With the use of Remote Desktop Web Connection for Windows XP, a user can access his computer remotely from a different unit through a local area connection (LAN) or the Internet. There is no longer any need for a user to download third-party software, because it is a default feature included in the OS. This is an ideal feature that lets you easily access your network or files as if you are really using your workstation. Remote desktop connections can also be used when asking for help from tech support. They can fix your computer even without being on-site.


•Access the “Internet Information Services” list on the host computer. The following procedures must be done on the host computer. Go to the Control Panel of your computer by clicking on the “Start” button and “Control Panel.” Select the “Add or Remove Programs” option, and then “Add/Remove Windows Components.” Look for the entry “Internet Information Services” and access its “Details.” Select “Subcomponents of World Wide Web Service.”
•Open the “Windows Components Wizard.” Tick the “Remote Desktop Web Connection” check-box and then hit “OK.” The “Windows Components Wizard” will be displayed on the screen. By clicking “Next,” you will go through the wizard and the local IIS web server will be installed together with the folder named “/tsweb” where the ActiveX controls and other components will be stored. Hit “Finish” once you are through.
•Access the properties of the /tsweb folder. Go to the “Internet Services Manager.” Under the “Default Web Site,” look for the “/tsweb” folder. Access its properties by right-clicking and selecting “Properties.” Go to the “Directory Security” tab and hit “Edit.” Tick the option for anonymous access by going to the “Authentication Methods.” Confirm the changes by clicking “OK” when you are done.
•Configure the remote PC access. On the remote PC you are using, go to “Control Panel” and select “Performance and Maintenance” in Category View, or double-click “System” in Classic View. Go to the “Remote” tab and tick the “Allow users to connect remotely to this computer” under the “Remote Desktop” heading. You will need a user account name and password to access the computer. To add users who should have remote access to the host PC, click “Select Remote Users,” otherwise apply the changes by clicking “Apply.”
•Connect to the host computer. When connecting, you will need to know the unique IP address of the host PC. Open a web browser and type in the URL: http://ipaddress:port/tsweb/. (Replace the text “ipaddress” and “port” with the actual IP address and port number.) When prompted to install Remote Desktop ActiveX control, just click “Yes.” Click “connect” to access the Remote Desktop Web Connection page. Input the username and password.



Closing the browser will also close the connection to the host PC, so simply close the web browser to end the connection to the host computer when you are through. Using remote desktop connection is useful in so many ways. It can be used as a virtualization tool when in a corporate setting. This way, you can work on your office computer even while at home or when traveling. It can also be used as a tool by tech support, when giving assistance to users who are not on-site.