Remote Desktop is a built in Windows XP Professional feature that allows you to connect to your computer from another (using Windows XP Professional, or the Remote Desktop Client standalone) and use it as if you were sitting in front of it.

Some common terms used throughout this guide:
• host - the computer you will be connecting to (a Windows XP Professional machine)
• client - the computer you will be connecting from (may or may not be a Windows XP Professional machine)

*Note: You must be a user with Administrator privelidges in order to enable Remote Desktop on a host machine.

Setting up the Host:

1) XP Default: Click Start, click Control Panel, click Performance and Maintenance, and then click the System icon. Classic: Click Start, click Settings, click Control Panel, then double-click the System icon.

2) On the Remote tab, select the 'Allow users to connect remotely to this computer' check box.

3) Click the Select Remote Users button and make sure your Windows account name is listed. You may add any additional users of the computer to this list to give them permission to access remotely as well, but only one connection may be active at a time.

4) Make sure your firewall software (if you have any) has port 3389 open for inbound/outbound connection. If you use Windows (with SP2) firewall, it will be automatically configured for you, unless you have Windows Firewall configured to allow no exceptions. To allow exceptions in Windows Firewall, in the Control Panel open the Security Center, click Windows Firewall and clear the check box next to 'Don't allow exceptions'.

*Note: Configuration instructions for firewalls are outside the scope of this guide. Please consult your particular program's website for instructions on how to enable ports.

5) Write down the IP address of your machine for use later. You can find the IP address of your machine by clicking Start, click Run, and type 'cmd' in the Run prompt. A black command prompt window will pop up. Type 'ipconfig', and write down the number after 'IP Address......'.

Setting up the Client (non-XP Professional):

*Note: If you are using XP Professional, please skip this section and continue with Setting up the Client (XP Professional)

There are two different ways to install the Remote Desktop Client software: off the Windows XP Professional CD, and downloading it off the Microsoft Website.

1a) Installation from cd:

i. Insert the Windows XP Professional compact disc into your CD-ROM drive.

ii. When the Welcome page appears, click Perform additional tasks, and then click Setup Remote Desktop Connection.

1b) Installation from Microsoft's Web Site:

i. Download from here. Double click the resulting file to begin installation.

3) The Remote Desktop Installation Program will launch. Follow the on screen directions.

4) Continue to Setting up the Client (XP Professional)

Setting up the Client (XP Professional):

1) XP Default: Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to Communications, then click Remote Desktop Connection. Classic: Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to Communications, then click Remote Desktop Connection.

2) The Remote Desktop Connection box will pop up. Type in the IP Address you wrote down earlier to connect to the host.

*Note: You can also use a university supplied Custom Hostname in the box, if you have one assigned to your machine. More details.

3) Press the connect button. The Remote Desktop client will begin a full screen load of the host computer. Log into the host just like you would if you were sitting at it. You can exit full screen mode and enter windowed mode by double clicking on the tab at the top.

4)To close the remote connection, just click the [x] on the tab in full screen mode, or the window in windowed mode. Windows will ask you to make certain you want to exit, and let you know that all the programs you had running will still be running when you log back in.