Using Remote Desktop to connect to your office computer

Owned by Brad Hunt (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Mar 30, 2020
2 min read

Set Your Office Computer to Allow Remote Connections

  1. On the computer you wish to access remotely, open the Start Menu by pressing the "start button" or the "Windows Key" on your keyboard

    1. Immediately type "allow remote desktop access"

    2. As you are typing, you should see the option "Allow remote access to your computer" appear

    3. Click "Allow remote access to your computer"

    4. At the bottom of the window that opens, select "Allow remote connections to this computer"

    5. Leave "Allow connections only from..." checked

    6. The user you are signed in as will automatically be given permission to remote into this computer

      1. If you need to allow another user, click "Select Users"

      2. Click "Add..."

      3. Type the name of the user preceded by the domain (Ex: myid\abc12345)

      4. Click "OK"

      5. You should now see their name as an allowed user

    7. Click "OK"

    8. If prompted with a notice your computer's power settings will change to remain on, click "OK"

  2. Find and notate computer's IP address

    1. Open the Start Menu by clicking the Start button or hitting the Windows key on your keyboard

    2. Immediately type "cmd"

    3. Click "Enter" or click "Command Prompt"

    4. Once open, type "ipconfig /all"

    5. Scroll down to find the appropriate adapter

      1. If computer is connected via an Ethernet cable, typically the adapter has "Ethernet adapter" in the name

      2. If computer is connected via Wireless, typically the adapter says "Wireless LAN" and even "Wi-Fi"

    6. The assigned IP Address will be listed next to "IPv4 Address.  .  .  ."

      1. For any computer connected via Ethernet in the BLC, it will start with "172.22.xx.xxx"

    7. The MAC address for the adapter will be listed next to "Physical Address.  .  .  ."

      1. Always in the format "XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX"

Steps for setup on computer they will use to connect to remote computer

  1. First connect to the VPN 

  2. Search "remote" in the windows search bar and select "Remote Desktop Connection"

    1. or click "Start" / "Windows Key" on keyboard → immediately type "remote" → click "Remote Desktop Connection" [Users running Windows Home Edition will have to invoke Remote Desktop by pressing “Windows Key” + “r” together. In the run box, type “mstsc” ]

  3. Enter the IP address of your office computer

    1. The program will remember the IP after the first connection, but have them write it down or save it somewhere else as well

  4. On the login screen, enter "MyID\user'sMYIDhere" in the section for username, and then enter your MyID password

  5. Click "Connect"

    1. If prompted with a yellow certificate warning, click "Yes" to allow the connection