Read reviews, compare customer ratings, see screenshots, and learn more about. Use the new Microsoft Remote Desktop app to connect to a remote PC. To share your Mac with someone else, download a remote Virtual Network Computing (VNC) app like Jump Desktop. With full remote access and Mac remote control, the other person — or yourself connecting to another Mac — can have the same level of control as the person using that device.
Image: Apple the most seasoned Mac users sometimes need to access Windows applications to get their work done. While the two ecosystems were at odds with each other for most of their early days in the enterprise, there are now many options for Mac users who need to access a Windows app or server. Tools like Parallels and Virtualbox are popular among users but, for years, one of the standard applications for connecting the two systems is the Microsoft Remote Desktop connection.
And, fortunately, the process for downloading and using the Microsoft Remote Desktop on macOS Sierra is fairly straightforward. Note: If you want to access Microsoft Remote Desktop on an older version of Mac OS X, check out.
As with most modern Mac applications, Microsoft Remote Desktop is available for download through the Mac App Store. Go to the icon Dock on your desktop and click the blue 'App Store' icon to open it. Inside the Mac App Store, type 'Microsoft Remote Desktop' into the search bar at the top right hand portion of the window.
The option you want is an orange icon with a computer monitor on it. It should be the first option listed.
To begin downloading Microsoft Remote Desktop, click the blue 'Get' button. This app is free, so no price will be listed.Once you click on 'Get,' the button will turn green and say 'Install app.' Click the button again.
For here, you can close out the App Store. To access the newly downloaded app, click the the grey 'Launchpad' icon in the Dock. Click the Microsoft Remote Desktop app icon to open the app. If you can't seem to find the icon (it will look the same as it did in the App Store), try swiping left. If you have many application, the Launchpad will have multiple pages. Another way to find the app is by using the Spotlight Search feature, which you can access by clicking the looking glass at the top right of your home screen, or by using the shortcut Command + Spacebar.
Once you have Spotlight open, type 'Microsoft Remote Desktop' and hit enter. Once open, the app should look like this: When you first open the application, you may be presented with a pop up window alerting you to what is new in Microsoft Remote Desktop. Feel free to close that window and continue on. If you want to be able to quickly return to this application in the future, you should set it in your dock.
To do so, right click (control + click) on the icon, mouse over 'Options,' and click 'Keep in Dock.' This will keep you from having to look for the icon every time you need to use it. At this point you'll need to enable remote access on your target PC. For a Windows 10 machine, head to the start button on the bottom left of your desktop.
Click the start button and then click 'File Explorer.' In the next window, on the left side of the screen, right-click the option that says 'This PC' and then click 'Properties' at the bottom of the following pop up window.
![Remote desktop client for mac Remote desktop client for mac](/uploads/1/2/5/3/125352578/117782971.png)
In the system properties window, click on 'Remote settings' on the left-hand side. Make sure the radio button next to 'Allow remote connections to this computer' is clicked. Also make sure the box next to 'Allow connections only from computers running Remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication' is checked if you have that authentication. If you want to get to this part faster, simply type 'Remote Settings' in Cortana from your Windows desktop and and click the search result that says 'Allow remote access to your computer.' You'll also need your full PC name if you don't already have it, which will be used to set up the connection.
Click on the start button and then click 'Settings' and the 'System.' At the bottom of the next window click 'About' and the PC name should be available at the top. Enabling a Windows 7, Windows 8, or Vista machine is a little different, but you can find out how to do that. Once you have enabled remote access and have the PC name, go to your Mac and click the 'New' button at the top left of the Microsoft Remote Desktop screen. You'll be prompted to fill in a few fields.
First, you'll input the connection name. This is just an arbitrary name and has no real bearing on the connection itself. For example, you could call it 'Sarah's work PC.' Next, you'll need to input the PC name (the one you wrote down from earlier), or the IP address so your Mac knows where to find the PC. The next line down allows you to configure a Gateway, which would allow a connection to virtual desktops or session-based desktops available on your company's network. Be sure to check with your network administrator to see if there is a gateway you are supposed to use. Credentials is where you will type in the domain, username, and password for the target PC so you can log in through the remote connection.
Once again, check with your IT admin, but these should be your standard username and password for your target machine. Resolution, colors, and full screen mode are all personal preferences for how you want the remote desktop to launch on your machine. If you're not sure, start with the standard settings and go from there. In the same window, click the 'Session' tab in the middle to configure peripheral devices for your remote desktop. With the 'Sound' drop-down, for example, you can choose where you want any sound to play. Clicking the box next to 'Connect to admin session' will allow you to connect to an administrator session on a Windows server, and 'Forward printing devices' will make your local printers available during your remote desktop session.
'Swap mouse buttons' will allow you to use left click commands with a right-click Mac mouse. The third tap at the top of this window is 'Redirection.' Here, you can choose a local folder to be made available during your remote session.
Click the '+' button, choose a name for the folder, and input the folder's path to have it available. When you are finished configuring your remote desktop, click the red close button at the top left of the dialog box and your new remote desktop will be added. To start a session with that desktop, simply double-click it to begin. If you want to edit, duplicate, export, or delete that remote connection, right-click (control + click) on the desktop name to access those options.
What do you think? Is there a better way to access your Windows applications? Tell us in the comments.
At some point in life, everyone needs to use their PC remotely. You could be going out for the day with your PC back home downloading some files. Or you could have and need to access them without getting up. While a Remote Desktop Connection option on Windows has existed since XP, a mobile solution for iOS and Android was lacking for all these years.
But now it’s available, and while it’s certainly not as feature-rich as or TeamViewer, it will get the job done for free. You’ll need the Pro version of Windows 8 (or ) to use the remote desktop features through the Android app. Apparently they’re not available on the basic version of Windows 8. What was it that you said Ballmer?? More on remote access and VPN: For a more feature-rich experience,. There’s also an Android app for Android phones from anywhere in the world.
Talking about VPN, checkout our comparison. On Chrome, just use. Why and How to Set Up a Static IP on Your Host Windows Machine Windows assigns your computer an every time you boot up. This means that depending on the number of devices on your network, the IP address of your PC might be different each day. And MS Remote Desktop uses IP address to authenticate the connection. So unless you want to look it up every time you reboot your PC, we suggest you set up a static IP address using the steps below.
Step 1: First, go to Control Panel - Network and Internet - Network and Sharing center. Here, as I’m using a desktop connected via ethernet, I’ll see Ethernet next to the Connections option. If you’re using Wi-Fi, that’s what you’ll see. Step 2: Click that option and select Details. Step 3: This window will tell you the current IPv4 address, the subnet mask, default gateway, and the DNS servers. All those things are important.
Write those down somewhere or just take a screenshot. They’ll be useful later on. Step 4: Close the Network Details box and click on Properties.
Scroll down till you see the IPv4 option in the checklist. Click on it and you’ll see a properties box for IPv4. Step 5: Right now, all the options are blanked out because the IP address and DNS servers are fetched automatically. To create a static IP, we need to change that. Step 6: Check the option that says Use the following IP address.
Remember those details we saved in the step 3? It’s time to type those in the appropriate boxes. Once you’re done with that, click OK on all the boxes and exit from the settings.
Remember the IP address you type in here. This is the IP address we’ll use to connect with other devices. If you forget it, open the Command Prompt, type in ipconfig and press enter. Setting Up a Remote Desktop on Windows 8 The quickest way to get to this particular settings menu is to go to the top/bottom right edge of the screen and bring up the Charms bar.
Click the Search button and type in Allow remote access to your computer, or a variation of it. Click the first option and a properties menu will open up. Here, check the option that says Allow Remote Assistance connections to this computer. Below, in the Remote Desktop section, select Allow remote connections to this computer. To make connections simpler, uncheck the option below it. Connecting Microsoft Remote Desktop on Windows PC To connect with another Windows PC that has Remote Desktop turned on, you don’t need any additional software. Bring up the Search bar again and this time look for Remote Desktop Connection.
Type in the computer’s IP address in the Computer field and hit connect. You’ll be asked for the login credentials. You can also just hit Show Options to get an expanded view of advanced options. Connecting Microsoft Remote Desktop on Mac from the App Store to get started.
Open the app and click New. Here, give your PC a name in the Connection name field. Below, in the PC Name, type in the IP address of the Windows PC.
You’ll remember it from the process we went through above. You’ll also need to specify the PC’s username and password. But that’s all. Save the PC by clicking the close button and it will show up in the app’s home screen. Click on the PC to start the remote desktop. You can do the same process for multiple desktops as well.
Connecting Microsoft Remote Desktop on iPhone and iPad, click the + button and select Add PC or Server to get stared. From PC Name, type in the IP address. From User Name type in the PC’s username and password.
Here you can either specify for the PC to prompt for your username or password every time or just save the credentials. If it’s only you who’s going to be using the iPhone/iPad, you can skip the authentication process and select your default account. You can also specify the Settings but that’s not necessary. Hit Save and your desktop will now be visible in the app’s home screen. Tap it to start the remote desktop. Connecting Microsoft Remote Desktop on Android The process with is similar to the iOS one. Tap the + icon to add a PC.
Type in the IP address, a name if you want. Then scroll down and type in the username and password.
Save it and you’ll be back to the home screen. Tap the PC name to start a remote session. How Do You Use Remote Desktop? How do you use the remote desktop feature? To do some coding on the iPad or to view documents? Share with us in the comments below. Last updated on 8 Feb, 2018.