Due to the unique circumstances at the college due to COVID-19, we have opened up computer labs that are normally available in-person for remote access. The terminal server (ts.cecs.pdx.edu) is not capable of handling the increased remote access demands of this situation, so we kindly request you use the lab computers where possible.
The Remote Desktop Protocol is an intuitive and responsive way to control a Windows 10 computer from another computer on your network. You can do this from another Windows 10 PC, or from a Linux. Step One: Go to the Mac App Store and download the “Microsoft Remote Desktop 10” app. Although the app is free you will still need an Apple ID to download it. Alternatively you could download it directly from the Internet from sites like this, however to make sure you get the latest and most secure version it is best to go to the Mac App.
To learn more about this and to find a list of lab computers to connect with, read our guide with the following link:
RDP services inside MCECS are protected from external access. For these steps to work, you must make sure that you are successfully connected to one of our VPNs before proceeding.
Step 1 – Get the Microsoft Remote Desktop program for your Mac
Installing Remote Desktop 8 is a good workaround, as it can run on older versions of macOS. However unfortunately it is no longer available on the Mac App Store or from Microsoft. There are some software download sites that offer Remote Desktop 8, however they are likely to contain malware. For these reasons we have uploaded Remote Desktop 8.
You will need a locally installed RDP client (a program that lets you connect to Windows computers that have RDP enabled). If you don’t have one, we recommend getting the Microsoft Remote Desktop App from the Mac App Store. Once you have it installed, you can proceed.
Connecting to a Mac from a Windows PC. Connecting to a Mac from a Windows PC is a little different. You’re not going to be able to use Remote Desktop, but that’s okay because there’s a free client called RealVNC viewer that does the trick nicely. Just like with Windows, you first have to set up your Mac for screen sharing. Configure your Remote Desktop connection. To use Microsoft Remote Desktop 10 to connect from your Mac to a Windows 10 PC, you first need to add that PC to the app. Click the Add PC button in the middle, or press on the + (plus sign) button on top and click on Add PC.
Step 2 – Open Microsoft Remote Desktop. Press +, and then select “Desktop” to setup a new connection.
Step 3 – Fill out connection information.
Give the connection a name in the “Friendly name” field.
Specify the fully qualified domain name of the Windows computer to which you wish to connect via RDP.
The computer you are trying to connect to must have RDP services enabled and your user account authorized. RDP services are usually available for the Windows Terminal Server, some computer lab systems during the Covid-19 driven closure, and for specific faculty/staff or research computers with the approval from the people controlling them. If you are unsure, contact the CAT for details.
Press “Add” to add the desktop connection.
In this example, we are demonstrating a login to ts.cecs.pdx.edu, the Windows Terminal Server, which has a subset of the tools available in the general Windows computer labs.
Step 4 – Start the RDP connection.
Then, double click on the connection to connect.
You will be prompted for your username and password. Enter your MCECS username as cecsusername as shown below. Note the “cecs” that precedes your username. Use your username and password for MCECS if you are trying to access a CAT managed computer.
You may sometimes get a warning about the server certificate, which is a side effect of some of our internal configurations. Click ok to acknowledge it.
Make sure that you are connected to the VPN before connecting via a local RDP client.
Connect to Windows machine in AWS or any cloud from within MacOS, Linux
RDP clients on MacOS
This is a tutorial on the different ways to “remote into” a Windows instance from a MacOS or Linux machine.
Remote Desktop Connection on Windows machines
Remote Desktop Connection is installed with by default on all Windows machines.
Within Start Programs > Accessories, is a RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) client program that can be used without being an Administrator. It uses uses port 3389. The RDP is also known as “Terminal Services”.
If you are running a Windows virtual instance (under VMWare Fusion), etc.,
If you were given a rdp file, click on it because the RDP program is associated with the “rdp” file extension:
Type in User Name “Administrator” if you’re using an Amazon EC2 instance, since Amazon EC2 makes use of PEM files for security.
Alternately, if you are working within an enterprise environment, you may need to add a network domain name in front of your assigned named, separated by a “backward slash”. This is because enterprises create for the same person different accounts for internal and external use.
Click “Save”
Click “Connect” to see a “Welcome” screen.
Click “OK” on the Welcome screen.
CAUTION: Remember to Log off, especially if you are sharing a machine with others.
Save rdp file from Amazon
Click the “Connect” icon at the top of the Console.
Click “Browse…” and select Downloads, the .pem file downloaded earlier.
Click “Decrypt Password”.
Double-click on it to highlight it and press Ctrl+C to copy the string to your Windows Clipboard.
Open a Notepad file and paste it there so you won’t lose it.
Click “Close” to dismiss the dialog.
RDP Client
On Windows Explorer or MacOS Finder, double-click on the .rdp file saved earlier to invoke an RDP client program (if one is installed on Mac, see below).
On the RDP client, click on the Password input field and paste the Clipboard contents.
Leave the Domain blank and click OK to connect.
Click View Instances.
Scroll down to copy the IPv4 Public IP such as 54.219.170.140
Other operating systems
Rdp To Mac From Windows 10
On other operating systems (such as MacOS or Linux), if you have no administrative rights on your corporate Windows laptop, spin up cloud instances in the cloud and access them via a client that uses RDP.
RDP clients on Linux
On Linux machines, there is RDesktop at http://www.rdesktop.org
RDP clients on MacOS
On the Mac, these RDP clients can reach into instances of Amazon EC2 or other cloud that house Windows servers.
A) Royal TS is the enterprise client, at $29 each if you want to spend a little money.
Rdp For Mac
B) Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac from HockeyApp is what I recommend for free.
C) Microsoft Remote Desktop from Apple AppStore
D) Vagrant RDP
E) Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Client Connection 2.1.1 for Macintosh is gone
F) Chrome RDP Add-on is no longer supported?
G) CoRD from Sourceforge is obsolete
Microsoft Remote Desktop Client gone
Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Client Connection 2.1.1 for Macintosh (installer RDC_2.1.1_ALL.dmg at 9.4 MB) is no longer available for download from http://www.microsoft.com/mac/downloads
The licensed client is available for Windows and Mac.
Run Mac On Windows
Get to their download page at:
Click the “Download” button for Mac to download a file such as:
royaltsx_3.2.6.1000.dmg (23.3 MB)
Click the file downloaded to unzip it.
Click the .dmg file to install it.
As this page says, those without a license can connect up to 10 application instances and a single document per application instance.
Using Finder, go to your Applications folder.
Drage the program to the Launch bar for easy access.
Open the app by clicking on the Launch bar or Applications folder.
Click Apply in the UI that pops up.
Drag the orange logo and drop it on the blue (Applications) folder.
Click Open to the confirmation.
Click the red dot to dismiss the installer pop-up.
Those who buy a perpetual license, have a way to store and retrieve the key string.
Click to apply it.
TODO: Install plugins
TODO: Create document.
TODO: Invoke.
Microsoft’s Remote Desktop for Mac OSX from Apple
Click this link at the Apple Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/microsoft-remote-desktop/id1295203466?mt=12
NOTE: This is newer than the edition that comes with Microsoft Office for Mac 2011.
Click the blue “View in Mac App Store”.
Within the Mac AppStore app, click Get.
Click Install.
Click Open.
BLAH: The UX at time of writing is difficult because there are no favorites or sorting by last use,aliases, etc. (that I know of). I now have to scroll down the list every time, and remembering which of many cryptic names I want, which is difficultif you have a lot of servers on the list.
NOTE: http://docs.aws.amazon.com/quickstart/latest/rd-gateway/welcome.html Quick Start for Remote Desktop Gateway explains how to configure RDGW in detail.
Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac (HockeyApp)
Rdp Mac To Windows 10 Software
This enables you to run the most powerful of servers from a ChromeBook laptop with minimal RAM and hard disk.
Mac Remote Desktop To Windows 10 Slow
Click this link to the Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac webpage, which is part of the HockeyApp.net used by Xamarin developers for Crash Reporting, User Feedback, User Metrics and In-App Updates.
Click “Open link” to open in the App Store on your laptop.
Click the cloud download icon and wait until the ring completes full circle:
Click the blue “Open”.
Click “Allow” in the pop-up:
To open the program, rather than going to Finder, press command + space bar and type enough of “Microsoft Remote Desktop.app”, then press Enter.
To open the program, rather than going to Finder, press command + space bar and type enough of “Microsoft Remote Desktop.app”, then press Enter.
If the “Help us make your experience better?” appears, click “not now” or “Yes”.
Click “Add Desktop”
In the Quick Connect dialog, click on the white field and press Ctrl+V to paste the EC2 DNS Addressor click “Skip” if you don’t have an address yet.
Close and Open again
Click the program name “Microsoft Remote Desktop Beta” at the top and select “Quit”.
In Finder, Downloads folder, right-click and Move to Trash
Close and Open again
Get to the Mac Launcher by squeezing your fingers and thumb together on the Touchpad.
Type “Mi” until you see “Microsoft Remote Desk”, then click it.
First time
TODO: Verify this.
Click “Add desktop”.
Click “Connect”.
Copy the password from where you saved earlier.
Click on Password field. Press Ctrl+V to paste it.
Click “Continue” to get see the Windows start-up screen.
Click on the icon (in case you have several instances). You should now see a desktop.
Success!
In Finder’s Devices left pane under, click the eject button for the “Microsoft Remote Desktop Beta” installer.
In Finder, drag the “Microsoft Remote Desktop Beta” from within Downloads to drop on the Applications folder.
If you are using the program often, drag the “Microsoft Remote Desktop Beta” from within Applications to drop on the Task Bar so that it is visually avaiable.
Click the red “Add desktop” icon.
For User Account, select “Administrator” because that’s what Amazon does.
For PC Name, paste the name such as
Click “Save”.
Vagrant RDP
If you are getting into a Vagrant instance containing Windows:
VIDEO:
Set the communicator and network ports in your Vagrantfile, such as:
On a Terminal:
vagrant rdp
Chrome Add-on
If you don’t have a Chrome browser, install it from the default Internet Explorer.
Open a Chrome browser to this site.
PROTIP: The fusionlabs.net web page does not use https. Use http://www.fusionlabs.net (the https on this doesn’t resolve).