Microsoft Remote Desktop: How to Access Windows From Your Mac

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Microsoft Remote Desktop: How to Access Windows From Your Mac

If you’re working from home and need to get remote access to a Windows 10 computer from your Mac, we have good news: it’s easy.

Microsoft offers a free tool to do the job. It lets you use your Windows apps, access files, or do anything else on Windows directly from your MacBook or other macOS machine.

Microsoft Remote Desktop requires Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise, or Windows Server. The software runs on Microsoft’s proprietary RDP protocol, which isn’t available on the standard Windows 10 Home Edition. If you need to connect to a PC running Home, one of the best remote access tools will help you out.

On your Windows 10 machine, open the Start menu and go to Settings → System → Remote Desktop. Set Enable Remote Desktop to On, and click Confirm when prompted.

Your PC needs to be on and awake for you to connect remotely. You might therefore want to activate the Keep my PC awake option. To do this, click Show settings alongside it and set Sleep to Never. You should probably only do this if you need constant remote access to the computer. If you don’t, then allowing it to sleep is wise.

Next, scroll down to User accounts. By default, the account you’re logged into will automatically have remote access permissions. To allow other users to log in remotely, click Select users to add their usernames.

Finally, you need to grab a couple of pieces of info before you switch over to your Mac. On the same Remote Desktop menu, under How to connect to this PC, make a note of your PC name.

If the current name is generic and you’d like to make it something that’s easier to remember, switch to the About tab and click Rename this PC.

Next, you need to find your computer’s IP address on your network. Go to Settings → Network & Internet. Select Wi-Fi (or Ethernet if you using a wired connection), then click on the network you’re connected to.

This opens the network connection properties screen. Scroll to the bottom of the page and locate the IPv4 address in the list. Make a note of this number.

Now it’s time to set up remote access to Windows 10 from your Mac. First, install Microsoft Remote Desktop, available free in the Mac App Store. Microsoft also offers versions of the app for iOS and Android.

In the dialog box that opens, type in the PC Name that you checked earlier. If you find that you’re unable to connect with this name, use the IP address you made note of instead.

By default, User Account is set to Ask me every time. This means it will prompt you for a username and password each time you connect. If you don’t want this, click the dropdown list and select Add account.

Add your username in the format domain\. You can add your password as well if you want to use automatic login. Leave it blank and you’ll get a prompt to enter it each time.

That’s all you need to do to set up a connection. Click Save and you can connect. However, you might want to adjust a few other settings before you go any further.

Click Show More to change your settings. Here, you’re able to configure how your remote connection works:

In the General tab, add a Friendly Name to make a computer recognizable if you’ve got more than one connection set up.

Under the Display tab, click Fit session to window if you aren’t planning on using the remote connection in full screen mode. Also, set Optimize for Retina Displays if you’re working on a high-res monitor.

In the Sound tab, choose which computer should play sound (if either), and whether you want to be able to use your Mac’s microphone.

This allows you to make certain folders on your Mac accessible within your remote Windows session. You can access these folders through the Windows File Explorer, where you’ll find them under This PC. You can work with files stored on your Mac in a Windows app, or copy files between the machines.

It’s all contained within the remote session, however. Sharing a folder in this way does not make the folder accessible on the physical Windows computer.

You’re now ready to connect. Your PC must be turned on, awake, and connected to the same network as your Mac.

The Remote Desktop app will list your computer, with a thumbnail preview, under Saved Desktops. Double-click it to connect.

If you didn’t change the settings, you’ll need to enter your username and/or password now. Remember, the username must be in the format domain\. Click OK.

When you make an RDP connection from Mac to Windows, you’ll see a security warning relating to an unverified certificate. If you’re at home, or working on a small business network, you can click Continue and ignore the message. If you’re on a large network with public access, be wary about doing this.

When your Mac establishes the remote desktop connection, your Windows PC will lock and switch to the login screen. If anyone tries to use the PC, your remote session wil…