Microsoft remote desktop client

Cow Loon · #1 January 10th, 2005, 12:08 PM

I have remote desktop client on my mac which I use to connect to my work outside of my LAN. that works, but I haven't been able to connect to my windows xp machine, inside my LAN.

In the client, I'm supposed to specify my user name, password and domain. However, I don't use windows domains on my LAN, I use a "workgroup". So, if I specify the workgroup in place of the domain, the client simply hangs there. If I leave the domain blank, I connect and get the windows login dialog box with 2 fields for username and password, but it tells me that windows couldn't log me in and to make sure things are spelled correctly, which they are.

So, I guess this is actually a windows networking question, but... maybe it's okay to ask here anyway. In my windows xp pro computer, I have checked "allow others to connect to my pc", but if I try to select "Location" to specify which computers can connect to me, my one windows pc is the only thing listed. I don't know if this is related to the problem, but in case there is something I should be doing there, I thought I'd mention it.

**mdnky** · #2 January 10th, 2005, 10:16 PM

Forget about the domain box. You don't have to specify it since you're not on a domain. Don't specify ANYTHING in that box, just leave it blank. All you have to specify is the IP addy of the machine you're trying to connect to. Since you're doing this over a LAN, specify the machine's address. You can find this by hitting CTRL-R, typing 'cmd', then when the command prompt (MS-DOS) appears type 'winipconfig' and hit enter.

As far as the location thing, that shouldn't be an issue at all. I've never had to specify any with the 5 XP Pro boxes I've used RDC with (locally or over the internet). Just make sure the username/pwd combo you're trying to log in with has Administrative rights and is listed in the allowed remote users list. Also, be careful when you do get in...you can format a drive and other nasty things with RDC.

By the way you described the problem, it's probably a firewall related issue. First off, check to see if the stock Windows firewall is enabled (it's enabled by default in XP Pro). If it is, disable it. Download ZoneAlarm (it's free) and use that instead.

While the firewall is off, try connecting again. Chances are you'll get in. If that's the case, than note the IP addy of your RDC machine and add it to the trusted zone of ZoneAlarm. You should be able to connect after that while keeping the firewall enabled.

Cow Loon · #3 January 10th, 2005, 11:59 PM

I have been using the ip address and connecting of course since I get the login dialog box in the mac rdc from my xp machine when I try to connect.

I don't use the microsoft firewall, it's disabled, and I use zonealarm, though I only use it for connections going outside of my LAN. My LAN is a trusted zone.

The user I'm trying to log in as is a member of the remote desktop users group. Should that mean the user can accept remote desktop connections, or is the other way around?

Any other ideas?

paul.lahitte · #4 January 11th, 2005, 01:35 AM

Keyboard mapping between Micrososft and apple are not the same specially with special chars!
So it might be the password that is mistyped

Cow Loon · #5 January 11th, 2005, 02:10 AM

Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be it either. I tried using another windows xp machine on my LAN to connect and get the same result.

An additional tidbit: The user on my pc that I'm trying to login to has the user as a member of "remote desktop users" group...

Cow Loon · #6 January 13th, 2005, 01:16 AM

Okay, I got it working finally. In task manager on the windows machine, I select disconnect and then I can login with rdc.

This was actually close to what was written in the relase notes, where it said to use "lock" the first time that you try to connect, but I didn't have "lock" anywhere that I could see, so I ignored it.