Three Ways to Access Windows Server from iPad

Can an iPad connect to a Windows server?

“I’m traveling to another city and I need to access files stored on my office computer from my iPad. My office computer is running Windows Server 2016 and my iPad is running iOS 15.2.0. Can my iPad connect to a Windows server?”

How to access Windows Server from iPad

If you need to access Windows files from your iPad, you need to first find a way to access Windows Server from iPad. Don't worry, here we provide you with three methods to access the operation. 

Method 1. The iPad built-in Files app

Step 1. On the Windows server, right-click the folder you want to access from the iPad, then choose Properties.

Step 2. Go to Sharing tab, then click Share.

Step 3. Choose people to share with, then click Share.

Step 4. Click Done to finish the process.

Step 5. Open the built-in Files app on your iPad.

Step 6. Tap on the "triple-dot" icon located at the top-right corner.

Step 7. Put in the server address and tap Connect.

Step 8. Choose Guest or Registered User according to the setup on your file server. Enter the username and password, and then tap Next.

Step 9. You will now be connected to the shared folder.

Step 10. You’re able to copy, move, delete, duplicate and rename the files.

Method 2. The Windows built-in Remote Desktop

The second method on how to access desktop from iPad is to use the Windows built-in RD Client.

Step 1. Download RD Client on your iPad.

Step 2. Click “+” sign.

Step 3. Click Desktop to add new desktop.

Step 4. Enter the desktop name or IP address.

Step 5. Click Additional Options to do a little further configuration.

Step 6. You can configure Friendly Name, Gateway, Sound, or choose to enable Swap Mouse Buttons and Admin Mode or not. After configuration, click Desktop.

Step 7. Then the desktop of the computer will appear in the main Remote Desktop window.

Step 8. If you see a screen telling you that the PC is not verified, tap Accept to continue with the connection. You can also turn on the Don’t ask me again for connection to this computer option if you’d rather not see the message again.

Step 9. After you successfully connect your iPad to the Windows server, there will be a menu on the middle top of the screen. You can tap the middle button to open a few Remote Desktop options.

Note: This is how to connect iPad to Windows PC. The way to use iPhone to remotely access a PC is pretty much the same as using iPad.

Method 3. Third-party remote desktop software AnyViewer

The third method how to connect an iPad to a network server is to use the free remote desktop software AnyViewer. AnyViewer for Windows version supports multiple Windows systems, from Windows 7 to the latest Windows 11. While AnyViewer for iOS supports iPhone and iPad running iOS 10.0 or later.

Part 1. Enable remote access on Windows computer

Step 1. Download, install and launch AnyViewer on the Windows computer.

Step 2. Go to Log in, and then click Sign up. (If you already have signed up on its official website, you can log in directly.)

Step 3. Fill in the signup information.

Step 4. Then you can see you successfully logged in to AnyViewer. Your device will automatically be assigned to the account you've logged in to.

Part 2. Achieve unattended remote access on the iPad

Step 1. Download and install AnyViewer for iOS on your iPhone, then open it. Log in to the account that you've logged in to the Windows computer on iPad.

 Step 2. Then all the devices that have been logged in to the same account will be displayed here. Choose the device that you want to control.

Step 3. Click One-click control to achieve unattended remote access to the specific computer.

Step 4. Then you'll be successfully connecting your iPad to a Windows computer. It supports both vertical and horizontal screens, you can switch freely.

Step 5. Click the menu icon, you can also see multiple shortcuts. You can do the adjustments here.

Conclusion

In this post, we provide you with three methods to access Windows Server from iPad. Firstly, you can use Files App on your iPad to remotely access computer shred folders. Secondly, you can use the Windows built-in Remote Desktop to remotely control a computer. Finally, you can use the free third-party remote software AnyViewer to remotely access another Windows PC from anywhere.