By enabling the remote desktop in Windows 10, you can connect to your PC remotely from other devices on the same network or over the internet. Once connected, you’ll be able to manage the remote PC as though you were sitting right in front of it. This includes viewing the PC’s screen, adjusting its settings, and transferring files to and from it. For example, I regularly use this feature to connect to my work PC from my laptop.
In this tutorial, I’ll outline the requirements, show steps to enable Remote Desktop in Windows 10, and how to connect to your PC from other Windows devices. Let’s get started.
Before You Begin (Requirements)
- Windows 10 Home Edition does not support the Remote Desktop feature, which is only available in the Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise editions. However, the Home edition comes with a Remote Desktop Connection client app, which allows you to connect to other PCs that have Remote Desktop enabled.
- You require administrator rights to modify the remote desktop status.
- This feature requires an active network connection to allow other PCs to connect.
Enable Remote Desktop in Windows 10 (Step-by-Step)
Simple Steps:
- Right-click on the Start button and select Settings.
- Go to System > Remote Desktop.
- Turn on the Remote Desktop toggle.
- Click the Confirm button.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots):
First, open the PC Settings app. You can do that by press the “Win + I” keyboard shortcut or by clicking on the “All Settings” button in the Notification Center.
After that, navigate to the “System” > “Remote Desktop” page. On this page, toggle the “Enable Remote Desktop” to ON.
The above action shows a confirmation prompt. Click the “Confirm” button.
This action enables the remote desktop feature in Windows 10.
Configuring Remote Desktop Authentication
After enabling the feature, click on the “Advanced Settings” link.
Next, select the “Requires computers to use Network Level Authentication to connect” checkbox. This forces the client to enter authentication details such as the username and password to get access to your PC.
You can also see the remote desktop port on the same page. Take a look at the below image.
Connecting to a Remote Desktop Enabled Computer
Once the remote desktop feature is enabled, you can connect to it remotely from any PC using the Remote Desktop Connection client app. Here’s how:
Before You Begin
- The client app is available in all Windows 10 editions, including Home, Pro, and Enterprise.
- The remote PC should be turned on.
- You need the username and password of the remote computer.
- Both devices should be in the same network. If you are trying to connect to a remote PC over the internet, that PC should be configured properly to allow outside access.
- Once connected, certain system interactions are limited. For example, you might be able to see or interact with admin prompts. That means you cannot modify system settings that require admin rights.
Steps
1. Press the Start button.
2. Search for Remote Desktop Connection and click Open.
3. Type the IP address of the remote computer and click Connect.
4. Click the More Choices link.
5. Type the Username and Password of the remote computer and click OK.
6. Click Yes in the Certificate Errors dialog box. Optionally, select the “Don’t ask me again for connections to this computer” checkbox.
That’s it. Windows will establish the remote connection and show the remote PC on your desktop.
Frequently Asked Questions
By default, once RDP is enabled, your PC is only visible on the local network. If you want to allow other computers to connect to it via the internet, you need a static IP and further configure your network to allow port forwarding. You can learn how to do it from this Microsoft page.
The remote desktop option requires admin rights to modify its state. If you don’t have administrator rights, the option will be greyed out.
No, the remote PC must be turned on and connected to an active network.
By default, only one concurrent connection is allowed per user. However, on Windows Server edition, multiple concurrent connections are allowed depending on the license.
Yes. However, you need to configure the remote PC to allow blank password usage. Here are the instructions — Set up remote desktop without password.
Wrapping Up — Setting Up Remote Desktop in Windows 10
As you can see, it’s very straightforward to enable and set up remote desktop in Windows 10. Once enabled, you can use the built-in Remote Desktop Connection client app to connect to the remote PC with just a couple of clicks. While it is limited to local networks by default, with a bit of network configuration, you can access the remote PC over the internet. However, make sure to use a VPN when using public networks to ensure the connection is secure. When you no longer need it, you must disable remote desktop.
If you have any questions, comment below and I will answer.
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