Remote Desktop Connection For The Mac

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Remote Desktop Connection from Windows to Mac. Ask Question Asked 6 days ago. Active 6 days ago. Viewed 25 times 1. I have a Mac Mini I use occasionally. I use RealVNC to connect to it remotely, from my Windows computer. VNC works well, but it lacks a few useful features. The two main features I'm missing is the ability to match the Mac's. Allow Apple Remote Desktop to access your Mac Use Remote Management in Sharing preferences to allow others to access your computer using Apple Remote Desktop. On your Mac, choose Apple menu System Preferences, click Sharing, then select the Remote Management checkbox. If prompted, select the tasks remote users are permitted to perform.

Applies To: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016

Remote Desktop Connection For The Mac

Downloading and Installing The Remote Desktop Connection Client. In order to access the Windows Virtual Computer Lab machines, you will need to download Microsoft Remote Desktop from the Mac App Store. (import from 8) Microsoft Remote Desktop 8.0; Microsoft Remote Desktop 10.0. Mac High Sierra 10.13.6 - I have been using Microsoft Remote Desktop to connect to a Windows 10 Pro computer through a VPN without issue until Friday August 7th, suddenly it refused to connect. Please help - I use this for work. 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. Apr 06, 2019 For Mac users, the stalwart tool has been the Microsoft Remote Desktop connection.

You can use the Remote Desktop client for Mac to work with Windows apps, resources, and desktops from your Mac computer. Use the following information to get started - and check out the FAQ if you have questions.

Note

  • Curious about the new releases for the macOS client? Check out What's new for Remote Desktop on Mac?
  • The Mac client runs on computers running macOS 10.10 and newer.
  • The information in this article applies primarily to the full version of the Mac client - the version available in the Mac AppStore. Test-drive new features by downloading our preview app here: beta client release notes.

Get the Remote Desktop client

Follow these steps to get started with Remote Desktop on your Mac:

  1. Download the Microsoft Remote Desktop client from the Mac App Store.
  2. Set up your PC to accept remote connections. (If you skip this step, you can't connect to your PC.)
  3. Add a Remote Desktop connection or a remote resource. You use a connection to connect directly to a Windows PC and a remote resource to use a RemoteApp program, session-based desktop, or a virtual desktop published on-premises using RemoteApp and Desktop Connections. This feature is typically available in corporate environments.

What about the Mac beta client?

We're testing new features on our preview channel on AppCenter. Want to check it out? Go to Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac and select Download. You don't need to create an account or sign into AppCenter to download the beta client.

If you already have the client, you can check for updates to ensure you have the latest version. In the beta client, select Microsoft Remote Desktop Beta at the top, and then select Check for updates.

Add a workspace

Subscribe to the feed your admin gave you to get the list of managed resources available to you on your macOS device.

To subscribe to a feed:

  1. Select Add feed on the main page to connect to the service and retrieve your resources.
  2. Enter the feed URL. This can be a URL or email address:
    • This URL is usually a Windows Virtual Desktop URL. Which one you use depends on which version of Windows Virtual Desktop you're using.
      • For Windows Virtual Desktop (classic), use https://rdweb.wvd.microsoft.com/api/feeddiscovery/webfeeddiscovery.aspx.
      • For Windows Virtual Desktop, use https://rdweb.wvd.microsoft.com/api/arm/feeddiscovery.
    • To use email, enter your email address. This tells the client to search for a URL associated with your email address if your admin configured the server that way.
  3. Select Subscribe.
  4. Sign in with your user account when prompted.

After you've signed in, you should see a list of available resources.

Once you've subscribed to a feed, the feed's content will update automatically on a regular basis. Resources may be added, changed, or removed based on changes made by your administrator.

Export and import connections

You can export a remote desktop connection definition and use it on a different device. Remote desktops are saved in separate RDP files.

To export an RDP file:

  1. In the Connection Center, right-click the remote desktop.
  2. Select Export.
  3. Browse to the location where you want to save the remote desktop RDP file.
  4. Select OK.

To import an RDP file:

  1. In the menu bar, select File > Import.
  2. Browse to the RDP file.
  3. Select Open.

Add a remote resource

Remote resources are RemoteApp programs, session-based desktops, and virtual desktops published using RemoteApp and Desktop Connections.

  • The URL displays the link to the RD Web Access server that gives you access to RemoteApp and Desktop Connections.
  • The configured RemoteApp and Desktop Connections are listed.

To add a remote resource:

  1. In the Connection Center select +, and then select Add Remote Resources.
  2. Enter information for the remote resource:
    • Feed URL - The URL of the RD Web Access server. You can also enter your corporate email account in this field – this tells the client to search for the RD Web Access Server associated with your email address.
    • User name - The user name to use for the RD Web Access server you are connecting to.
    • Password - The password to use for the RD Web Access server you are connecting to.
  3. Select Save.

The remote resources will be displayed in the Connection Center.

Connect to an RD Gateway to access internal assets

A Remote Desktop Gateway (RD Gateway) lets you connect to a remote computer on a corporate network from anywhere on the Internet. You can create and manage your gateways in the preferences of the app or while setting up a new desktop connection.

To set up a new gateway in preferences:

  1. In the Connection Center, select Preferences > Gateways.
  2. Select the + button at the bottom of the table Enter the following information:
    • Server name – The name of the computer you want to use as a gateway. This can be a Windows computer name, an Internet domain name, or an IP address. You can also add port information to the server name (for example: RDGateway:443 or 10.0.0.1:443).
    • User name - The user name and password to be used for the Remote Desktop gateway you are connecting to. You can also select Use connection credentials to use the same user name and password as those used for the remote desktop connection.

Manage your user accounts

When you connect to a desktop or remote resources, you can save the user accounts to select from again. You can manage your user accounts by using the Remote Desktop client.

To create a new user account:

  1. In the Connection Center, select Settings > Accounts.
  2. Select Add User Account.
  3. Enter the following information:
    • User Name - The name of the user to save for use with a remote connection. You can enter the user name in any of the following formats: user_name, domainuser_name, or user_name@domain.com.
    • Password - The password for the user you specified. Every user account that you want to save to use for remote connections needs to have a password associated with it.
    • Friendly Name - If you are using the same user account with different passwords, set a friendly name to distinguish those user accounts.
  4. Select Save, then select Settings.

Customize your display resolution

You can specify the display resolution for the remote desktop session.

  1. In the Connection Center, select Preferences.
  2. Select Resolution.
  3. Select +.
  4. Enter a resolution height and width, and then select OK.

To delete the resolution, select it, and then select -.

Displays have separate spaces

If you're running Mac OS X 10.9 and have disabled Displays have separate spaces in Mavericks (System Preferences > Mission Control), you need to configure this setting in the Remote Desktop client using the same option.

Drive redirection for remote resources

Drive redirection is supported for remote resources, so that you can save files created with a remote application locally to your Mac. The redirected folder is always your home directory displayed as a network drive in the remote session.

Note

In order to use this feature, the administrator needs to set the appropriate settings on the server.

Use a keyboard in a remote session

Mac keyboard layouts differ from the Windows keyboard layouts.

  • The Command key on the Mac keyboard equals the Windows key.
  • To perform actions that use the Command button on the Mac, you will need to use the control button in Windows (for example Copy = Ctrl+C).
  • The function keys can be activated in the session by pressing additionally the FN key (for example, FN+F1).
  • The Alt key to the right of the space bar on the Mac keyboard equals the Alt Gr/right Alt key in Windows.

By default, the remote session will use the same keyboard locale as the OS you're running the client on. (If your Mac is running an en-us OS, that will be used for the remote sessions as well.) If the OS keyboard locale is not used, check the keyboard setting on the remote PC and change it manually. See the Remote Desktop Client FAQ for more information about keyboards and locales.

Remote Desktop Connection For The Macbook

Support for Remote Desktop gateway pluggable authentication and authorization

Windows Server 2012 R2 introduced support for a new authentication method, Remote Desktop Gateway pluggable authentication and authorization, which provides more flexibility for custom authentication routines. You can now try this authentication model with the Mac client.

Important

Custom authentication and authorization models before Windows 8.1 aren't supported, although the article above discusses them.

To learn more about this feature, check out https://aka.ms/paa-sample.

Tip

Questions and comments are always welcome. However, please do NOT post a request for troubleshooting help by using the comment feature at the end of this article. Instead, go to the Remote Desktop client forum and start a new thread. Have a feature suggestion? Tell us in the client user voice forum.

Windows

Connecting to VCL

Users connecting from Windows 8.1 or Windows 10:please read this important note about authentication failures.

  • Start the Remote Desktop Connection software.
    • Go to; Start > Programs > Accessories > Remote Desktop Connection.
  • Login by putting the IP address from your current reservation information into the computer box. Click the Connect button.
    • The VCL reservation can be toggled between fullscreen and windowed mode by pressing Ctrl-Alt-Pause

Options

(To access the options tabs click the Options button before clicking the Connect button)

By selecting local devices and resources, you can select the different resources (such as printers, drives or your local computers clipboard) available from your machine to use within the remote connection.

NOTE: When connecting to Linux environments with xRDP, do not share printers as this will break drive sharing.

(Printers and Clipboard selected)

Clicking on More… allows local drives to be selected.

(More… highlighted)

(Drives – Local Disk (C:) and Drives that I plug in later selected)

Newer versions of windows will detect which type of network connection you are using, but older versions may require to manually select the network connection type.

Macintosh

Downloading and Installing The Remote Desktop Connection Client

In order to access the Windows Virtual Computer Lab machines, you will need to download Microsoft Remote Desktop from the Mac App Store.

(import from 8)

Note: A bug has been discovered when trying to connect to an HPC image from version 10 of Microsoft Remote Desktop from a Mac, if you are connecting to an HPC image from a Mac please use Remote Desktop Version 8.0.

Microsoft Remote Desktop For Mac Download Dmg

Connecting to VCL Without Access to Files on Your Computer

Use this method to quickly connect to the VCL computer without having access to files on your computer.

To connect to the VCL computer without having access to the files on your computer, you can simply click the Get RDP File button on the VCL website.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Download Mac

  • Your browser should prompt you to save the file
  • After saving, click the RDP file to connect to the VCL computer
    • If prompted, select to use Microsoft Remote Desktop, you will then be connected to the VCL computer and asked for the password that is given on the Connect page.

Connecting to VCL using Microsoft Remote Desktop 8.0

Use this method to connect to VCL with access to files on your computer on Microsoft Remote Desktop 8.0.

Open Microsoft Remote Desktop.

Click the New icon and fill in PC name, Username, and Password with information from the Connect dialog on the VCL website. Configure any other parameters you would like to set for your session that are on the General page.

Click the Redirection icon which will allow you to configure folders on your Mac to be accessible from the VCL computer after you log in to it.

Click the + at the bottom and select a Path on your system that you would like to share to the VCL computer. Sharing your Home space is a good idea.

Click OK to add it to the list of redirected folders. Ensure Enable folder redirection is checked.

Click the red circle to close the window and add the item to the list under My Desktops.

Double click the new item to connect to the VCL computer.

Begin Working

You’re now logged in to the remote VCL machine and ready to being using it. If you open Windows Explorer, you should see your folder listed under the Other section.

Connecting to VCL using Microsoft Remote Desktop 10.0

Use this method to connect to VCL with access to files on your computer on Microsoft Remote Desktop 10.0

Open Microsoft Remote Desktop 10.0

Click ‘Add desktop’

Enter in the IP address given on the Connect Dialog box from the VCL Website.

Click the Pen icon in the lower right to edit the settings of the remote connection.

In the ‘Edit Desktop’ dialog box, navigate to the ‘Local Resources‘ tab. Make sure that the ‘Folders’ check box is ticked.

Click the + in the lower left. This will take you to your finder, from there select the files and path you would like to share to the VCL computer.

Return to the ‘Desktops’ page and double click the icon to connect to the VCL computer. You will have to enter in the Username and Password given from the Connect dialog box on the VCL website.

Begin Working

You’re now logged in to the remote VCL machine and ready to being using it. If you open Windows Explorer, you should see your folder listed under the Other section.

Linux

Connecting to VCL

xfreerdp is a command line Remote Desktop client for Linux. It supports all features of RDP, including mapping local drives and printers to the remote computer. After installation it is invoked by typing the following into the shell: xfreerdp [options]

A full list of options are given by running xfreerdp --help, but a sample command line might look like the following example. Note that the arguments changed in version 1.1. Check what version you have using xfreerdp –version. Replace the <IP_Address> with the IP address provided in your VCL current reservation page.

xfreerdp

Place the following into your terminal based on the version on your machine. Replace <userid> with your username, <password> and <IP_Address> with the related password and IP address provided in the current reservation page.

(v1.1)

xfreerdp /size:1024×768 /bpp:24 /sound:sys:alsa /drive:home,/home/<userid> /drive:root,/ +compression /cert-ignore +clipboard /u:<userid> /p:<password> /v:IP_Address

(v1.0)

xfreerdp -g 1024×768 -a 24 -o –plugin rdpdr –data disk:home:/home/<userid> –plugin rdpdr –data disk:root:/ -z –ignore-certificate –plugin cliprdr -u <userid> -p <password> <IP_Address>