Windows 7 / Getting Started

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Working with Remote Desktop

The Remote Desktop Connection application provides the means to connect to Windows Server 2008 for remote management. You need this application only when you want to access the server from your client machine, which may be the only option you have in some cases. The Remote Desktop Connection application is exceptionally useful because it lets you create a direct connection to the server. You can monitor events and manage the system directly, which reduces one potential cause of failure (making the remote connection every time you want to perform a task).

Remember: You must make any changes you want to the Remote Desktop Connection application configuration before you connect to the remote server. After you make the connection, you can't change the configuration. Consequently, it's always a good idea to create a complete configuration first, save it to disk, and then reopen it as needed for a particular server. Otherwise, you spend a lot of time reconfiguring Remote Desktop Connection every time you want to use it. Select Start → Programs → Accessories → Communications → Remote Desktop Connection to start the Remote Desktop Connection application. The following sections describe how to use this application.

Creating a connection

Before you can use the Remote Desktop Connection application, you need to set up Windows Server 2008 to provide Terminal Server connectivity.When the server is ready for a connection, you must configure Remote Desktop to make the connection. The following procedure helps you make the connection:

1. Start the application and click Options.
   The General tab shows the connection options.
2. Type the server name or select it from the drop-down list in the Computer field.
3. Type your account name on the server in the User Name field.
4. Type your password in the Password field.
   Make sure you use the password for your account on the remote system.
5. Type the name of the server in the Domain field when using a workgroup setup. If you're using a domain setup, type the name of the domain in the Domain field.
6. Optionally, check Save My Password if you want Remote Desktop to save your password for future use.
7. (Optional) Click Save As.
   You see the Save As dialog box. If you want to save this setup as the default connection, click Save. Otherwise, type a name for the setup in the File Name field and click Save. You can save as many setups as needed for the servers you want to access. Use the default setup for the server you access most often.
8. Click Connect.
   You see Remote Desktop performing all the required connection tasks. Eventually, you see the Remote Desktop window.

After you create the initial connection, Remote Desktop opens with the default connection already set up. If you want to use the default connection, all you need to do is click Connect When Remote Desktop starts. Otherwise, you can click Options, click Open, choose the connection you want to use from the Open dialog box, click Open in the Open dialog box, and, finally, click Connect to make the connection. You won't need to create a setup more than once if you save it to disk.

It's also possible to double-click the Remote Desktop Profile (RDP) file containing a connection in Windows Explorer to make the connection to the server, so you can simply place the RDP file on your Desktop to make the connection instantly accessible.

Setting the display

The display settings you use affect not only how much screen real estate you have for performing tasks but also performance. Using a larger screen size gives you more space to work. However, a larger screen size also requires more network bandwidth to transmit the data. Consequently, you must weigh the need to see as much as possible on the remote server against the performance requirements for your task.

The Remote Desktop Size slider lets you change the size of the window. The smallest size is 640 x 480 pixels, which is normally too small to work with a GUI system. If you want to use your entire display to work with Windows Server 2008, move the slider all the way to the right. The size changes to Full Screen, and the display takes up your entire display area. In fact, it looks like you're working directly at the remote console rather than using Remote Desktop.

Remember: If you want to continue working with your local system while managing the remote system, make sure that you check the Display the Connection Bar When in Full Screen Mode option. Otherwise, you may need to log out every time you want to regain access to the local system.

Performance isn't affected by just the size of the screen. Notice that you can also modify the number of colors that Remote Desktop displays. More colors translate into a better display but also reduce performance because Remote Desktop has to transfer more data for the additional colors. Because Windows Server 2008 lacks much in the way of a GUI, you experience a performance gain by setting the number of colors to 256 colors. In most cases, you won't even notice the difference in appearance, but you will notice the difference in performance.