Windows 7 Remote Desktop

If your PC is in a corporate environment, your IT helpdesk might be able to use Windows Remote Desktop or a similar system to gain access to your computer. You might consider it slightly disconcerting to see the pointer moving around the screen apparently on its own, but this is a good way for an organization to provide support and reduce overall costs.

Before beginning a remote help session, make sure that your PC is on. If you want to set up a remote desktop connection to another PC, you can access Remote Desktop by typing remote in the Start menu search box and selecting Remote Desktop Connection from the results that appear.

The PC you want to connect to must be on your network or virtual private network (VPN), and you will need to know its name on the system to connect. Some organizations use Remote Desktop across the Internet to provide support for customers, although others may use Remote Assistance.

The target PC will also need to be configured to receive Remote Desktop connections. These settings can be found in Control Panel by clicking System And Security, clicking System, and then clicking the Advanced System Settings link. The options to allow remote connections can be found on the Remote tab of the dialog box that appears.

You might need to allow Remote Desktop through your firewall. You can access Windows Firewall settings from the Control Panel by clicking System And Security, and then clicking Windows Firewall. Click Allow A Program Or Feature Through Windows Firewall to allow Remote Desktop.

If Remote Desktop is unable to verify the identity of the computer when you try to connect to a remote PC, a warning appears. This will happen if Windows suspects that connecting to this PC could pose a security risk to your system.

Once connected, the person who initiated the Remote Desktop connection has full access to your PC to remotely diagnose any problems.


Third-party firewalls can block Remote Desktop or Windows Remote Assistance attempts to connect to your PC. You can temporarily disable the firewall to allow connection if required. If you are using the Windows 7 built-in firewall, it is already correctly configured for remote help and won’t give you any problems.

By default, most routers allow a Remote Desktop connection across the Internet. If you cannot connect, however, you may have to log in to your router and change certain router settings, such as opening a connection port or permitting Remote Desktop. You should consult your router manual or help document for details on how to do this.

Source of Information :  Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out