Configuring Windows 7 or Vista to Act as a Remote Desktop Host

If the host machine is running the Business, Enterprise, or Ultimate version of Windows 7 or Windows Vista, you have to do three things to prepare the computer for its Remote Desktop hosting duties:

• Disable automatic sleep mode.
• Allow Remote Desktop through the Windows Firewall.
• Activate the Remote Desktop service.

Disabling Automatic Sleep Mode

By default, most Windows 7 and Vista machines are configured to go into sleep mode after 1 hour of inactivity. Sleep is a low-power mode that turns everything off except power to the memory chips, which store the current desktop configuration. When you turn the machine back on, the desktop and your open programs and documents appear within a few seconds. However, remote clients won't be able to connect to the host if it's in sleep mode, so you have to disable this feature.

Note All we're doing here is disabling the feature that puts your computer into sleep mode automatically after a period of inactivity. If need be, you can still put the computer into sleep mode manually by selecting Start and clicking the Sleep button.

Here are the steps to follow:

1. Select Start, type power, and then click Power Options in the search results. The Power Options window appears.
2. Click the Change When the Computer Sleeps link. Windows opens the Edit Plan Settings window.
3. In the Put the Computer to Sleep list, select Never.
4. Click Save Changes.