How to Change the Default Remote Desktop Port

By default, all Remote Desktop connections between PC computers running Windows XP or later go through port 3389. If you need to change the default listening port for Remote Desktop, you will need to edit the setting through your computer's registry. In order to select a different Remote Desktop port, you must be an administrator on the computer you are using.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Log on to your PC computer with an administrator account.

2. Open the Start menu and click on the "Run" button.

3. Type "regedit" into the pop-up window and hit "Enter" to launch the registry editor.

4. Navigate to the "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\TerminalServer\WinStations\RDP-Tcp\PortNumber" section of your registry database.

5. Go to the "Edit" menu at the top of the window and choose "Modify."

6. Click on the "Decimal" option.

7. Enter the new Remote Desktop port that you want to use and press "OK" to save the changes.

References

• Changing the Remote Desktop Listening Port