To access your files and apps remotely on Windows 11 PC, you can enable Remote Desktop. Let’s see different ways to enable Remote Desktop on Windows 11 PC.
Remote desktop is a program or an operating system feature that allows a user to connect to a computer in another location, see that computer’s desktop and interact with it as if it were local.
When you install Windows 10 or Windows 11 on your laptop, by default the remote desktop feature is not enabled. Enabling the Remote Desktop is a one-time process, and you can also disable it when you don’t need it.
Windows 11 Remote Desktop feature is majorly used by IT for remote administration. Typically, the IT teams relies on Remote Desktop access to connect to the devices such as Windows 11, Windows Server 2022 and manage tasks.
There are multiple ways to enable remote desktop feature on Windows 11 PC. In this guide, you will learn different ways to enable Windows 11 remote desktop feature to manage a computer or access files and apps remotely.
Note: You don’t have to enable the Remote Desktop feature if you are not going to access the PC remotely.
Read: How to Enable Remote Desktop Feature in Windows Server 2022
1. Enable Remote Desktop on Windows 11 PC via Settings
On Windows 11 PC, you can enable Remote Desktop from the Settings app. Click Start and launch the Settings app.
Click on System and in the right pane click Remote Desktop.
Turn ON the Remote Desktop toggle switch. On the confirmation box “Enable Remote Desktop?” Click Confirm.
Ensure the Network Level Authentication option is enabled. Once you complete the above steps, you can connect to your Windows 11 computer using the Remote Desktop app. Port 3389 is the Remote Desktop Port.
Read: How to create Windows 11 VM in Azure
2. Turn on Remote Desktop from System Properties
The quickest way to turn on Windows 11 remote desktop feature is from the System Properties window:
- On your Windows 11 PC, right-click Start and select Run.
- In the Run, type the command sysdm.cpl.
- On the System Properties window, switch to Remote tab.
- Enable “Allow Remote Connections to this computer“. Click Apply and OK.
When you turn on remote desktop feature, the Network level Authentication is also enabled by default. I recommend keeping this option enabled.
Network Level Authentication is a more secure authentication method that can help protect the remote computer from malicious users and malicious software. It can help provide better security by reducing the risk of denial-of-service attacks.
3. Enable Remote Desktop using CMD Prompt
To enable the remote desktop protocol with Command Prompt, use these steps:
- On your Windows 11 PC, click Start and search for Command Prompt.
- Launch the Command Prompt as administrator.
- To enable the remote desktop, run the below command.
reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server" /v fDenyTSConnections /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
To allow the Remote Desktop through Windows Firewall, run the below command.
netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group="remote desktop" new enable=Yes
After you turn on the remote desktop from command prompt, log off your Windows 11 PC for settings to apply.
4. Enable Remote Desktop using PowerShell
To enable the remote desktop protocol using PowerShell, use these steps:
- On your Windows 11 PC, click Start and search for PowerShell.
- Right-click Windows PowerShell and select Run as administrator.
- To enable the remote desktop, run the below command in PowerShell window.
Set-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server' -name "fDenyTSConnections" -value 0
To allow the Remote Desktop protocol through Windows Firewall, run the below command.
Enable-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup "Remote Desktop"
Once you complete the steps, the remote desktop feature will turn on, allowing you to access the Windows 11 computer remotely.