A remote PC is one a user can access remotely from another computer (or a mobile device) without sitting in front of it. To utilize another PC remotely, you’ll need to set up a remote network connection with it. Remote computing can be invaluable for IT troubleshooting and administration purposes. You can connect to a remote PC by opening Windows 10’s built-in Remote Desktop Connection accessory.
The Remote Desktop Connection accessory is in all Windows 10 editions. Although you can open that accessory in Windows 10 Home, you can only utilize Remote Desktop Connection for connecting to remote PCs as a local client in that platform edition. You can only enable Remote Desktop for host PCs within Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise. Thus, you’ll have to upgrade a Windows 10 Home PC to the Pro or Enterprise editions if you want to connect to it remotely with that platform’s RDC accessory.
There are plenty of third-party remote computing software packages for Windows 10 (known as remote controllers). However, Remote Desktop Connection is freely and readily available for Pro and Enterprise uses. When you remotely connect to another PC with that accessory, you’ll see a blue connection bar at the top of your desktop, like the one shown directly below, which includes options for minimizing the remote window, changing its size, and terminating a remote session. You can run software packages and open user files on the host computer from the client one you’ve connected to it with.
Do you fancy utilizing Windows 10’s Remote Desktop Connection accessory to enable remote access for your PC and connect to a host computer? If so, there are numerous ways you can open the RDC accessory. This is how to launch Remote Desktop Connection in Windows 10 with eight different methods.
Method 1. Open Remote Desktop Connection in Windows 10 by Searching
Step 1: To open the search tool in Windows 10, click the magnifying glass button on the left side of the taskbar.
Step 2: Enter the keyword Remote Desktop Connection to find the RDC accessory.
Step 3: Then click Remote Desktop Connection in your search tool to open the window directly below.
Method 2. Open Remote Desktop Connection in Windows 10 From the Start Menu
Step 1: To launch Remote Desktop Connection from the Start menu, you’ll need to click the “Start” button first.
Step 2: Scroll down the Start menu until you get to the Windows Accessories folder.
Step 3: Click Windows Accessories to expand it on the Start menu.
Step 4: Then select Remote Desktop Connection in the Windows Accessories folder.
Method 3. Open Remote Desktop Connection in Windows 10 from Run
Run is a very useful accessory with which you can open a wide variety of Windows 10 tools and features. You can also open Remote Desktop Connection with the Run accessory. This is how to open Remote Desktop Connection from Run.
Step 1: Press the Windows and X keyboard keys at the same time to bring up a Win + X menu.
Step 2: Click “Run” on the menu to open the window for that accessory.
Step 3: Next, type mstsc in Run’s Open box as in the screenshot directly below.
Step 4: Press Run’s “OK” button to open Remote Desktop Connection in Windows 10.
Method 4. Open Remote Desktop Connection in Windows 10 via Command Prompt
The Command Prompt is one of two command-line utilities in Windows 10. You can also open most of Windows 10’s built-in tools and accessories by entering commands for them in the Command Prompt. This is how you can open Remote Desktop from the Command Prompt.
Step 1: First, open Run as outlined within the previous method.
Step 2: Enter cmd in the Open text box.
Step 3: Click “OK” or hit Enter to open the Command Prompt.
Step 4: Type mstsc.exe within the Command Prompt as shown in the screenshot directly below.
Step 5: Press Enter to execute the command and launch Remote Desktop Connection.
Method 5. Open Remote Desktop Connection in Windows 10 via Windows PowerShell
PowerShell is the other command-line utility in Windows 10. That’s a slightly more advanced alternative to the Command Prompt. You can launch Remote Desktop Connection with PowerShell as follows.
Step 1: Press the Windows key and S at the same time to bring up the search tool.
Step 2: Input PowerShell within the search text box.
Step 3: Click Windows PowerShell to open that PowerShell in Windows 10.
Step 4: Enter the command mstsc.exe in PowerShell’s window.
Step 5: Then you can open Remote Desktop Connection by pressing the Enter keyboard key.
Method 6. Remote Desktop Connection Location in Windows 10
The Remote Desktop Connection location in Windows 10 is the Windows Accessories folder. So, you can open mstsc.exe and other accessories from that folder. This is how you can launch Remote Desktop Connection from Windows Accessories in File Explorer.
Step 1: First, open File Explorer, which has a handy Windows key + E hotkey.
Step 2: Next, click inside File Explorer’s folder bar and input this path: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories.
Step 3: Press the Enter key to open the entered folder path in File Explorer.
Step 4: Click Remote Desktop Connection in Windows Accessories to open it.
Method 7: Open Remote Desktop Connection With a Desktop Shortcut in Windows 10
You can also open Remote Desktop Connection with a handy desktop shortcut. However, you’ll need to set up that desktop shortcut first. Follow the steps below to add an RDC shortcut to the Windows 10 desktop.
Step 1: Right-click a space on your desktop and select “New” on the context menu that opens.
Step 2: To open the Create Shortcut window, select the “Shortcut” option.
Step 3: Type %windir%\system32\mstsc.exe within the location box, and click the “Next” option.
Step 4: Input Remote Desktop Connection within the shortcut name box.
Step 5: Press the “Finish” button to add the shortcut.
Now you’ll see a Remote Desktop Connection shortcut on the desktop. You can click that shortcut anytime to open the RDC accessory directly from the desktop. Clicking that shortcut is the quickest and most direct way to launch Remote Desktop Connection in Windows 10.
You can even add Remote Desktop Connection to the Windows 10 taskbar with that RDC desktop shortcut. To do so, left-click the Remote Desktop Connection.rdp desktop shortcut and hold the mouse button. Drag the RDC shortcut over the taskbar. Release the left mouse button when you see the “Pin to Taskbar” tooltip. Then you’ll see an RDC button on your taskbar you can click to open that accessory with.
Read More: How to Pin Shortcuts to Taskbar in Windows 10
Alternatively, you can add a Remote Desktop Connection tile to the Start menu with the shortcut. Right-click your RDC shortcut to select the “Pin to Start” option. Thereafter, you can open RDC by clicking its Remote Desktop Connection Start menu tile.
Method 8: Open Remote Desktop Connection With a Hotkey
When you have a desktop shortcut for RDC, you can assign a hotkey to it. Then you can open Remote Desktop Connection with a keyboard shortcut. This is how you can open RDC with a hotkey.
Step 1: Set up a desktop shortcut for RDC as outlined in the previous method.
Step 2: Right-click the Remote Desktop Connection shortcut on the desktop and select the “Properties” context menu option.
Step 3: Then click inside the Shortcut key box on the General tab shown directly below.
Step 4: Press the R key to set up a Ctrl + Alt + R hotkey.
Step 5: Click “Apply” to save the new shortcut settings.
Step 6: Select the “OK” option to close window.
Now you can press the Ctrl + Alt + R keyboard keys simultaneously to open Remote Desktop Connection. You can always open RDC with that key combination so long as you don’t delete the RDC shortcut on the desktop you assigned the hotkey to.
FAQs About Remote Desktop in Windows 10
How do you turn on Remote Desktop in Windows 10?<、h4>
Open Settings (press the Windows + I key combination), and select System there. Then click the Remote Desktop tab. Toggle on the “Enable Remote Desktop” option shown directly below.
Is Windows 10’s Remote Desktop Connection accessory better than alternative third-party remote desktop software?
Well, it probably isn’t better than all alternative third-party software for remote computing. Software like LogMeIn Pro might incorporate some more advanced features, but such features come at a price. There are also some decent freeware offerings, however, such as TeamViewer.
Do other Windows platforms have the Remote Desktop feature?
Yes, Windows platforms dating back to XP incorporate the Remote Desktop feature. You can open the same Remote Desktop Connection app in Windows XP.
Does the Windows Remote Desktop feature compromise PC security?
Yes, Remote Desktop Connection’s RDP protocol does have a few vulnerabilities hackers can exploit. One such vulnerability is known as BlueKeep, which Microsoft released a patch for.
Can I add an RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) file shortcut for RDC to the desktop?
You can add an RDP file to the desktop with the connection settings save options within Remote Desktop Connection. To do so, follow these steps for saving an RDP file to the Windows 10 desktop.
Step 1: First, open Remote Desktop Connection with any of the above methods.
Step 2: Click “Show Options” in Remote Desktop Connection to expand its window as in the shot directly below.
Step 3: Press the “Save As” button.
Step 4: Enter Remote Desktop Connection.rdp in the File Name box.
Step 5: Select Desktop to be the RDP location in Windows 10.
Step 6: Then click the “Save” button.
If you don’t enter any remote PC and user name details within RDC’s General tab before saving the file, the shortcut will simply open the Remote Desktop Connection window. However, you can enter remote address details for a PC to connect with and save those settings in the RDP file. Clicking the desktop RDP shortcut will then connect you with the remote PC as configured within the saved RDP file.
How can I fix Remote Desktop when it doesn’t work (connect)?
If you’ve correctly enabled Remote Desktop, but can’t utilize it, your firewall might be blocking it. Open the permission settings for Windows Firewall, and make sure you have both the “Private” and “Public” checkboxes for Remote Desktop selected there. Make sure the Remote Desktop Services and Remote Desktop Services UserMode Port Redirector services are both enabled and running. Many users have also reputedly fixed Remote Desktop by disabling Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6).
Conclusion
So, that’s how you can open Remote Desktop Connection in Windows 10. Establishing a desktop shortcut for it is probably the most direct and convenient method for opening RDC. However, it’s easy enough to open that accessory with any of the above methods. Whatever method you open RDC with, you’ll find Remote Desktop Connection to be an invaluable accessory for telecommuting. Even if you don’t need it for telecommuting, enabling Remote Desktop is a great way to link two home PCs.
