Sep 19, 2017 - Remotely accessing a Mac is designed to be easy. Apple has spent a lot of time ensuring anyone can log in to their Macs — both desktop.
Today's technology has come a long way in closing the divide between Windows and Mac applications, especially in the enterprise. However, a gap still exists for some and requires a bridge to move between computing environments.
For Mac users, the stalwart tool has been the Microsoft Remote Desktop connection. Available now through the Mac App store, it allows users to remotely connect to a Windows desktop to access local files, applications, and network resources.
Note: If you want to access Microsoft Remote Desktop on a newer Mac running macOS Sierra, check out this article instead.
In order to get started with Microsoft Remote Desktop, you must begin by downloading it from the Mac App Store. Click the blue 'App Store' icon in your dock. Or, you can download it from our sister site Download.com here.
Once you've accessed the Mac App Store, use the search bar at the top right of the screen to search for 'Microsoft Remote Desktop.' The first search result should be what you're looking for. To begin the download, click the blue 'Get' button. This app is free, so no price will be listed.
Next, open the application by clicking through the grey 'Launchpad' icon and clicking on the Remote Desktop app icon. Or, you can use the searchlight feature by clicking the looking glass at the top right of your home screen, or by using the shortcut Command + Space Bar, and searching for 'Microsoft Remote Desktop.' Opening the app should look like this:
If you think you'll be frequently using this remote desktop connection, now would be a good time to set it in your dock. 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 8 machine, the fastest way to get this done is to search for 'Allow remote access to your computer' and click on that when it comes up. You may need an administrator password to complete this step. Under the 'System Properties' box you should see 'Remote Desktop' and the button labeled 'Allow remote connections to this computer' should be selected.
Next, you'll need to select the users who will be able to be accessed through the remote desktop connection. Now, search for 'System' and click it when it appears. Turn off hibernation and sleep settings for the target PC, as you won't be able to access it remotely if it falls asleep.
SEE: Software usage policy (Tech Pro Research)
While still in 'System,' it's a good time to go ahead and get your full PC name if you don't already have it, as you'll need it to set up the connection. Click on 'Computer name, domain, and workgroup settings' to find the full PC name and write it down. Enabling a Windows 7 computer is a little different, but you can find out how to do that here.
Head back 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 quite a few fields.
The first thing you'll need to input is the connection name. This is simply what you want to call the connection and it has no real bearing on the connection itself. For example, you could call it 'John's work computer,' or 'Jennifer's 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 your PC. The next line down allows you to configure a Gateway, which would let you connect to virtual desktops or session-based desktops that are on your company's network. Check with your network administrator to see if there is a gateway you are 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. 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.
If you want to configure peripheral devices for your remote desktop, you can find options for that under the middle tab, 'Session.'
The first choice is a drop-down menu for sound. You can disable sound, have it play on the remote PC, or have it play on your Mac. If you want to connect to an administrator session on a Windows server, click the box next to 'Connect to admin session.'
The next option to '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 last tab at the top of the window is 'Redirection.' This is where you would choose a local folder you wanted to be 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.
If you don't think Microsoft Remote Desktop is the option for you, here are some other options available at Download.com:
What do you think?
Is there a better way to access your Windows applications? Tell us in the comments.
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If you like to use your Mac computer as your main machine, but still need Windows for occasional tasks, then it might be useful to setup remote desktop so that you can connect from your Mac to your PC remotely.
Luckily, Microsoft provides all the parts for remote desktop to work properly between a Mac and a PC. In this article, I’m going to walk you through the steps for setting up remote desktop on a Mac and PC.
Setup Remote Desktop Assistant on PC
The first thing you’ll need to do is setup remote desktop assistant on your PC. This program will basically enable remote desktop, open the ports in the firewall and configure anything else that is required for remote desktop.
When you download the file and run it, it’ll ask for your permission to connect to the Internet to download all the setup files. Once you approve that and the program is installed, go ahead and run it.
It’s a very simple and straight-forward program. All you do is click Get Started and it will change a few settings on your PC so that the computer can accept incoming remote desktop connections. Once completed, it will show you a summary and give you the option to scan a QR code (if using a mobile device like an iPad), copy the info to the clipboard or save the connection as a file, which you can open on another computer.
Once you have the info you need, go ahead and close the window. It’s worth noting that if you want to connect to your computer from outside the local network, you’ll have to open the ports on the router manually and forward those ports to your PC. You’ll also have to setup dynamic DNS so that you can use a DNS name rather than your public IP address, which changes often, to connect. It’s definitely more complicated, but totally doable.
Setup Remote Desktop on Mac
Now that you are setup on the PC side, it’s time to get remote desktop installed on your Mac. You’ll want to go to the App Store and search for remote desktop. The first app should be Microsoft Remote Desktop.
Click the Get button and once downloaded, click the Open button. The main screen is just a couple of buttons across the top: New, Start, Edit, Preferences and Remote Resources.
Click on the New button to start a new remote desktop connection. Here you will type in all the information that was listed out on the PC when you setup remote desktop assistant.
Give your connection a name, type in the IP address under PC Name, configure a gateway if required and then type in the credentials for the remote PC. Note that the PC will need to have an account with a password in order for all this to work. If the account doesn’t have a password, you won’t be able to connect.
Also, to save the connection, you just have to press the red X button at the top left of the screen. For some odd reason, there is no Add and Save button on the dialog. However, once you click the X, you’ll see the new connection listed.
Click on it and then click on Start to connect to the remote PC. You’ll probably see a warning about the certificate not being verified, which is OK. Just click Continue to make the connection.
That’s about it! After a few moments, the PC desktop should load full screen onto your Mac. If you need to make any changes to the connection, just select it and click on Edit. Also, you can click on Preferences to add a gateway or to specify the display resolution manually. If you have any trouble, let us know in the comments. Enjoy!
Bonus: If you use Google Chrome a lot, you might be interested in knowing that you can access any PC (Linux, Mac, Windows) remotely using just the Chrome Remote Desktop extension from Google.