Use Microsoft Remote Desktop in W10 Pro

If you’re running Windows 10 Pro, you can just as easily use Microsoft Remote Desktop to connect to another computer across your local network. To find out which version of Windows you’re using, click in the Windows search box and type about my PC. Select the first result, then scroll through the About pane until you come to ‘Windows specifications’. If the version shown on the Edition line is Windows 10 Pro, follow the instructions below to use its Remote Desktop tools.

Enable Remote 1 Desktop Click the Windows button, followed by the cog, to open Settings. Click System, then Remote Desktop (in the sidebar), and click the switch beside Enable Remote Desktop to On. Windows will warn you that this lets you and other authorised users connect to the PC remotely. Click Confirm to authorise the change, then make a note of your computer name, which you’ll find below these settings. Authorise users 2 Scroll down to ‘User accounts’ and click ‘Select users that can remotely access this PC’. It should list your Windows username (make a note of this) as being authorised for remote access – find it below the large white box on the pane.

If it’s not there, or you want to add further users, click Add then enter the relevant usernames in the box labelled ‘Enter the object names to select’ (see screenshot above). Click the Check Names button to make sure they’re valid and, assuming you haven’t specified any non-existent user accounts, click OK to return to the list of authorised users. Click OK for a second time. You’re now set up for remote access.

Connect to your PC 3 Download Microsoft Remote Desktop for Windows ( www. snipca.com/29370), IOS ( www.snipca. com/29372) or Android ( www.snipca. com/29373), depending on what you want to use to connect, then add your remote computer. The following instructions are for the ipad, but the principle is the same across all platforms.

With your PC turned on and connected to your local network, tap the ‘+’ at the top of the app, then Desktop, followed by PC name. Enter the computer name you noted in Step One, then tap Done. Now tap User Account, followed by Add User Account. Type the username you made a note of in Step Two and, below, your Windows password. Click Save to return to the previous box, then Save again to finish the set-up. Remote Desktop Connection will create a new thumbnail for your computer. Tap it to log on.