Enable Remote Desktop Remotely

This one is well discussed across the web, but I can never find what I’m looking for when I need it.  So this one is for my reference, and if it helps anybody else — all the better.

Enable remote desktop in the remote registry.

  1. Run Regedit
  2. Select File | Connect Network Registry
  3. Enter the name of the remote computer and select Check Names
  4. Go to hklmsystemcurrentcontrolsetcontrolterminal serverFdenyTSConnection
  5. Change the FdenyTSConnection to 0

Steps above found at tech-recipes.
There is also a utility at IntelliAdmin that will do these steps for you.

Make a hole in the firewall on the remote machine.

  1. Get PSTools from Microsoft. We need the psexec utility.
  2. At a command prompt, run the following: psexec remotecomputer cmd

    netsh firewall set portopening protocol=TCP port=3389 name=TS mode=ENABLE profile=DOMAIN

Summary information from Misha Shneerson.
Another option (disabling the firewall entirely) at TechRepublic.

Posted in Technology.