Remote Desktop Connection Troubleshooting
If you are having difficulty connecting to one PC computer from another, there are several steps you can take to troubleshoot your Remote Desktop connection. The Remote Desktop program is included as part of the Windows operating system, but if Remote Desktop is disabled or blocked by a firewall, it may not function properly. In order to change Remote Desktop settings, you must be an administrator on your computer.
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Testing a Connection
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Before adjusting any Remote Desktop or Windows firewall settings, make sure your PC can communicate with the remote computer. To test a network connection, open the Start menu and click on the "Run" icon. Then enter "cmd" into the text box and click on "Enter" to launch a command prompt window. In the window, type "ping" followed by the IP address of the computer you are trying to connect to and click "Enter." Bits of data will be sent to the IP address you entered. If a response is displayed, then you can successfully communicate with the remote computer. If not, it means the remote computer is either turned off or blocking incoming connections.
Enabling Remote Desktop
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By default, the Remote Desktop function is disabled in the Windows operating system. Connection attempts to a computer will fail unless Remote Desktop has been manually turned on. To enable the feature on your PC, open the Start menu, right-click on the "My Computer" icon and choose "Properties." Go to the "Remote" tab in the pop-up window and check the box next to "Allow users to connect remotely to this computer." Then click "OK" to save the settings and enable incoming Remote Desktop connections.
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Configuring the Windows Firewall
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If you have enabled Remote Desktop but still cannot connect to a certain computer, you may need to check the Windows firewall settings on the remote computer and reconfigure the way the firewall is operating. To view and change the firewall settings, open the Start menu and click on the "Control Panel" icon. Double-click on the "Windows Firewall" control panel icon. Go to the "Exceptions" tab at the top of the window and look in the "Programs and Services" section. Check the box next to "Remote Desktop" to unblock remote connections from the firewall settings. Click "OK" to save the configuration and allow Remote Desktop requests.
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