- Windows Virtual Desktop is a free service and can be used with your existing Microsoft 365 or Windows per user license. There are no additional license costs. Save on infrastructure and IT overhead by moving all your VDI into a managed service in the cloud. See Windows Virtual Desktop pricing.
- Clarifies Microsoft licensing policies for Windows Server Remote Desktop Services (RDS) and Microsoft desktop applications for use with Windows Server RDS. Related Resources Product Terms site.
Use Remote Desktop on your Windows, Android, or iOS device to connect to a Windows 10 PC from afar.
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services Licensing
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services RDS allows users to access centralized applications and workstations in the data center remotely. Microsoft RDS is the new expanded and renamed Microsoft Terminal Services. In this post I will document the implementation of RDS in my home lab using an ‘all-in-one’ configuration. VBoring Blog Series. Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10 includes Server Manager, Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-ins, consoles, Windows PowerShell cmdlets and providers, and command-line tools for managing roles and features that run on Windows Server. The commands shown in the article need to be run on the server, and the Group Policy settings that are specific to Remote Desktop Services need to be enabled for smart card-based sign-in. When the server requires card authentication, it should then know to forward the request to the client.
Windows Remote Desktop Service
Set up the PC you want to connect to so it allows remote connections:
Make sure you have Windows 10 Pro. To check, go to Start > Settings > System > About and look for Edition. For info on how to get it, go to Upgrade Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro.
When you're ready, select Start > Settings > System > Remote Desktop, and turn on Enable Remote Desktop.
Make note of the name of this PC under How to connect to this PC. You'll need this later.
Use Remote Desktop to connect to the PC you set up:
On your local Windows 10 PC: In the search box on the taskbar, type Remote Desktop Connection, and then select Remote Desktop Connection. In Remote Desktop Connection, type the name of the PC you want to connect to (from Step 1), and then select Connect.
On your Windows, Android, or iOS device: Open the Remote Desktop app (available for free from Microsoft Store, Google Play, and the Mac App Store), and add the name of the PC that you want to connect to (from Step 1). Select the remote PC name that you added, and then wait for the connection to complete.