Windows XP’s Remote Desktop allows you to create a connection (also known as a session) to another computer. This means you are controlling the other computer’s desktop, resources, and files. Here’s an example. At your home computer the morning before you head to work, you leave three applications open: Paint, Microsoft Word, and Help and Support. You leave your home computer as is and simply turn off the monitor. You arrive at work. From your office you can now open Remote Desktop on your office computer, input the IP Address your ISP assigned to your home computer, and you should be able to connect to your home computer. If the initial connection is a success you will be prompted for a username and password. Input your home computer’s username and password and you will see your desktop running with the same three applications open, in the same environment. The computer you are connecting to is called the host, while the computer you’re using to connect to the host is called the guest.

Remote Desktop allows more than one user to have active sessions on a single computer. This means a user’s desktop state can be saved while another user logs on from a remote location. You are able to use applications, files, and network resources through a remote desktop session also. When a remote desktop connection attempt is made, the currently logged on user will receive a message and can choose to cancel the connection. If there is no intervention, then the computer is automatically locked.

In this lesson we will learn how to set up remote desktop on your computer as well as remote desktop to other computers.