Microsoft Remote Desktop for PC and Mac

Software Installation Requirements

FAQs

Software Reviews and Critisims

• By cycollins

  4

  nearly perfect

  I have a specific usage case - I work in a multiplatform environment in which I work on the Windows and on the PC. I don't want to keep changing physical keyboards, so despite the fact that the two physical machines are next to eachother beneath my desk, I use remote desktop to view and operate the PC while working on the Windows. This works reasonable well except that the Remote Desktop Service on the PC requires that I can only be logged in either via the Remote Desktop app OR the PC itself. Since there are some operations that cannot be performed via RDP - attaching to a VPN being one of them - it would be nice if I could just leave the PC logged in and operate it via Remote Desktop at the same time. Now, I'm sure there really IS such a way, but the internet is not my friend in helping me find it. So properly-speaking, this probably a complaint about the service and not the client app, but the entire eco-system is failing me in small ways. Also, while I appreciate the option that allows the Microsoft key to be interchangable with ctrl for edit operations and find, it doesn't seem to work consistently, and as everyone who has ever switched back and forth between the Windows and Windows knows, confusion over which meta key to use in editing will eventually cause brain damage and is likely to send hardware on ballistic journeys through windows (not Windows).

  
  
• By Gillius2

  3

  Poor Performance

  PC version works but has horrible peformance compared to the Windows version. Connecting to a local Windows 10 PC over 1 gbps Ethernet has very noticeable lag and low framerate. Using Windows 10 RDP client to same Windows 10 target on same network is dramatically faster. All 3 are using 4k resolution (at 4k though even Windows RDP client has some noticeable lag but nothing compared to PC RDP client). Setting up resolution too a lot of manipulating with choosing "optimize for retina" vs. not. I suspect this is the issue with the slowness, that both sides cannot agree consistently on DPI and resolution settings so there is a lot of scaling going on on both sides. Sometimes DPI is messed up and Windows target shows massive fonts, but if I exit and re-enter full screen it will resolve. Probably also due to the scaling is image being blurry in some cases. No stars off from this, but it would be nice if modifier key remapping was possible, as control/option/start button/alt are in annoying places. Also annoying is that control left/right arrow to move cursor is not possible as PC intercepts it for switching between full screen apps. But this is PC limitation.

  
  
• By kevinn87

  2

  Current version is worse than previous version

  This version of the application is frustrating. I've been using this for years and the most recent update introduced lots of new "features" that make me scratch my head. For instance, every time my computer sleeps, the session to all remote desktops is severed and you must reconnect by pushing a button. Given the fact that there are two bullet points in the current description of this application, it seems like they place a lot of pride in how they rewrote the reconnect features. To me they seem like they are actually less functional than before. Previous version would automatically reconnect as long as the remote server session hadn't expired and allowed it. In this version, you have to push a button. Small price, sure, but also seem completely unnecessary. It's compounded when you have work open on multiple servers as it seems only one remote server can be reconnected. If you have two or more open, they become nonresponsive after sleep and require that you completely close and connect from the connection center.

  
  
• By TaylorCABC

  3

  Great option to remote into my office desktop from home - a little glitchy

  As I've transitioned to working remotely full-time, as many other office workers have as well during the pandemic, Microsoft Remote Desktop has proven so very useful and to be the answer to all (or most) of my problems. I can use my personal laptop - a PC - and have that option to work with my preferred device, but still be able to access company files, keep work files separate from my own, and use certain subscriptions that require being downloaded that are on my work desktop (such as Adobe Illustrator, Miscrosoft Publisher, etc)... So cool! Only issue is that my cursor has been disappearing if I switch between my laptop interface and remoting in... Kind of a small issue, but also not if you're trying to use your cursor (which of course is always!). It is also a bit slow and requires a very strong WiFi connection.

  
  
• By copper planet

  2

  Inferior compared to version 8

  I work remotely and must use this for work. I use work related apps and have more than one open at the same time. if any one app is maximized, my dock and menu bar disappear, and I have to minimize the apps to see those. I absolutely hate that. My work has the remote computers set to time out after about 20 minutes of inactivity for security purposes. If I leave my desk for longer than that, I have to let it time out because if I log out, and then try to log back in later, I end up being logged in as a temporary user instead of as my profile. So if I leave my desk, I let it time out and when I come back and log in again, the apps are still open (I can see this in the RDS icon menu) but I can’t get the apps to pull up on the screen. Also, in version 8, I could toggle on my kepboard and see the box with the list of apps on my desktop easily, but with the new version - no. This version is definitely NOT an improvement over 8.