Desktop For Mac

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  1. Remote Desktop For Mac
  2. Desktop For Mac
  3. Desktop Wallpapers For Mac

Nearly perfect I have a specific usage case - I work in a multiplatform environment in which I work on the Mac 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 Mac. QuickBooks Desktop for Mac 2021 makes it easy to track expenses, send invoices, and more. It includes flexible and time saving insights so you can focus on what matters.

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Applies To: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016

You can use the Remote Desktop client for Mac to work with Windows apps, resources, and desktops from your Mac computer. Use the following information to get started - and check out the FAQ if you have questions.

Note

  • Curious about the new releases for the macOS client? Check out What's new for Remote Desktop on Mac?
  • The Mac client runs on computers running macOS 10.10 and newer.
  • The information in this article applies primarily to the full version of the Mac client - the version available in the Mac AppStore. Test-drive new features by downloading our preview app here: beta client release notes.

Remote Desktop For Mac

Get the Remote Desktop client

Follow these steps to get started with Remote Desktop on your Mac:

  1. Download the Microsoft Remote Desktop client from the Mac App Store.
  2. Set up your PC to accept remote connections. (If you skip this step, you can't connect to your PC.)
  3. Add a Remote Desktop connection or a remote resource. You use a connection to connect directly to a Windows PC and a remote resource to use a RemoteApp program, session-based desktop, or a virtual desktop published on-premises using RemoteApp and Desktop Connections. This feature is typically available in corporate environments.

What about the Mac beta client?

We're testing new features on our preview channel on AppCenter. Want to check it out? Go to Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac and select Download. You don't need to create an account or sign into AppCenter to download the beta client.

If you already have the client, you can check for updates to ensure you have the latest version. In the beta client, select Microsoft Remote Desktop Beta at the top, and then select Check for updates.

Add a workspace

Subscribe to the feed your admin gave you to get the list of managed resources available to you on your macOS device.

To subscribe to a feed:

  1. Select Add feed on the main page to connect to the service and retrieve your resources.
  2. Enter the feed URL. This can be a URL or email address:
    • This URL is usually a Windows Virtual Desktop URL. Which one you use depends on which version of Windows Virtual Desktop you're using.
      • For Windows Virtual Desktop (classic), use https://rdweb.wvd.microsoft.com/api/feeddiscovery/webfeeddiscovery.aspx.
      • For Windows Virtual Desktop, use https://rdweb.wvd.microsoft.com/api/arm/feeddiscovery.
    • To use email, enter your email address. This tells the client to search for a URL associated with your email address if your admin configured the server that way.
  3. Select Subscribe.
  4. Sign in with your user account when prompted.

After you've signed in, you should see a list of available resources.

Once you've subscribed to a feed, the feed's content will update automatically on a regular basis. Resources may be added, changed, or removed based on changes made by your administrator.

Export and import connections

You can export a remote desktop connection definition and use it on a different device. Remote desktops are saved in separate RDP files.

To export an RDP file:

  1. In the Connection Center, right-click the remote desktop.
  2. Select Export.
  3. Browse to the location where you want to save the remote desktop RDP file.
  4. Select OK.

To import an RDP file:

  1. In the menu bar, select File > Import.
  2. Browse to the RDP file.
  3. Select Open.

Add a remote resource

Remote resources are RemoteApp programs, session-based desktops, and virtual desktops published using RemoteApp and Desktop Connections.

  • The URL displays the link to the RD Web Access server that gives you access to RemoteApp and Desktop Connections.
  • The configured RemoteApp and Desktop Connections are listed.

To add a remote resource:

  1. In the Connection Center select +, and then select Add Remote Resources.
  2. Enter information for the remote resource:
    • Feed URL - The URL of the RD Web Access server. You can also enter your corporate email account in this field – this tells the client to search for the RD Web Access Server associated with your email address.
    • User name - The user name to use for the RD Web Access server you are connecting to.
    • Password - The password to use for the RD Web Access server you are connecting to.
  3. Select Save.

Alexa amazon for mac. The remote resources will be displayed in the Connection Center.

Connect to an RD Gateway to access internal assets

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A Remote Desktop Gateway (RD Gateway) lets you connect to a remote computer on a corporate network from anywhere on the Internet. You can create and manage your gateways in the preferences of the app or while setting up a new desktop connection.

To set up a new gateway in preferences:

  1. In the Connection Center, select Preferences > Gateways.
  2. Select the + button at the bottom of the table Enter the following information:
    • Server name – The name of the computer you want to use as a gateway. This can be a Windows computer name, an Internet domain name, or an IP address. You can also add port information to the server name (for example: RDGateway:443 or 10.0.0.1:443).
    • User name - The user name and password to be used for the Remote Desktop gateway you are connecting to. You can also select Use connection credentials to use the same user name and password as those used for the remote desktop connection.

Manage your user accounts

When you connect to a desktop or remote resources, you can save the user accounts to select from again. You can manage your user accounts by using the Remote Desktop client.

To create a new user account:

  1. In the Connection Center, select Settings > Accounts.
  2. Select Add User Account.
  3. Enter the following information:
    • User Name - The name of the user to save for use with a remote connection. You can enter the user name in any of the following formats: user_name, domainuser_name, or user_name@domain.com.
    • Password - The password for the user you specified. Every user account that you want to save to use for remote connections needs to have a password associated with it.
    • Friendly Name - If you are using the same user account with different passwords, set a friendly name to distinguish those user accounts.
  4. Select Save, then select Settings.

Customize your display resolution

You can specify the display resolution for the remote desktop session.

  1. In the Connection Center, select Preferences.
  2. Select Resolution.
  3. Select +.
  4. Enter a resolution height and width, and then select OK.

To delete the resolution, select it, and then select -.

Displays have separate spaces

If you're running Mac OS X 10.9 and have disabled Displays have separate spaces in Mavericks (System Preferences > Mission Control), you need to configure this setting in the Remote Desktop client using the same option.

Drive redirection for remote resources

Drive redirection is supported for remote resources, so that you can save files created with a remote application locally to your Mac. The redirected folder is always your home directory displayed as a network drive in the remote session.

Note

In order to use this feature, the administrator needs to set the appropriate settings on the server.

Use a keyboard in a remote session

Mac keyboard layouts differ from the Windows keyboard layouts.

  • The Command key on the Mac keyboard equals the Windows key.
  • To perform actions that use the Command button on the Mac, you will need to use the control button in Windows (for example Copy = Ctrl+C).
  • The function keys can be activated in the session by pressing additionally the FN key (for example, FN+F1).
  • The Alt key to the right of the space bar on the Mac keyboard equals the Alt Gr/right Alt key in Windows.

By default, the remote session will use the same keyboard locale as the OS you're running the client on. (If your Mac is running an en-us OS, that will be used for the remote sessions as well.) If the OS keyboard locale is not used, check the keyboard setting on the remote PC and change it manually. See the Remote Desktop Client FAQ for more information about keyboards and locales.

Support for Remote Desktop gateway pluggable authentication and authorization

Windows Server 2012 R2 introduced support for a new authentication method, Remote Desktop Gateway pluggable authentication and authorization, which provides more flexibility for custom authentication routines. You can now try this authentication model with the Mac client.

Important

Custom authentication and authorization models before Windows 8.1 aren't supported, although the article above discusses them.

To learn more about this feature, check out https://aka.ms/paa-sample.

Tip

Questions and comments are always welcome. However, please do NOT post a request for troubleshooting help by using the comment feature at the end of this article. Instead, go to the Remote Desktop client forum and start a new thread. Have a feature suggestion? Tell us in the client user voice forum.

You can set your Desktop Picture to a variety of dymanic or static images that Apple provides. You can also use a soild color or choose from one of your own photos or an image file.

Check out Mac Basics: Changing Your Desktop Background at YouTube for closed captioning and more options.

Video Transcript: Hi, this is Gary with MacMost.com. Today let me show you how to change your Desktop Background. MacMost is brought to you thanks to a great group of more than 800 supporters. Go to MacMost.com/patreon. There you can read more about the Patreon Campaign. Join us and get exclusive content and course discounts. So the large graphic that covers your desktop on your Mac is called the Desktop Picture. But most people refer to it as the Desktop Background or Desktop Wallpaper. So here you can see the colorful Big Sur default wallpaper. But you could easily change this to a variety of other images that Apple provides or use your own photo or graphic. To do this go to System Preferences and then click on Desktop & Screen Saver. You could also Control click on the Desktop or right click on a Mouse, two finger click on a trackpad. Then choose Change Desktop Background. That will take you to the same place. Then you want to make sure you've selected Desktop at the top. Now you could see the image that you're using as your Desktop Background right here. Sometimes there are some options here. For instance for this background I can choose a Light Image, a Dark Image, or I could set it to Automatic. So when I switch from Light Mode to Dark Mode on my Mac it will change which one of these it uses. Now Apple provides a whole bunch of different images you can use for a Desktop Background. To access them go to the Sidebar here. If you don't see the folders under Apple you may have to click this button to reveal them. Then select Desktop Pictures. Here you'll see Apple's Desktop Backgrounds displayed by category. First you've got Dynamic Desktops. So these are images that will change throughout the day. Showing the darker images at night and lighter images during the day. Here we've got a photo of Big Sur in California. You also have the photo of Catalina Island and you have a variety of really cool illustrations. Now all these will change throughout the day so the colors in these illustrations will change as the day progresses and you go into night and the next morning. Then you kind of have a solid gradient here. This will also change colors throughout the day. All the dynamic desktops will do that. Then you have a set of light and dark desktops. So these are two images in one. Which one is shown depends upon whether you're using Light Mode or Dark Mode. So for instance here's this photo and you could set it to Automatic. You could see this is the light image and here is the equivalent dark image. You've got some other photos here and you've got the default Big Sur background as well as an alternative. Then you have some static pictures. So these won't change depending upon light or dark mode or throughout the day or anything. These will just be these images. So you have some more images that show you Big Sur, other locations in California, and nature scenes. These's a whole collection of things that Apple includes with every Mac. Now in addition to those you could also select colors and then choose from a variety of different colors. Sometimes I prefer to actually use black to have nothing in the background and be able to focus on whatever windows I have open and whatever work I'm doing. But you could choose anyone of these other colors. If you want to choose your own custom color click here and this brings up the Color Picker and you can use the Color Wheel or any other style of color picker to choose a particular color and customize it to get it exactly like you want.In addition to that you could also open up Photos here and access your Photos Library. You can access all of your photos this way or go into Favorites or into any album that you want. So, for instance, I can go into this album here and then choose one of these backgrounds. It will just switch to use My Photo. Notice that when you choose a photo you can set it to Fill the Screen like this, or Fit to Screen, so you're going to end up with bars on the left and right in cases of most photos. Stretch to fill the screen, so it's going to distort the photo, or simply Center it which would actually give you a smaller photo in the middle if the photo isn't large enough to cover the entire screen. Also if you have a small photo you can choose Tile and it will tile it throughout the screen as well. Now another option is to go to Folders. By default you'll see your Pictures Folder in there unless you have actual images sitting in your Pictures Folder you won't find anything here. But you could put pictures in there and would see them appear. You could also click the Plus button here and add a folder. So, in my Documents folder I've got a folder where I've saved a bunch of pictures called My Pictures. I can select that or any photo in it and it will appear now under Folders here. I can easily choose one of these pictures and use it there. Now in addition when you choose a folder like this you have options at the bottom to change the picture automatically. So I can turn this on and set it to Change Picture every 30 minutes or another time period or even every time I login or Wake from Sleep. This will keep things fresh as my picture is always changing. It's going to choose another image from the folder that I've selected. I could have it go through the photos one-by-one in order or switch to random order if I want. You also get this option when you're in Photos and you choose a specific album. So if I chose Camping here as my album you could see I could have it change every 30 minutes. Here are two other ways you could change your Desktop Background. One is you could use this Preview as a Drop Zone. So let me bring up a new Finder window and let me choose a file from the Finder like this. I can drag and drop it right into this box and it will set that as my Desktop Background. When I do that that photo doesn't have to be anywhere here on the left. In fact it doesn't have to be in Photos or in any folder that I'm using. Another thing I could do is I can be in the Photos App and I can select a photo there. Then I could click the Share button or go to File, Share and choose Set Desktop Picture. That will change my desktop background without even opening up System Preferences.Changing the Desktop Background is one of the primary ways we have to show our personality and customize our Mac. You could set it to something that helps you relax throughout the day or something you like other people to see when they come to your office. It's easy to set the Desktop Background to something now and then change it later. So try different Desktop Backgrounds and settings and see what you like.

Desktop For Mac

Related Subjects: Mac Basics (20 videos), System Preferences (93 videos)

Desktop Wallpapers For Mac

Related Video Tutorials: How To Create Alternate Versions Of Big Sur's Desktop Background ― Mac Basics: Using System Preferences ― Mac Basics: User Accounts ― Mac Basics: Using The Menu Bar




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