Remote Desktop with Windows XP Professional

To use Remote Desktop

With Remote Desktop, you can connect to your work computer from home and access all of your programs, files, and network resources as though you were actually sitting in front of your computer at work.

You need three things to create a remote location:

1.	Microsoft Windows XP Professional must be installed on the computer containing the files and programs that you want to access from a remote computer. The computer must also be part of a corporate network in which Remote Desktop connections are permitted. This computer is known as the host.
2.	The remote computer must be running Windows 95 or later. This computer must also have the Remote Desktop Connection client software installed. The remote computer is known as the client.
3.	Both computers must be connected to the Internet through a VPN connection. Note: If you're not connecting to the host computer through a VPN, you'll need to use the actual IP address of the host computer instead of the computer name.

To set up the Remote Desktop, start with the host computer, which in this example is your work computer.

1.	Verify that you are signed in as the administrator.
2.	Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Performance and Maintenance.
3.	Click System.
4.	Click the Remote tab, select the Allow users to connect remotely to this computer check box, and then click OK.

Next, make sure you have Windows Firewall set up to allow exceptions.

1.	In the Control Panel, click Security Center.
2.	Under Manage security settings for, click Windows Firewall.
3.	Make sure the Don't allow exceptions check box is not selected.
4.	Click the Exceptions tab, and verify that the Remote Desktop check box is selected.
5.	Click OK, and then close the Windows Security Center window. Your host computer is now set up to allow remote access. You will need the name of the host computer.
6.	In Control Panel, click Performance and Maintenance, click System, and then click the Computer Name tab.
7.	Write down the full computer name, and then click OK.
8.	Close Control Panel.
9.	Leave this computer running, locked, and connected to the corporate network with Internet access.

To start remote desktop