How to Troubleshoot a Remote Desktop

If you are attempting to access a PC computer using the Remote Desktop feature of the Windows operating system  but are receiving an error message about being unable to communicate with the remote computer, there are a few ways to troubleshoot the issue. The computer you are attempting to control may not have Remote Desktop enabled or could have a firewall blocking it from being accessed.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• PC running Windows XP or later

Establishing Communication

1. Step 1
   Open the Start menu and click on the "Run" button.
   
2. Step 2
   Type "cmd" into the text box and hit the "Enter" key. A command prompt window will now open.
   
3. Step 3
   Type "ping" followed by the exact IP address of the computer you are trying to remotely control. Then press "Enter" to ping the remote computer. If the ping data is returned successfully, then this confirms that your computer is capable of communicating with the remote system.
   

Enabling Remote Desktop

4. Step 1
   Open the Start menu on the computer you wish to connect to, right-click on "My Computer" and choose "Properties."
   
5. Step 2
   Go to the "Remote" tab at the top of the properties window.
   
6. Step 3
   Check the box next to "Allow users to connect remotely this computer."
   
7. Step 4
   Click "OK" to save the settings. Remote Desktop has now been enabled on the system.
   

Configuring the Firewall

8. Step 1
   Open the Start menu on the computer you want to connect to and click on the "Control Panel" icon.
   
9. Step 2
   Double-click on the "Windows Firewall" control panel icon.
   
10. Step 3
    Go to the "Exceptions" tab at the top of the window.
    
11. Step 4
    Check the box next to "Remote Desktop" to allow all remote desktop connections through the computer's firewall.
    
12. Step 5
    Click "OK" to save the settings.