This webpage is intended to help faculty and staff in the Mathematics Department who use Microsoft Windows to make a Remote Desktop connection to their office PC in order to work from home. For security reasons, Remote Desktop Access is restricted and special permission must be requested and approved before any user will be allowed to use Remote Desktop.
These instructions are for using the newer version 6 of the Remote Desktop Connection. If you have the older version 5, go here. The newer version has a torquise color and the older version is blue.
Failure to follow proper security procedures can and will result in access denial.
If you only have dial-up, you can adjust the connection options to Modem (See step 7 below).
Remote Desktop allows users to log into PCs from anywhere in the world and use that PC as if they were sitting right in front of the remote PC. Microsoft has setup some security by encrypting this connection, but some general precautions should be taken anyway. If the files you want to access are security sensitive, then keep this in mind when connecting from public access terminals or even a personal laptop. If other people around you can see your screen, then it's not secure.
| 1. | From the Start Menu, look in Programs or Programs\Communication for the shortcut and click on it. |  |
| 2. | You should see the basic screen. Enter the full name of your office PC and add a colon and the port number. (The port number will be given to you upon your request for Remote Desktop access.) |  |
| 3. | Click on the "Options >>" button to see the advanced view. From the General Tab, replace (pcname) with the name
of your PC. (When you make the request to the Administrator, this should be given to you). Then enter your username and
password. Be sure to set the Domain to Mathematics. You can click on the Connect button now or you can save these connection settings.
(This is recommended if you plan to regularly work from home.) You can also check the "Save my password", if you prefer, to make a connection
without typing your password everytime. Click on the Save As button and you can use the default name, Default.rdp, or change it to what you like. With a saved profile, you can click on the Open button and select your saved profile, then click on the Connect button to connect. (If you save the connection, the .rdp file is a plain text file and can be easily read. However, if you also saved the password, it is encrypted for security.) |
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| 4. | Click on the Display tab. You can adjust the screen size of your remote connection to be as small as you want or as large as the remote PC and your internet connection can handle. You can also adjust the color depth from 256 up to True Color (24bit). Be aware that a large screen size and high color resolution can make even a high-speed connection seem slow. That's because it requires more data to be constantly sent over the internet to update changes to the display. I recommend a screen size setting to be the same or one just below the one you are connecting from and set the color resolution to High Color (16bit) or 256 Colors. |  |
| 5. | Click on the Local Resources tab. I recommend changing the sound setting to "Leave at remote computer". If you use certain keyboard shortcuts and they don't work when you are using the remote desktop, change the keyboard setting to "On the remote computer". For Local Devices, I'd suggest unselecting all 3 options, especially, since the PC you are using to connect may not have the correct printer drivers installed. Instead, if you need to print something and have it immediately, save the file to your Y: drive and then use SFTP to copy the file to your local PC. Although if access to network drives (such as the Office O: drive) is missing, then disconnect and select that option and reconnect. Don't forget to save the profile before connecting, if you want the saved profile to always have this ability. (To connect using SFTP, see an example here) |  |
| 6. | The Programs tab can be skipped. This is an advanced option that allows you to run a particular program when logging in remotely. | |
| 7. | Click on the Experience tab. Change the connection speed setting to Modem (28.8 Kbps) for maximum performance. Other settings will allow more visual bells and whistles, but take more time to send across the connection, which results in slower performance. |  |
| 8. | You may want to click on the General tab and click on the Save As... button to save the settings for this connection. You will be prompted for a filename. I recommend using the name of the PC. |  |
After you connect, you will be logged into your remote PC. To disconnect, click on the Start button and choose Log Off. If you disconnect instead, your office PC will still be logged in, but you will loose connection to it remotely. If you are asked to confirm the disconnect, do so. If you close the remote connection window from the upper right X button, you will be told that this will leave you logged onto the remote PC. If you choose to do so, then you can reconnect later either remotely or locally. The PC will still be logged in, but locked. Only you or the administrator can unlock it, just like when the screen saver locks the PC normally.