For increased
performance, especially over slower Internet connections, you can reduce the
amount of data traveling over the wire by disabling such options as background
pictures, Windows themes and menu animations.
To
download the remote desktop client for use on non-XP machines, go to www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/rdclientdl.asp
To access your remote
desktop through the remote desktop web connect, simply type 'https://(ip address
of your home computer)/tsweb' to bring up the web connect dialog
screen.
Click 'connect' to begin the
session and enter your username and password. Note that it is not necessary to
put any information in the 'server' box for the purposes of this guide. The
interface is functionally identical, however you do not have the options that
you possess with the remote desktop client, both in terms of setting parameters
for the connection and optimizing it.
Once you are
connected with either method, you can work as if you were seated in front
of the remote computer. The only exceptions to this are applications or games that
require 3D acceleration. These will generally refuse to start on a remote desktop
connection. If you wish to cut and paste the contents of documents between
the computers, you can do this as normal. If you are using an XP computer
and the remote desktop client, you can also copy files by copying and
pasting them to the desktop of your client computer, or by opening the
client's local drives on the remote computer if you have enabled this
option.
Logging off from remote desktop will end your
session, but leave any programs on the remote desktop still active. As remote
desktop only allows a single user to be logged in, your home computer will lock
itself (requiring the user to enter the password to re-enter Windows) as soon as
a remote user connects. Unlocking the desktop from the local computer will cause
the remote desktop session to be disconnected instantly.
By now you should have
everything you need to be up and running with either VNC or Windows XP remote
desktop. For anyone who uses computers regularly outside the home, these are
useful tools. Now you can essentially carry your entire desktop in your back
pocket!
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