck the option Always prompt for credentials.
Then click on the tab Display. Here you can adjust the remote desktop window size and use all your monitors for the remote session if you have a multi-monitor setup. You can also choose the tint of the remote session and choose to show the connection bar when you connect to the remote PC using full screen (normally the connection bar disappears when you are in full screen mode).
Click on the tab Local resources to determine whether certain resources are available on the host computer or the guest. In the section Remote audioClick on the button Settings, then set whether audio playback and recording will be accessible on this computer or on the remote computer. Click on OK. In the section Keyboard, set the computer that will accept Windows shortcut combinations. And in the section Local resources and deviceschoose the resources you want to make available on the remote computer.
Click on the tab Experience. Select the drop-down menu under Performance and you can set your connection speed to determine overall performance; otherwise, leave the setting as is to detect the connection automatically.
Leave the two options at the bottom of the page checked.
Then click on the tab Advance. These settings apply if you are connecting through a secure gateway. The settings you add here are usually provided to you by your employer or company.
Click on the button To log in to establish the connection to the remote PC. The connection bar appears at the top with options to pin the bar, check the connection speed, optionally minimize the remote window to the taskbar, change the window size, and end the remote session.
Finally, any connection settings you create in Remote Desktop are saved in a Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) file in your folder. Documents.
From the panel Remote officeyou can save your latest changes to this file, open the file, or save your changes to another filename.
Source: ZDNet.com