Apple sells Apple Remote Desktop on the Mac App Store for $80, but you don’t have to spend any money to remotely connect to your Mac. There are free solutions — including one built into your Mac.
These solutions will let you access your Mac’s desktop remotely, whether you’re using another computer on the same local network, or you’re halfway around the world connecting to your Mac desktop from a tablet.
Ms Remote Desktop For Mac
We are a Microsoft partner who delivers a SAS app to 100’s of users via remote desktop and remote app. More than half of our users are on Mac’s and use Microsoft Remote Desktop. We have found Version 10 much harder to setup on users desktops because unlike the prior version where most of the information was in one place - now its spread. Get the Remote Desktop client. Follow these steps to get started with Remote Desktop on your Mac: Download the Microsoft Remote Desktop client from the Mac App Store.; Set up your PC to accept remote connections.
Screen Sharing
Your Mac contains a built-in Screen Sharing feature, which is essentially a VNC server with some extra features. This means that you can use standard VNC clients to control your Mac, and VNC clients are available for all platforms.
To enable screen sharing, click the Apple icon on the menu bar at the top of your screen and select System Preferences. Click the Sharing icon in the System Preferences window and enable the Screen Sharing checkbox.
This control panel will inform you how you can connect. If you have another Mac on the local network, you can open a Finder window, look in the Shared section of the sidebar, select the computer you want to control, and click Share Screen. If you don’t have a Mac or want to use another VNC client, you can connect to the IP address displayed here. Bear in mind that the IP address displayed above is likely an internal IP address where your Mac can be found on your local network, which means you can’t access it over the Internet without forwarding ports.
Click the Computer Settings button to set a password. If you don’t set up a password, you’ll have to agree to a confirmation dialog on the Mac every time you want to control it remotely.
Mac client for trello. If you have another Mac, you can set up Screen Sharing to work over the Internet without needing any other software. Open the System Preferences window, click the iCloud icon, check Use Back to My Mac, and go through the setup process. When you use another Mac and you’re logged into the same iCloud account, your other Mac will appear under the Shared section of the sidebar in Finder, and you can connect to its screen over the Internet.
If you want to connect to your Mac from anything that isn’t a Mac, you’ll need to forward ports to ensure the VNC is accessible. We don’t recommend this unless you know what you’re doing, as it’s more complicated and there are security concerns. If you want to connect over the Internet from another device, we recommend you use one of the below, easy-to-use alternatives to Screen Sharing.
TeamViewer
LogMeIn recently discontinued their free remote desktop access program, but TeamViewer is still around and offering this feature for free. TeamViewer is available for Mac, just as it’s available for Windows, Linux, iPad, iPhone, Android, and even Windows Phone.
Download your preferred TeamViewer client from TeamViewer’s Mac download page. TeamViewer offers a full version, but you can also download a TeamViewer Host application that runs as a system service and is optimized for 24/7 access. You can use TeamViewer in several different ways — set it up to be always listening with a password, or just fire it up on your Mac and use the temporary login details when you want to use it.
TeamViewer is especially convenient because you won’t have to forward ports or worry about other detailed server configuration issues.
Chrome Remote Desktop
RELATED:How to Use Google Chrome to Remotely Access Your Computer
If you already use Chrome, you may want to give the Google-created Chrome Remote Desktop extension a try. It works just like it does on Windows. Install the Chrome Remote Desktop extension in Chrome on your Mac, open it from the new tab page, and go through its setup process.
You’ll then be able to click the Share button to receive a temporary access code. Simply install the Chrome Remote Desktop extension in Chrome on another Mac, Windows, Linux, or Chrome OS computer and you’ll be able to connect to your Mac from the extension. You can also download the mobile apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android.
You can also choose to set up the extension so you can connect remotely with a more permanent password. This is ideal for accessing your Mac over the Internet.
As with TeamViewer, this is an extremely convenient way to access your Mac that doesn’t require the usual port forwarding and other configuration process.
Apple Remote Desktop is more of an enterprise application for managing multiple desktops, although this can be a bit confusing if you’re new to Macs and are looking for an equivalent to Windows Remote Desktop. You shouldn’t need to buy Apple Remote Desktop unless you want to centrally administer a network of Macs — Screen Sharing and the other free tools here should do everything you need.
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Apple App Store Remote Desktop
Today's technology has come a long way in closing the divide between Windows and Mac applications, especially in the enterprise. However, a gap still exists for some and requires a bridge to move between computing environments.
For Mac users, the stalwart tool has been the Microsoft Remote Desktop connection. Available now through the Mac App store, it allows users to remotely connect to a Windows desktop to access local files, applications, and network resources.
Note: If you want to access Microsoft Remote Desktop on a newer Mac running macOS Sierra, check out this article instead.
In order to get started with Microsoft Remote Desktop, you must begin by downloading it from the Mac App Store. Click the blue 'App Store' icon in your dock. Or, you can download it from our sister site Download.com here.
Once you've accessed the Mac App Store, use the search bar at the top right of the screen to search for 'Microsoft Remote Desktop.' The first search result should be what you're looking for. To begin the download, click the blue 'Get' button. This app is free, so no price will be listed.
Next, open the application by clicking through the grey 'Launchpad' icon and clicking on the Remote Desktop app icon. Or, you can use the searchlight feature by clicking the looking glass at the top right of your home screen, or by using the shortcut Command + Space Bar, and searching for 'Microsoft Remote Desktop.' Opening the app should look like this:
![App App](/uploads/1/2/6/0/126066049/157474627.png)
If you think you'll be frequently using this remote desktop connection, now would be a good time to set it in your dock. Right click (control + click) on the icon, mouse over 'Options,' and click 'Keep in Dock.' This will keep you from having to look for the icon every time you need to use it. Best ssh client for mac.
At this point you'll need to enable remote access on your target PC. For a Windows 8 machine, the fastest way to get this done is to search for 'Allow remote access to your computer' and click on that when it comes up. You may need an administrator password to complete this step. Under the 'System Properties' box you should see 'Remote Desktop' and the button labeled 'Allow remote connections to this computer' should be selected.
Next, you'll need to select the users who will be able to be accessed through the remote desktop connection. Now, search for 'System' and click it when it appears. Turn off hibernation and sleep settings for the target PC, as you won't be able to access it remotely if it falls asleep.
![Microsoft Remote Desktop Client For Mac App Store Microsoft Remote Desktop Client For Mac App Store](/uploads/1/2/6/0/126066049/320072804.jpg)
SEE: Software usage policy (Tech Pro Research)
While still in 'System,' it's a good time to go ahead and get your full PC name if you don't already have it, as you'll need it to set up the connection. Click on 'Computer name, domain, and workgroup settings' to find the full PC name and write it down. Enabling a Windows 7 computer is a little different, but you can find out how to do that here.
Head back to your Mac and click the 'New' button at the top left of the Microsoft Remote Desktop screen. You'll be prompted to fill in quite a few fields.
The first thing you'll need to input is the connection name. This is simply what you want to call the connection and it has no real bearing on the connection itself. For example, you could call it 'John's work computer,' or 'Jennifer's PC.'
Next, you'll need to input the PC name (the one you wrote down from earlier), or the IP address so your Mac knows where to find your PC. The next line down allows you to configure a Gateway, which would let you connect to virtual desktops or session-based desktops that are on your company's network. Check with your network administrator to see if there is a gateway you are to use.
Credentials is where you will type in the domain, username, and password for the target PC so you can log in through the remote connection. Resolution, colors, and full screen mode are all personal preferences for how you want the remote desktop to launch on your machine. If you're not sure, start with the standard settings and go from there.
If you want to configure peripheral devices for your remote desktop, you can find options for that under the middle tab, 'Session.'
The first choice is a drop-down menu for sound. You can disable sound, have it play on the remote PC, or have it play on your Mac. If you want to connect to an administrator session on a Windows server, click the box next to 'Connect to admin session.'
The next option to 'Forward printing devices' will make your local printers available during your remote desktop session. 'Swap mouse buttons' will allow you to use left click commands with a right-click Mac mouse.
The last tab at the top of the window is 'Redirection.' This is where you would choose a local folder you wanted to be available during your remote session. Gns3 client for windows. Click the '+' button, choose a name for the folder, and input the folder's path to have it available.
When you are finished configuring your remote desktop, click the red close button at the top left of the dialog box and your new remote desktop will be added. To start a session with that desktop, simply double-click it to begin.
If you want to edit, duplicate, export, or delete that remote connection, right-click (control + click) on the desktop name to access those options.
If you don't think Microsoft Remote Desktop is the option for you, here are some other options available at Download.com:
What do you think?
Is there a better way to access your Windows applications? Tell us in the comments.
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