So you’ve got a computer running a version of Windows that can host a Remote Desktop session. Windows isn’t setup to accept connections by default, so we’ve got to turn that on. This procedure is similar for all versions of Windows, but I’ll be detailing the Windows 7 procedure specifically.
You’ll want to go to the System control panel, either by going there through the Control Panel or by right-clicking My Computer and clicking Properties. Now, in the left sidebar, click Remote Settings.
Remote settings
Look under the Remote Desktop section of this screen, and you’ll see three options. By default, Windows is setup not to allow remote connections. If you choose to allow connections only from computers running Remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication (more on that technology here), you’ll get a more secure connection, but only computers running some version of Windows Vista or Windows 7 will be able to connect. I usually allow connections from computers running any version of Remote Desktop to account for Windows XP computers and Macs.
Clicking Select Users will add an even greater level of security by limiting the users who can connect to the remote computer. By default, anyone with Administrator privileges can connect to a Remote Desktop-enabled host.
When you’re done, click OK – you’ve setup your host!
