Help! Remote Desktop Connection WinXP to Win2k
 

Is it possible to setup a Remote Desktop Connection or Terminal Services Conncetion, so that a Windows 2000 machine is the <i>host</i> and the Windows XP machine is the client? And please don't tell me that any older version of Windows can act as the client for a Windows XP host if you install a certain program, because I already know this and ran into this same bit of information serveral times while trying to find a solution to my problem, and is also quite useless for me (this bit of information, that is).

Thanks!!

No RDC, try VNC
 

AFAIK, Remote Desktop only comes in Windows XP and above. In win2k there is no remote desktop. You might be able to run terminal services, but if you had all the necessary software for running terminal services, you would know what three dumptruck loads of cash would look like as it drove to Washington.

But, have you considered running a VNC server? That will run on win2k, and give you basically the same features, with a slight hit in performance. I have heard good things about UltraVNC, but I typically use TightVNC. All of the VNC's are basically compatible, but if you use the same client with the same server, you typically get better performance and stability.

yes it is possible. My work server in the UK has terminal services running, and I can connect via "Remote Desktop Connection" to it. Really not sure what had to be setup on the win 2k server box, but it does work. For me, I need to setup a vpn connection first, but if the boxes were on a lan or otherwise unfirewalled, this should be possible.

As was mentioned vnc (or radmin or pcanywhere) also work very well - the difference with these vs terminal services is that you see the actual desktop as if you were sitting at the machine - terminal services gives you a discrete terminal session.

FWIW - I have found vnc to be slightly flaky in the past, though did not use either of the ones mentioned, so prefer the commercial products - which are both quite cheap anyway (radmin is 25USD for a single license - one host, one client)

Try Radmin (at radmin.com). It allows you to take over any OS (>win95) with any other OS (>win95). I've been using it on my olde pentium133 laptop (win98) to control my WinXP computer, but it could be used the other way round (dunno why I'd want that, though).

Remote Desktop connection comes native in Windows XP (home and pro).
For Windows 2000, use VNC. It's very lightweight and easy to setup and use.

Terminal Services' main objective is not meant to be used for remote desktop control, so don't use it for that.

If I understand your question correctly, you want to sit at an XP machine and do work on a 2000 machine.

Yes this can be done, I do it on a regular basis. All you need to do is install Terminal Services on the 2000 machine. Make sure you install it for administrative purposes so you don't have to worry about tons of licensing. Terminal Server gives you 2 administrative licenses for free.

Terminal Services is on the Windows 2000 CD. Install it by adding Windows Components.

hrdwareguy is correct.

I'm a fan of Real VNC for remotely administering machines. Tight VNC is another good one as aoeuhtns said too.

Thanks for the replies. The Win2k box is my friend's, and I wanted to show him how to install something, instead of driving all the way to his house to do it.

He already has Terminal Services installed on his machine but we were still unable to connect. We're both behind a router, and both our routers have a built-in firewall. I don't know if this is the problem though.

you need to forward the port of the host machine (windows 2000 in your case) in the router configuration. forward port 3389 to the IP of the machine that the router assigned.

if you were using realvnc, you'd forward port 5900 and 5901. without you specifying the type of router you're using, I can't be more specific on the firewall settings other than to say allow traffic along those ports.

and btw, terminal services is not going to give you guys a "shared" desktop where one user can watch the other work remotely. instead he's going to see the machine locked by another user. you should really consider using realvnc or tightvnc instead.

While I would recommend VNC like others have, I know for a fact Win2k can use Remote Desktop. However, you do have to download it first. I've used, but there's better.

Windows 2000 Professional does not have the Terminal Services server ability, but Windows 2000 Server ("normal", Advance, and Datacenter) all come with it. If the machine you're attempting to connect to uses Professional, you'll have to use VNC/etc. - but if it's Server, you should be able to install Terminal Services through Add/Remove Programs -> Windows Components and use that.