Using Remote Desktop

Windows servers and clients support two types of remote Desktop control without the use of third-party applications: Remote Desktop (RD) and Remote Assistance. Both are addressed in this chapter. In this section you'll learn about RD and how it is enabled and utilized.

Enabling Remote Desktop

The first thing you should understand is the difference between what Microsoft calls Remote Desktop and Remote Desktop Services. RD is a feature built into Windows servers and clients that allows administrators to connect to the machine and manage it from a remote client using the Remote Desktop Client software. RD does not require additional licensing; it is intended only for support purposes and not for the running of applications from remote computers. It uses the same Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) as Remote Desktop Services, but it is much simpler to enable and configure. Remote Desktop Services is a larger-scaled infrastructure solution, running only on Windows Server operating systems, and is beyond the scope of this book.