Remote Desktop is a native Windows feature. It was introduced in Windows XP and is still part of the latest Windows 11 operating system. Remote Desktop allows remote access or control over other systems from anywhere via Windows Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP).
By default, Remote Desktop feature is disabled in Windows 11. To use this feature, you have to enable Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) first.
Once RDP is enabled, users can easily connect their PC to other PCs to troubleshoot problems, access files, applications, network resources, and more.
Also read: How to Enable Group Policy Editor in Windows 11 Home
In this tutorial, we will share a step-by-step guide to enabling Remote Desktop in Windows 11, setting it up, and connecting to other devices.
- What is Remote Desktop on Windows 11 PC?
- Enabling Remote Desktop in Windows 11 Using Control Panel
- Enabling Remote Desktop in Windows 11 Using the Settings App
- Enabling Remote Desktop in Windows 11 Using PowerShell
- Enabling Remote Desktop in Windows 11 Using Command Prompt
What is Remote Desktop on Windows 11 PC?
Remote Desktop Connection allows you to connect and control other PCs or devices connected to the same local network. This feature extends to computers connected to the internet or outside of your network as well. Remote Desktop allows remote access to a computer or server and allows control over it – including peripherals such as a keyboard and mouse.
Once you enable remote desktop, you can use Windows client application ‘Remote Desktop Connection’ to establish remote connection with Windows PC or Windows Server using Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP).
Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is a Windows-specific connection protocol developed by Microsoft. This facilitates linking engines that mutually support the RDS protocol. You need two elements for two machines to connect via RDP – RDP server and RDP client. The RDP client is the computer or device that you are trying to connect to and the RDP server is the computer or server that you want to connect to.
As previously mentioned, Remote Desktop Protocol is available in almost every version of Windows. Meaning, you can connect your Windows 11 PC to Windows 8 and 8.1, Windows 7, and Windows 10, and vice versa.
However, Remote Desktop is only available on Windows 11 Pro, Education, or Interprise, and full access to RDP is denied if you have a Windows 11 Home edition. However, Windows 11 Home can still be used as a client to connect to other PCs, but not the other way around.
How to quickly enable Windows 11 Remote Desktop: open control panel > open System and Security > click Allow Remote Access > on tab Remote
select Allow Remote Assistance Connections to this computer > click OK.
1. Enabling Remote Desktop in Windows 11 Using Control Panel
You can enable Remote Desktop in Windows 11 using Control Panel. To enable Remote Desktop Connection in Windows 11 using Control Panel, follow the steps given below.
- In the Start Menu, find Control Panel and open it.
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Go to the System and Security section. Under the System section, you will see an option called Allow Remote Access. Click on this option.
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Then you will be taken to the Remote tab in the System Properties window.
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Here under Remote Desktop select Allow Remote Assistance Connections to this computer and check the box under it.
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After doing so, click Apply and then click OK to enable Remote Desktop connection.
2. Enabling Remote Desktop in Windows 11 Using the Settings App
You can also enable Remote Desktop in Windows 11 using the Settings App menu. To enable Remote Desktop Connection in Windows 11 using Settings, follow the steps given below-
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Open your PC’s Settings app by pressing the key combination Windows+i.
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Now, select the System tab on the left sidebar of the Settings page. Then, scroll and click the Remote Desktop option in the right pane.
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Next, click to slide the switch to ON, to enable the Remote Desktop feature.
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You will then receive a confirmation pop-up. Click Confirm to continue activation.
This will enable Remote Desktop, and you will be able to use it without any problems on your PC. You will get Remote Desktop Port and PC name on this page, by which you can connect to your PC remotely.
3. Enabling Remote Desktop in Windows 11 Using PowerShell
Another way to enable Remote Desktop in Windows 11 is to use PowerShell. To enable Remote Desktop connection via PowerShell, follow the steps given below.
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Type PowerShell in the Windows search field, and select the Run as administrator option under the search results on the right.
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Then, type or copy and paste the following command in the PowerShell window and press Enter.
- To enable Remote Desktop via Windows Firewall (optional), enter the command below and press Enter.
You should now be able to access the remote computer even with the firewall enabled.
Also read: Best TeamViewer Substitute Apps
4. Enabling Remote Desktop in Windows 11 Using Command Prompt
You can also use Command Prompt to enable Remote Desktop connection in Windows 11. To enable Remote Desktop connection using Command Prompt, follow the steps given below-
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Click the Start menu, type cmd in the search bar, and select Run as Administrator under the Command Prompt search results on the right. If prompted by the User Access Control (UAC) dialog, click Yes to continue.
- Now in the Command Prompt, type the following command and run it:
- You can run the following command to allow Remote Desktop through Windows Firewall (optional):
These steps will enable Remote Desktop connection in Windows 11 using the command prompt.
Remote Desktop Connections is a useful feature available in Windows 11. To enable this feature on your PC, you can follow the steps mentioned in this article.
That’s the tutorial on how to activate remote desktop in Windows 11. Hopefully this article is useful for you. Thank you for visiting and sharing with your friends.
