This article explains how to use Remote Desktop to access your Windows server’s desktop from anywhere in the world.

Please note that this article pertains only to customers who have a Windows server hosted with Liquid Web. Customers with Linux servers can learn how to use SSH to access their server.

On a normal Windows computer you have a keyboard, monitor, and mouse that allow you to interact with the machine.  For Windows servers hosted on the Internet things are a bit different because your server could physically be thousands of miles away.  To access the desktop of an Internet-hosted server Microsoft has created a feature known as Remote Desktop.

Supported Operating Systems

All Liquid Web Windows servers are capable of Remote Desktop.  However, not all client computers can use it.  Here is a list of operating systems known to be capable of communicating with your Windows server with Remote Desktop

• Microsoft Windows 2000 Clients and Servers
• Microsoft Windows XP Professional
• Microsoft Windows 2003 Server
• Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate and Business Editions
• Microsoft Windows 2008 Server
• Microsoft Windows 7
• Linux with the RDesktop application installed
  (http://www.rdesktop.org/)
• Mac OS X with a Remote Desktop client:
  (Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Client)
  (Open Source CoRD Client)

Remote Desktop from a Windows Computer

1. Click the Start button.
2. Click Run…
3. Type “mstsc” and press the Enter key.
4. Next to Computer: type in the IP address of your server
5. Click Connect.
6. If all goes well, you will see the Windows login prompt.

Remote Desktop from a Linux Computer with RDesktop

1. Open a command shell using xterm
2. Type ‘rdesktop’ at the command prompt to see if you have rdesktop installed
3. If rdesktop is installed, then proceed.  Otherwise, you will need to install the rdesktop package for your flavor of Linux.
4. Type ‘rdesktop’ followed by your server’s IP address.  Then press Enter.
   • Example:
     $ rdesktop 72.52.246.40
5. If all goes well, you will see the Windows login prompt.

Remote Desktop from Mac OS X

1. Using the Microsoft RDP Tool:
• Download and install the Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac here.
• When you open the application you will be prompted for the “Computer:” you would like to connect to. You can enter the server’s hostname or IP address.
• After you click Connect the client will ask for your user name and password. If it fails to connect you can try again inside the remote connection window.
2. Using CoRD:
• Download and install the CoRD application here.
• Open the application and click on the File menu, then New Server
• You will be presented with a window where you can specify information about the server you are connecting to.
• Enter the server’s hostname or IP address in the Address field.
• You can alter the other settings in this window if you wish but all you need to start the connection is the address.
• When you are finished making changes, press the enter/return key on your keyboard or simply close the new server window.
• Your new server profile will appear in the list to the left side of the application. Double click on it and you will start the connection to your server.

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Liquid Web’s Heroic Support is always available to assist customers with this or any other issue. If you need our assistance please contact us:
Toll Free 1.800.580.4985
International 517.322.0434
support@liquidweb.com
https://manage.liquidweb.com/

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