Enable windows remote desktop windows 10

Use Remote Desktop on your Windows, Android, or iOS device to connect to a Windows 10 PC from afar. Here’s how to set up your PC to allow remote connections and then connect to the PC you set up.

Note: While a Remote Desktop server (as in, the PC that you are connecting to) needs to be running a Pro edition of Windows, a client machine (the device you are connecting from) can be running any edition of Windows (Pro or Home), or even a different operating system altogether.

1. Set up the PC you want to connect to so it allows remote connections:

   • Make sure you have Windows 11 Pro. To check this, select Start  , and open Settings  . Then, under System , select About , and under Windows specifications, look for Edition. For info on how to get Windows 11 Pro, go to Upgrade Windows Home to Windows Pro.

   • When you’re ready, select Start  , and open Settings  . Then, under System , select Remote Desktop, set Remote Desktop to On, and then select Confirm.

   • Make note of the name of this PC under PC name. You’ll need this later.

2. Use Remote Desktop to connect to the PC you set up:

   • On your local Windows PC: In the search box on the taskbar, type Remote Desktop Connection, and then select Remote Desktop Connection. In Remote Desktop Connection, type the name of the PC you want to connect to (from Step 1), and then select Connect.

   • On your Windows, Android, or iOS device: Open the Remote Desktop app (available for free from Microsoft Store, Google Play, and the Mac App Store), and add the name of the PC that you want to connect to (from Step 1).  Select the remote PC name that you added, and then wait for the connection to complete.

1. Set up the PC you want to connect to so it allows remote connections:

   • Make sure you have Windows 10 Pro. To check this, go to Start  > Settings  > System > About and look for Edition. For info on how to get Windows 10 Pro, go to Upgrade Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro.

   • When you’re ready, select Start > Settings  > System > Remote Desktop, and turn on Enable Remote Desktop.

   • Make note of the name of this PC under How to connect to this PC. You’ll need this later.

2. Use Remote Desktop to connect to the PC you set up:

   • On your local Windows PC: In the search box on the taskbar, type Remote Desktop Connection, and then select Remote Desktop Connection. In Remote Desktop Connection, type the name of the PC you want to connect to (from Step 1), and then select Connect.

   • On your Windows, Android, or iOS device: Open the Remote Desktop app (available for free from Microsoft Store, Google Play, and the Mac App Store), and add the name of the PC that you want to connect to (from Step 1).  Select the remote PC name that you added, and then wait for the connection to complete.

Enable Remote Desktop

Используйте удаленный рабочий стол на устройстве с Windows, Android или iOS, чтобы дистанционно подключиться к компьютеру с Windows 10. Вот как настроить компьютер для разрешения удаленных подключений, а затем подключиться к настроенному компьютеру.

Примечание: В то время как сервер удаленного рабочего стола (например, компьютер, к которому вы подключаетесь) должен работать под управлением версии Windows Pro, клиентский компьютер (устройство, с которым вы подключаетесь) может работать под управлением любой версии Windows (Pro или Home). или даже другой операционной системы.

1. Включите удаленные подключения на компьютере, к которому требуется подключиться.

   • Убедитесь, что у вас установлена Windows 11 Pro. Чтобы проверить это, выберитеПуск и откройте Параметры  . Затем в разделе Система , выберите О системе и в разделе Характеристики Windows найдите Выпуск. Сведения о том, как получить Windows 11 Pro, см. в статьеОбновление Windows Home до Windows Pro.

   • Когда будете готовы, нажмитеПуск  и откройтеПараметры  . Затем в разделе Система выберите Удаленный рабочий стол, установите для параметра Удаленный рабочий стол значение Включить, затем выберитеПодтвердить.

   • Запишите имя этого компьютера в поле Имя компьютера. Оно понадобится позже.

2. Используйте удаленный рабочий стол для подключения к настроенному компьютеру.

   • На локальном компьютере с Windows: В поле поиска на панели задач введите Подключение к удаленному рабочему столу и выберите Подключение к удаленному рабочему столу. В окне «Подключение к удаленному рабочему столу» введите имя компьютера, к которому необходимо подключиться (из шага 1), а затем нажмите кнопку Подключиться.

   • На устройстве с Windows, Android или iOS: Откройте приложение «Удаленный рабочий стол» (можно скачать бесплатно в Microsoft Store, Google Play и Mac App Store) и добавьте имя компьютера, к которому вы хотите подключиться (см. шаг 1).  Выберите имя удаленного компьютера, которое вы добавили, и дождитесь завершения подключения.

1. Включите удаленные подключения на компьютере, к которому требуется подключиться.

   • Убедитесь, что у вас установлена Windows 10 Pro. Чтобы это проверить, перейдите в Пуск > Параметры  > Система > О системе и найдите Выпуск. Сведения о том, как получить Windows 10 Pro, см. в статье Обновление Windows 10 Домашняя до Windows 10 Pro.

   • Когда будете готовы, выберите Пуск > Параметры  > Система > Удаленный рабочий стол, и выберите Включить удаленный рабочий стол.

   • Запомните имя компьютера в разделе Как подключиться к этому ПК. Оно понадобится позже.

2. Используйте удаленный рабочий стол для подключения к настроенному компьютеру.

   • На локальном компьютере с Windows: В поле поиска на панели задач введите Подключение к удаленному рабочему столу и выберите Подключение к удаленному рабочему столу. В окне «Подключение к удаленному рабочему столу» введите имя компьютера, к которому необходимо подключиться (из шага 1), а затем нажмите кнопку Подключиться.

   • На устройстве с Windows, Android или iOS Откройте приложение «Удаленный рабочий стол» (можно скачать бесплатно в Microsoft Store, Google Play и Mac App Store) и добавьте имя компьютера, к которому вы хотите подключиться (см. шаг 1).  Выберите имя удаленного компьютера, которое вы добавили, и дождитесь завершения подключения.

Включить удаленный рабочий стол

*This article was updated to accommodate a guide for enabling Remote Desktop on Windows 11.

Microsoft Remote Desktop is most frequently used to provide technical support or control a computer remotely. It allows you to get full access to your Windows PC from another Windows, Mac, or Linux computer in order to transfer files, play video games, operate locally-attached peripherals, etc.

But before using Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to connect to a remote device, you should enable Remote Desktop first.

In this guide, we’ll explain how to allow remote desktop access to your computer using the Settings app in Windows 10/11 or the more traditional Control Panel.

Note: Remote Desktop is not available on Windows 10 and Windows 11 Home edition. Remote Desktop is only available for Pro and Enterprise versions. However, you could still use third-party solutions like Chrome Remote Desktop or Teamviewer to set up Remote Desktop on Windows 10/11 Home.

Enable RDP via System Settings in Windows 11

Let’s take a closer look at how to turn on RDP on Windows 11 with the help of the standard Settings app.

1. Open Start → Settings.
2. In the Settings window, select “System”. Then scroll down and click “Remote Desktop” on the right pane.

   

3. Click the toggle switch button to enable the Remote Desktop on your Windows 11 device. Confirm your action in the pop-up window.

   

Once done, your PC is set up to connect via RDP. To connect to the remote machine, you can use, for example, the new Remote Desktop app or classic Remote Desktop Connection.

Allow RDP connections on Windows 10 using Settings

Using the Settings app, follow the steps below to enable remote access on Windows 10:

1. Open Settings on a Windows 10 device and select “System”.

   

2. Click “Remote Desktop”.

3. Toggle the “Enable Remote Desktop” switch to “On”.

4. Hit “Confirm”.

   

Once you’ve allowed Remote Desktop on Windows 10, there will be two additionally enabled options:

• • Keep my PC awake for connection when it’s plugged in.
• • Make my PC discoverable on private networks to enable automatic connection from a remote device.

These settings ensure that users always can connect to the remote machine whenever they like.

If users go to the “Advanced settings” window, they’ll see extra advanced features, like the option to require computers to utilize “Network Level Authentication” when connecting remotely.

This ensures the connections are more secure by restricting access only to those who can authorize the connection with the network before they can access the device.

Users will also find the current Remote Desktop port on the “Advanced settings” page. This information is useful if the user ever needs to reconfigure a router to permit remote desktop access from outside of their network.

Note: By default, the port number is set to 3389.

Allow remote connections on Windows 10/11 using the Control Panel

Even though the Settings app is an easy option for enabling remote access, it can also be done using the Control Panel. Below you’ll find the instructions on how to enable remote desktop on Windows 10 or 11 via the Control Panel:

1. Open the Control Panel. The most optimal way would be to type in the query in the search box.

   

2. Select “System and Security”.

   

3. Under the “System” section, click “Allow remote access”.

   

4. The System Properties window will appear. In the Remote tab, check the box “Allow Remote Assistance connections to this computer” in the section Remote Assistance. Then, select “Allow remote connections to this computer” in the section Remote Desktop.

   

5. Hit “Apply” and then “OK”.

That’s it! Now, it will be possible to connect to this computer from a remote machine over RDP.

After turning on the remote desktop on Windows 10/11, it’s time to connect to the remote computer using the modern Remote Desktop application (recommended) or with the built-in Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) utility that comes with every Windows version.

If you would then need to disable Remote Desktop access to your Windows 10/11 device, then you should not experience any issues since you will need just to reverse the steps from this guide.

Note: Enabling RDP access in Windows 10/11 via the Control Panel, makes the “Network Level Authentication” option switched on by default (however, it is an option that users should keep on regardless).

Enabling RDP access through the Control Panel is available on previous Windows versions which will allow you to create a remote desktop connection from Windows 10 to Windows 7. However, the Settings app is only present in Windows 10 and 11.

Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) has been a feature of Windows since the XP Pro days. Here’s a look at using it in Windows 10 with the Remote Desktop app.

Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) has been a feature of Windows since the XP Pro days. It makes it easy to connect from one PC or device to another to retrieve files or provide PC support.

There are several free utilities out there that will get you set up with a remote connection. Some that come to mind are services such as join.me, TeamViewer, and Chrome Remote Desktop and are especially handy when connecting between different platforms. But if you’re in a pure Windows environment, here’s a look at how to enable the built-in RDP utility in Windows 10, which will allow you to connect to your Windows box remotely.

The Remote Desktop or RDP feature is disabled by default, so you will need to enable it in the settings. There are several ways to do this; let’s review the easiest.

1. 1. Open Settings
   2. Click System > Remote Desktop

1. 1. Click the toggle Enable Remote Desktop

1. Click Confirm when prompted.

   

Expert Note:

You can also enable Remote Desktop using the System Properties. Press the Windows Key and Type: advanced system. Click View advanced system settings.

Click the Remote tab and select Allow remote connections to this computer. Keep the box checked for Network Level Authentication for better security. Also, note that you will need to enable incoming remote connections on the PC you’re connecting.

Remote Into Your PC

You have a couple of choices when it comes to how you remotely connect to the other computer. You can use the traditional desktop app or the Remote Desktop universal app. For this, I’m connecting to my Windows Home Server on my home network. I’m also going to use the app that you can install from the Store. It’s more versatile and can be used on mobile platforms, including iOS and Android.

Tip: If you have many PCs and devices on your home network, a useful free utility to use is Advanced IP Scanner.

Launch the app and type a name for the PC or device, its hostname or IP address, and select Connect.

Next, enter the username and password used for the computer you’re connecting into. Also, if you’re going to remote into it often, check the box to remember your credentials.

If you get the following security message, click Go ahead and Connect and check the box not to remind you again. You know what you’re doing; no reason for Windows to be constantly nagging you.

There you have it. You can now start using the remote computer for configuration, remote support, or however you need to use it.

I should also mention that you can go to Settings > connection settings in the app and configure the appearance, devices and make other adjustments that work for you.

More About Remote Desktop Connections

If you’re running a previous version of Windows or looking to remote access your Windows PC from your smartphone or tablets, check out the articles linked below for more.

• How to Enable Remote Desktop in Windows 7
• Make Remote Desktop Connections Work Faster
• Enable Remote Desktop for Windows 8
• Using the Windows Phone Remote Desktop App
• Remote Desktop Into Windows from a Mobile Device

In this guide, you will learn how to enable Remote Desktop on Windows 10, 11, and Windows Server. I’ll also show you on to enable RDP using PowerShell and group policy.

Tip: Use a remote desktop connection manager to manage multiple remote desktop connections. You can organize your desktops and servers into groups for easy access.

Table of contents

• Enable Remote Desktop on Windows 10
• Enable Remote Desktop on Windows 11
• Enable Remote Desktop on Windows Server
• PowerShell Enable Remote Desktop
• Group Policy Configuration to allow RDP

In the diagram below, my admin workstation is PC1. I’m going to enable RDP on PC2, PC3, and Server1 so that I can remotely connect to them. RDP uses port TCP 3389. You can change the RDP listening port by modifying the registry.

In this example, I’m going to enable remote desktop on PC2 that is running windows 10.

Step 1. Enable Remote Desktop

Right click the start menu and select system.

Under related settings click on Remote desktop.

Click the slider button to enable remote desktop.

You will get a popup to confirm that you want to enable Remote desktop. Click confirm.

Next, Click on Advanced Settings.

Make sure “Require computers to use Network Level Authentication to connect” is selected.

This setting will force the user to authenticate before it will start a remote desktop session. This setting will enable a layer of security and prevent unauthorized remote connections.

Step 2. Select Users Accounts

The next step is to ensure only specific accounts can use RDP.

By default, only members of the local administrators group will be allowed to connect using remote desktop.

To add or remove user accounts click on “select users that can remotely access this PC”.

To add a user click the Add button and search for the username.

In this example, I’m going to add a user Adam A. Anderson.

Tip. I recommend creating a domain group to allow RDP access. This will make it easier to manage and audit RDP access.

That was the last step, remote desktop is now enabled.

Let’s test the connection.

From PC1 I open Remote Desktop Connection and enter PC2.

I am prompted to enter credentials.

Success!

I now have a remote desktop connection to PC2.

In the screenshot below you can see I’m connected via console to PC1 and I have a remote desktop connection open to PC2.

Enable Remote Desktop on Windows 11

In this example, I’ll enable remote desktop on my Windows 11 computer (PC3).

Step 1. Enable Remote Desktop

Click on search.

Enter “remote desktop” and click on “Remote desktop settings”

Click the slider to enable remote desktop. You will get a popup to confirm.

Click the down arrow and verify “Require devices to use Network Level Authentication to connect” is enabled.

Remote Desktop is now enabled. In the next step, you will select which users are allowed to use remote desktop.

Step 2. Remote Desktop Users

By default, only members of the local administrators group can use remote desktop. To add additional users follow these steps.

Click on “Remote Desktop users”

Click on add and search or enter a user to add. In this example, I’ll add the user adam.reed.

Now I’ll test if remote desktop is working.

From my workstation PC1 I’ll create a remote desktop connection to PC3 (windows 11).

Enter the password to connect.

The connection is good!

You can see in the screenshot below I’m on the console of PC1 and I have a remote desktop connection to PC3 that is running Windows 11.

Enable Remote Desktop on Windows Server

In this example, I’ll enable remote desktop on Windows Server 2022.

Step 1. Enable Remote Desktop.

Right click the start menu and select System.

On the settings screen under related settings click on “Remote desktop”.

Click the slider button to enable remote desktop.

You will get a popup to confirm that you want to enable Remote desktop. Click confirm.

Click on Advanced settings.

Make sure “Require computers to use Network level Authentication to connect” is enabled.

Remote desktop is now enabled, the next step is to select users that can remotely access the PC.

Step 2. Select User accounts

By default, only members of the local administrators group will be allowed to connect using remote desktop.

To add additional users click on click on “select users that can remotely access this pc”.

Next, click add then enter or search for users to add. In this example, I’ll add the user robert.allen. Click ok.

Now I’ll test if remote desktop is working on my Windows 2022 server.

From my workstation (pc2) I open the remote desktop connection client and enter srv-vm1and click connect. Enter my username and password and click ok.

Awesome, it works!

I’ve established a remote session to my Windows 2022 server from my Windows 10 computer.

PowerShell Enable Remote Desktop

To enable Remote Desktop using PowerShell use the command below. This will enable RDP on the local computer.

Set-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server' -name "fDenyTSConnections" -value 0

You can use the below PowerShell command to check if remote desktop is enabled.

if ((Get-ItemProperty "hklm:\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server").fDenyTSConnections -eq 0) { write-host "RDP is Enabled" } else { write-host "RDP is NOT enabled" }

To enable remote desktop remotely you can use the invoke-command. This requires PS remoting to be enabled, check out my article on remote powershell for more details.

In this example, I’ll enable remote desktop on the remote computer PC2.

invoke-command -ComputerName pc2 -scriptblock {Set-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server' -name "fDenyTSConnections" -value 0} 

Group Policy Configuration to allow RDP

If you need to enable and manage the remote desktop settings on multiple computers then you should use Group Policy or intune.

Follow the steps below to create a new GPO.

Step 1. Create a new GPO

Open the group policy management console and right click the OU or root domain to create a new GPO.

In this example, I’m going to create a new GPO on my ADPPRO Computers OU, this OU has all my client computers.

Give the GPO a name.

Edit the GPO and browse to the following policy setting.

Computer Configuration -> Policies -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Remote Desktop Services -> Remote Desktop Session Host -> Connections;

Enable the policy setting -> Allow users to connect remotely by using Remote Desktop Services

That is the only policy setting that needs to be enabled to allow remote desktop

Step 2. Update Computer GPO

The GPO policies will auto refresh on remote computers every 90 minutes.

To manually update GPO on a computer run the gpupdate command.

When remote desktop is managed with group policy the settings will be greyed out. This will allow you to have consistent settings across all your computers. It will also prevent users or the helpdesk from modifying the settings.

That’s a wrap.

I just showed you several ways to enable remote desktop on Windows computers. If you are using Active Directory with domain joined computers then enabling RDP via group policy is the best option.

Related Articles

• 5 Best Remote Desktop Connection Managers