How to Create a Shortcut to Start a Remote Desktop

If you frequently use Remote Desktop to connect to computers remotely, having a desktop shortcut to automatically launch a Remote Desktop connection to a specific computer can reduce the amount of time required to accomplish this task--especially when you use Remote Desktop to connect to several different computers. Copy the Remote Desktop shortcut to your desktop; then modify it to connect immediately to a specific computer when it is launched.

Instructions

1. Right-click the Remote Desktop icon on the Start menu, and click "Copy."

2. Right-click on the desktop, and click "Paste Shortcut." A copy of the Remote Desktop icon appears on the desktop.

3. Right-click the new Remote Desktop shortcut, and click "Properties."

4. Click inside the box labeled "Target," and use the arrow keys on the keyboard to move the cursor to the end, after "mstsc.exe."

5. Insert a space after "mstsc.exe," and then type "/v:(address)" where "(address)" is the IP address or fully qualified domain name of the computer that you are connecting to. Do not include quotation marks. For example, if the IP address is 192.168.0.1, the new shortcut would read "%systemroot%\system32\mstsc.exe /v:192.168.0.1."

6. Double-click the shortcut to connect to the computer at the address you have entered.

References

• Cybernet News: Create a Remote Desktop Shortcut