For the good of humanity please kill yourselves now.

Microsoft has clarified at http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Connect-to-another-computer-using-Remote-Desktop-Connection that you cannot use Remote Desktop to connect to a PC running the following windows:
Windows Vista Starter, Windows Vista Home Basic, Windows Vista Home Basic N, or Windows Vista Home Premium or Windows XP Home Edition.

The message from Microsoft is very clear. Just don’t do it !

This will give you an in-depth walk-through on making your remote desktop work. My story, I bought a Palm Treo 850 WM6 and found that after extensive reading that my Vista Home Premium was not compatible. Then to top it all off, I needed a static IP to make it work. Both are false. Here is how I made it all work.

1. Download a patch for Windows Vista Home Premium. Google search Windows Vista Premium Remote Desktop. I believe the provider of my batch file was greenlight? You can find it on http://portal.tonychan.org/Default.aspx?tabid=58&EntryID=123
When you save this file, browse for c: then select Windows, then “temp”, then save. Make sure to save this file in the temp file.

Go to files on your computer ie. My computer
Select C:
Select Windows
Select System 32
Scroll and find termsrv.dll (this is the file that will be modified)
Just click at the end of the “V” and add the word “backup” this way if something installs incorrectly then you still have the original batch file and you can just delete the new one.

Right click on the start ribbon on your desktop screen. Select classic (this makes things easier).
You now have RUN listed on your start menu.
Open Run and in the box type c:\windows\temp\premium.bat “Hit Enter”
This will extract all the files necessary over to “windows\System 32” for you.

If you are having administrator issues, click in the “Run” CMD line and type msconfig
This will bring up a booting options menu. From there you can select reboot in safe mode. Note you will need to do this again and turn off Boot in safe mode when you are done with the installation otherwise you will only boot in safe mode. Once the computer reboots try extracting again. You will want to right down c:\windows\temp\premium.bat

Should have everything installed now right?

(One other thing I had to do was called takeown f\windows\system 32\termsrv.dll) I think that is the correct syntax… If not Google it and find out how to do a takeown. If you are logged in as administrator there shouldn’t be any additional info needed. Make sure to research this if you are having issues. You do not want someone else controlling your remote access.

2. You will need to go to your control panel, select your windows firewall, and change the properties, or options to allow remote desktop & enable port 3389. DO NOT TURN OFF FIREWALL. It can create problems if it is turned off (read below).
3. You will also need to go into the control panel , select system, remote settings, enable connections for Remote desktop.
4. Next the router. I have a Linksys WRT54G? I think that’s right. You want to go to the router 192.168.1.1 this is the address to type in the address bar of your internet explorer. You will need to log into your router. Default Linksys user is left blank and the password is “admin”.
5. Once you are into the router, you will select applications and gaming. You will notice port forwarding appears. In the “application box” type Remote and in start and end box type “3389”
6. Now for the IP address make it 192.168.1.248 (this high number keeps other computers from getting assigned it as we are going to setup one computer to connect as a static behind the router connection.
7. In the router screen select “Setup”. Scroll down to Static DNS:1 and input that address we used in port forwarding 192.168.1.248 You should be ready to click save in the router screen. Before you exit, click “Status” and write down your Router IP and Subnet Mask and DNS1 DN3 DNS3. You can exit the router now. Make sure you have saved.
8. Time to setup your computer to read this connection. So right click the computer screen with the globe in front of it on the bottom right of your screen. Select Network and Sharing Center. This should open a screen, select manage network connections on the right. This will bring up the connection to the router as “wireless network connection” just right click and select properties. Now select TCP/IPv4 in the list. Now change the automatically find to input this IP and enter that static IP you created 192.168.1.248 and the DNS and submask that you recorded from the Status screen. DO NOT USE the 192.168.1.248 as one of the subnet mask. Use the other two of the three or if you only have two then use them but they should be different that your created static IP.

One thing to keep in my is that your connection will be the IP of the router. So if you are trying to remote desktop connect to your network, use the IP from the status screen of the router. You may occasionally have to check to see if your IP address has been changed since service providers can change them if you are not signed up for a static IP address. This can cause connection issues. Just type the new IP in the remote desktop computer you are connecting FROM.

If you are having connection problems, try rebooting in save mode again and re-run the file c:\windows\temp\premium.bat after everything is setup. You may need to perform the take own again. You can also check to see if the port is listing by typing in the RUN or CMD line netstat -aon

See if 3389 says listening. If not, then you have not configured the router correctly or the firewall etc.

At first I was having problems with the network “bouncing from private to Identifying” apparently just turning the Windows default settings firewall back on and making an exception for port 3389 will fix this.

If you are using Windows Mobile 6.1 with Remote desktop you may find the audio from your PC will not play on your Windows Mobile Phone. Not sure why this is but if you find a fix let me know. I have adjusted the settings in the options and this didn’t help.

Hope this helps and people get this to work first try. If it works for you then email me at directlyconnected@yahoo.com I don’t have time to answer individual questions. I got there by googling everything so you can find more extensive answers out there on specific questions or call an IT buddy. There are a lot of great forums out there that handle individual problems that people figured out so this will give you about 90% of it. Again, you may want to research if you are still having issues.

I haven’t tried it, but if the issue is just UAC pausing the computer and waiting for the user to click ‘allow’, then I don’t see why that wouldn’t work.

I went on my XP machine and controlled my Vista Premium Machine. I have used VNC, but it’s slow. RDC is much faster and the colors are more vibrant!

Only problem is the “Terminal Services Client” (Remote Desktop Viewer) on my PDA doesn’t connect :(

Anyone found a hack to get it on Home Editions of Vista yet? I’d rather not have to go through the upgrade process to get one of the business editions on my machine.

I’ve used most remote control products over the last 15 years. This one rocks for managing remote systems. Performance depends on bandwidth, central server for internet, VPN for added security, local LAN for privacy; yay!

Sure there are a few annoyances, like the nag screen and it only runs on windows (but XP and Vista and some earlier), but, its the easiest to setup, can run as a service with a fixed password, or not. Small (1 MB) client module for quick, new client, support. Connections can change mid-stream, file transfer and remote presentation (one-way sessions).

It is a different license model; license is purchased once; period. Free RSS updates, no maintenance (read support, who needs it anyway).

Really, what do you want, free for non-commercial use; max, only $1400 for life otherwise?

If you’ve got feedback to the contrary, please share it; maybe I’m living in a cloud.

Thanks,
wyz