• Windows Remote Desktop Client For Mac Os X
• Remote Desktop Client For Mac Os X
• Mac Os X Remote Desktop Client For Microsoft Windows Computers

Looking for the best remote desktop app for Mac running OS X Mavericks? Look no further because here we are going to explore 3 of my favorite ways to remote into Windows machines from Mac.

When I purchased my first Apple computer (13″ Macbook Air) early in 2013, I found myself searching for the best application to remote into my Windows computers and servers.

With the need for me to be able to quickly remote into a variety of Windows servers, I wanted an RDP client I could use on my Mac that would give me a great experience.

The Remote Desktop apps provide a rich multi-touch experience with RDP and RemoteFX supporting Windows gestures. Users can get a rich Windows experience and be productive on their personally-owned devices. They can easily connect to external monitors or projectors for presentations. Another free client you might consider is the 2X Client RDP/Remote Desktop for OS X app available in the Mac App Store. I just discovered it while looking for an alternative to CoRD, which is buggy and crashes a lot. Only a couple of downsides to the 2X Client: You can’t change defaults, and you can’t duplicate a.

At work we typically suggest Microsoft’s Remote Desktop for Mac to our Doctors and staff when they come to us for assistance with setting up VPN and remote access into the hospital.

But Microsoft’s Remote Desktop for Mac isn’t the only application available.

My RDP Requirements

Since I work heavily on Windows machines, there were a few essential requirements I was looking for to help my overall daily workflow:

• Performance.
• Manageability of multiple systems.
• Price

1. Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac

Coming in at # 1 for my favorite remote desktop client for Mac is Microsoft’s Remote Desktop for Mac.

Microsoft had recently made version 8.0.0 available. This version really has stepped it up a notch from their previous version.

Performance

Performance is not an issue for me during my tests.

Manageability of multiple systems

Yes, you can manage multiple systems.

One of the biggest notable changes I found with this version over the previous is the fact that you can save client servers/sessions. This was important to me since I have a wide-range of servers that I need to connect to at any moment.

Price

Free

Cons

None as of this writing.

2. 2X Client for RDP/Remote Desktop

Coming in at # 2 on my list is 2X Client for RDP/Remote Desktop.

I have to be honest and say that I haven’t given this one a full blown test as of yet. However, I have used it many times on IOS devices and has worked well. I did install it for my testing here in this article and overall was a nice experience.

I would have to rank this one a close 2nd to Microsoft’s client.

Performance

Windows Remote Desktop Client For Mac Os X

Overall performance was not an issue for me during my tests.

Manageability of multiple systems

Yes, you can manage multiple systems.

Price

Free

Cons

A small issue I see (and probabaly not an issue for most) is the Windows Snap feature. It seems to be a ‘hit-and-miss’ when I try to snap a window to the top of the screen.

3. CoRD

Coming in at # 3 on my lis is CoRD.

CoRD is a Mac OS X remote desktop client for Microsoft Windows computers.

As of this writing, CoRD’s website has an announcement saying: “Cord don’t seem to work on 10.9 Mavericks. Check back next week.” This was announced on 2013-10-23.

As you can see in the video, I have installed CoRD on my Macbook Air running 10.9 OS X Mavericks and it does work. Maybe there are some bugs that I am not aware of but overall it does seem to run OK for me.

Performance

Overall performance for me was not an issue during my tests.

Manageability of multiple systems

One thing I really do like about CoRD is the option to view all remote sessions in one window. This really saves space on your desktop and makes it a breeze to switch between the different sessions.

Price

Free

Cons

CoRD doesn’t appear to work with NLA (Network Level Authentication). This is a problem for me since a lot of the servers at work are now configured to use NLA, I simply get an error saying: “The requested session access is denied” when I try to connect.

As with CoRD, another issue is the Windows Snap feature is a hit-and-miss.

Conclusion

In the end, all three of the applications worked well. The major downside for me with CoRD is the fact I am unable to connect to servers with NLA enabled.

For now, I will continue to use Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac.

I will update this post and/or comments below with any updated experiences (good or bad).

Question for You

What do you use on your Mac to remotely manage Windows machines?

Using Remote Desktop, you can access a computer from a remotelocation. To connect to a Windows computer from another Windowscomputer, see Connect to a Windows computer or server via RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) To connect to a Windows computer froma remote computer running Mac OS X, see below.

To enable Remote Desktop, you must have administrativerights on the computer you want to use as the host (i.e., thecomputer to which you will connect from a remote location), which mustbe running one of the following versions of Windows:

• Windows 8 Pro, Enterprise
• Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, or Ultimate
• Windows Vista Business, Enterprise, orUltimate
• Windows XP Professional

Before making a remote connection, first enable the Remote Desktopfeature on your host computer, and then install Remote DesktopConnection client software on your client computer.

Enabling Remote Desktop

To enable the Remote Desktop feature on your host (Windows)computer:

1. In Windows 8, press Win-qand select Control Panel. Alternatively, in Desktop view,move the mouse to the bottom right corner of the screen and selectSettings, followed by Control Panel.
   For help navigating, see Get around in Windows.

   In Windows 7 and below, from the Start menu, selectControl Panel (or Settings, and then ControlPanel). Double-click System.

2. In Windows Vista and higher, click Remote settings. In the'Remote Desktop' section, select one of the two options to allowconnections from other computers.

   In Windows XP, select the Remote tab. Select Allowusers to connect remotely to this computer.

3. To choose which users will have remote access, in Vista andhigher, click Select Users..., or in XP, clickSelect Remote Users.... Typically, all administratorsof the computer will have access by default. Each user must have apassword before you can allow remote access.
4. When you are finished, click OK. Your computer will nowbe able to accept incoming Remote Desktop connections.

Installing Remote Desktop Connection client software

You can download the Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) client for MacOS X from MicrosoftMactopia.

Remote Desktop Client For Mac Os X

Opening a connection

Mac Os X Remote Desktop Client For Microsoft Windows Computers

1. Depending upon your network configuration and system requirements,you may first have to establish a VPN connection to yourhost computer's network.

   At Indiana University:

   • You must first establish a VPN connection if:
     • You are off campus, connecting to a computer on campus.
     • You are on campus, connecting to your home computer in campus housing.

     See About the IU VPN.

   • Alternatively, from your web browser, you can use the RemoteDesktop application in IUanyWare, locatedin the 'Utilities' section.

     See ARCHIVED: How do I set up and use IUanyWare on a computer or laptop?

   For more about remote desktop connections on the IU network, seeAbout the block on off-campus remote desktop connections at IU.

2. Launch Remote Desktop Connection.
3. In the Remote Desktop Connection window, in the'Computer:' field, type the DNS name or IPaddress of the destination host.
4. Click Connect.
5. In the window that appears, enter your username,passphrase, and domain.
6. Click OK to start your session. When you log out of yourWindows session, the RDC application will close.