Access computers everywhere with WinVNC

Accessing computers remotely is an essential requirement for many computer users. So use Remote Desktop of Windows XP or download the RealVNC Virtual Network Computing ( VNC ) software for free to access the remote computer.

Most access requests are usually made through a connection on the Internet. The client computer you are using can run any version of Windows 95 or above, and need a Windows XP (Pro or Home) CD if you want to use Remote Desktop or VNC software. Both Remote Desktop and VNC require that the computer to be accessed must be able to communicate via a network, modem or a virtual private network (VPN) connection.

Remote Desktop in Windows XP

The settings on the computer you need to access: to log in to the remote PC must use the administrator account or account in the Remote Desktop Users group (to find accounts in this group, go to the Start menu, select Run , enter lusrmgr.msc , press Enter to open the Local Users and Groups utility. Once logged in, right-click on the My Computer icon on the desktop or in Windows Explorer window, select Properties . Click the Remote tab, and under Remote Desktop , tick Allow users to connect to this computer . Click OK on the explanation dialog box that appears.

By default, administrator accounts can be accessed remotely (remote access). If the account you use to access does not have this permission, then click the Select Remote Users button on this window. If you do not see the account you want to log in remotely, click the Add button, enter the account name used to log in, if there are multiple usernames, they will be separated by a sign (;), and select OK . Click OK to close the System Properties dialog box. If the selected accounts do not have password protection, you need to change the password for them: select Start, Run , enter nusrmgr.cpl , press Enter . Select an account name you want to set a password for and select Create a password. Follow the instructions of the suggestions on the screen and then select Create password . Close the Users Accounts window when done.

Establishing a connection between different networks can make it difficult for the system or network you visit to find the computer name to connect to. If possible, connect via your computer's IP address: Open Explorer (if needed), right-click My Network Places , and select Properties . Select Local Area Connection , and look in the Details box in the taskbar to the left of the window. You may need to scroll the taskbar or click on the title to close the items you do not want to display the content of Details. If the Network Connections folder does not have a taskbar, select Tools, Folder Options , and make sure Show common tasks prints the folder under the General tab selected, click OK . As soon as you see the data in Details, you pay attention to the IP address (IP address). It is a series of four numerical groups separated by dots (eg 123.123.123.123).

Install on the client computer : if the client computer is running a non-XP Professional or Home version, you must install some files on this computer from the Windows XP disk. First insert the CD into the drive, when the Welcome screen appears, click Perform additional tasks . In the next screen, select Set up Remote Desktop Connection . Follow the instructions given to complete this installation process.

If the computer you are using or the machine you need to access is inside the firewall , you must contact the network administrator to make the connection available. If both computers (used to access and accessed are in a network, they can be reached).

Remote login : Once a connection is established by modem, network or VPN, select Start, Programs (or All Programs ), Accessories, Communications, Remote Desktop Connection . Enter the name of the computer to log in and click Connect . You will see the login dialog of the computer that needs access. After logging in, the device will lock to prevent anyone there from logging in to the machine without a username and password. If you log in with an account that is not currently being imported on that machine, a warning that a different account is already logged in will appear. If you select Yes to continue, a message will appear on the remote computer to ask if the connection is allowed. If the user is on that computer select No , you will not be able to continue. If there is no person at that machine, the message will disappear after a few seconds, and you can log in.

If you can't find the computer you need to log in with, you can enter the IP address to access. If it still doesn't work, you should ask the administrator or check the relevant resources again. If you're using XP Pro, you can get the information by selecting Start Help and Support , and entering Troubleshooting Remote Desktop in the Search box, and pressing Enter to see a list of topics for error messages.

If the device wants remote access without Windows XP Pro . Go to the RealVNC website (realvnc.com), and click to download it now on the left to get free VNC software. Enter your name, email address and other required information. Select the version of the operating system you use (Windows, Linux, or Solaris), and click Proceed to download . Select the link to the .exe or .zip version.

Installing server and client : With VNC, you must install on both VNC Server (on the computer you want to access) and VNC Viewer (where you are using to log in). Double click on the file to download, and follow the instructions to install VNC. If the computer does not need to connect to any other machine and only connects to it, you should uncheck VNC Viewer when installing VNC on this machine, otherwise if you require it, select it. Repeat the same to install on the machine you want to use to connect to the access.

Go to the computer to access, select Start, Programs, RealVNC, Run VNC Server . The first time you run this tool, the properties dialog box will appear. Normally, you can accept the defaults, but remember to enter the password in the upper left box. Then click OK. To reopen this dialog box, double-click the VNC icon in the system tray. Finally, enter the IP address of the server computer (the machine needs access). Like Remote Desktop , VNC does not allow to see computers under the firewall.

Connection settings: Select Start, Programs (or All Programs), RealVNC, Run VNC Viewer on the client computer. Enter the IP address and click OK . A window will display the desktop of the server. Now you can select, drag, and perform other tasks on your computer as if the machine was in front of you. But there are some system keys (like Alt-Tab ) when pressed, it only really affects the current machine, not on the remote access device. You may have to use the mouse to open or select the applications you want, but when that window is activated, you can use the key to use.

Even if you are using a connection on a large network network, the computer you access may be very slow. To limit the amount of data to be transferred, double click on the VNC icon in the system tray of the server computer to open the properties dialog box. Under Connection Settings , select Remove Desktop Wallpaper , and under Update Handling , confirm that Poll Full Screen and Poll Window Under Cursor is not selected (still choose the Foreground Window ). For better display, click the Poll on Event Received Only option to update only the display when it receives a click and press the key from the user. Select OK.