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Setting up Remote Desktop Connection (RDP) with RDGateway is the most common way to achieve this, and the setup process is very simple to connect from one Windows PC to another: Your IT provider can send you a RDP shortcut which you open on your home PC to connect into your work PC. Microsoft Remote Desktop (RDP) for Mac is a useful way to work with Windows apps and resources. Even though you’re operating macOS, you can still access PC-style desktops from your MacBook, iMac, or Mac Mini. You can use RDP for Mac on any computer using macOS 10.10 or newer.
- Windows Remote Desktop for Mac uses Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Protocol, built into Windows 10, to display your Windows desktop on your macOS screen. You can run Windows apps, change settings, and share files and folders between your Mac and Windows devices.
- CoRD: Simple RDP Remote Desktop Macs interact well with Windows, and with CoRD the experience is a bit smoother. Great for working on the office terminal server, administrating servers or any other time you'd like your PC to be a bit closer without leaving your Mac.
- Use Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac to connect to a remote PC or virtual apps and desktops made available by your admin. With Microsoft Remote Desktop, you can be productive no matter where you are.
Sharing your screen remotely is a convenient way to access another computer as if you’re sitting in front of it. OS X and Windows have this ability built right into them, meaning you can easily share your Mac’s screen with Windows PCs, and vice versa.
Connecting to Windows PC Clients from a Mac
To connect to a Windows PC, you must first turn on remote connections. Open the System Properties and click the “Remote” tab, then make sure “Allow remote connections to this computer” is enabled.
You also want to make sure you install the Microsoft Remote Desktop client on your Mac. It is available in the App Store.
Remote Desktop will be installed in your Mac’s Application’s folder. In our example, we’ve already set up a user profile, which is ready for action. Let’s take a moment, however, to click “Edit” and show you what’s involved.
Next to “Connection name” we give it a friendly name while the “PC name” is either the name we gave our target PC or its IP address.
We don’t worry about configuring a gateway because we’re connecting to our PC within our local network. Also, if you do not want to enter your user name and password every time you connect, you can add them to the “Credentials.” Not entering any credentials means that when you connect to your Windows machine, you will need to log into an account.
If you want to know what your PC’s name and/or IP address is, you need to check. Use the keyboard shortcut “Windows + R” and then type “cmd” to open a command prompt. In the command prompt, type “ipconfig” and hit “Return.” You want to use the IPv4 address it gives you.
If you can’t remember what you named your computer, you can find that information on the “System” control panel.
The rest of the Remote Desktop connection’s settings concern resolution, colors, and full screen options.
When you connect to a new client, you’ll likely see a Verify Certificate dialog. Click “Continue” to connect.
If you don’t want to see this warning dialog in the future, click “Show Certificate” and then check the “Always trust …” option as shown below.
To confirm changes to your certificate trust settings, you will need to enter your system password.
Remember, if you didn’t previously enter anything in the connection credentials, you will see the login screen when you first connect. Once you’ve successfully connected to your Windows PC from your Mac, your Windows desktop will appear.
As we mentioned, being able to connect to a Windows machine is a pleasant convenience. For example, your Windows PC may be a super beefy machine you use to do compiling or rendering. You can use remote desktop to check on a job’s progress or start tasks without actually being physically at the machine.
Connecting to a Mac from a Windows PC
Connecting to a Mac from a Windows PC is a little different. You’re not going to be able to use Remote Desktop, but that’s okay because there’s a free client called RealVNC viewer that does the trick nicely.
Just like with Windows, you first have to set up your Mac for screen sharing. Open the “Sharing” preference panel and check the box next to “Screen Sharing.”
Click “Computer Settings…” and make sure “VNC viewers may control screen with password” is checked. Then enter a simple password.
The VNC Viewer requires installation, but you don’t have to sign up for an account to use it.
Recall from the earlier screenshot that our Mac’s screen can be accessed at 192.168.0.118 or Matt-Air.local. If you’re unsure how to access your Mac, go back to your Sharing preferences and double-check the information on the Screen Sharing settings.
We enter “192.168.0.118” in our VNC client and leave the encryption as it is.
We return to our connection and click the “Connect” button. An authentication box will appear where you will need to enter the simple password you created in the Sharing preferences on your Mac.
When you connect to the target Mac, you will also need to log into a (presumably yours) user account, just like we had to do with Windows (if we didn’t supply our credentials).
Once logged in, your Mac desktop will now appear in the VNC Viewer window in the same state as you left it.
If you mouse to the top-middle of the window, you can spawn extra controls, which when you hover will give you a tooltip explaining what each one does.
You’ll find handy shortcuts to close and save the connection, as well as to change options, and a full-screen button so your shared desktop fills the screen.
On the Mac side of things, a Screen Sharing icon will appear in the menu bar. This lets you quickly and easily access the Screen Sharing preferences or disconnect clients.
It’s important to remember that sharing a computer screen is really only suited for short bits of work. If you were trying to remotely repair something or show another user how to do something, it’s ideal, but to get any meaningful work done, not so much. You will always experience a little bit of lag and stutter, and there’s not a whole lot you can do about that.
Like we said, however, it’s not intended for heavy-duty work. Keep in mind also, we’re only sharing our screens locally, which means that if you leave the house, say to go get coffee, and you realize you need to connect to a machine at home, you’ll need to know how to connect to it through your router.
The MicrosoftRemote Desktop Connection version 10 program in Macintosh OS offers many advanced features that can enhance your experience with remotedesktop.sou.edu or virtuallab.sou.edu
All of these settings are available when setting up the initial connection to remotedesktop or virtuallab, or you can modify them later by clicking on the Edit icon on the saved connection icon after starting Remote Desktop Connection.
Display Settings
Click on the Display tab to access display settings. An important setting is the ‘Use All Monitor’ setting, if you are using multiple displays the default setting is to use all monitors available. I have found it to be better to use just one, but that is a matter of preference. Here is where you make the adjustment.
If you are using a modern Apple computer with a high-resolution Retina display, you may want to enable the option to Optimize for Retina displays to ensure the best viewing experience.
Mac Rdp Into Windows
Devices & Audio
Click on the Devices & Audio tab and then use the checkboxes to tell the Remote Desktop client whether you want to share your local printers, smart cards, clipboard, and microphone with the remote Windows computer. If you share your printers, you can print from the Windows environment and have it use your local printer. If you share your clipboard, you can copy and paste text (but not files--see the next section for how to share files) between your Mac and the Windows computer. If you share your microphone, you can make it available to the Windows computer if you need it.
Free Windows Mac Theme
Folders
To share a folder on your Mac with the Windows computer to enable file transfer between the systems, click on the Folders tab, then click the checkbox to Redirect folders, and then use the plus button to add folders for redirection. If you want to share an entire drive with the remote session, such as your Mac's hard drive or an attached USB flash drive, you can select the root of the drive when you are asked to browse for a folder.
Windows Mac Address
If you have multiple connections listed, as in the example above, you can set the preferences individually for each connection independently from each other.
Windows Mac Docking Station
For more information click here Microsoft Remote Desktop