How do I enable Remote Desktop Server 2016? In this post, we will offer four easy ways to enable RDP on Windows Server 2016. We also discuss how to Remote Desktop to Windows Server 2016 from Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS.
Hi, I want others to access my Windows Server 2016 via RDP. How can I enable Remote Desktop Server 2016? Thanks in advance.”
- Question from Windows Forum
Do you wish to enable Remote Desktop Server 2016/2019/2022? Need to establish a Remote Desktop connection but don’t know how to do so? By default, Remote Desktop option is disabled in Windows Server 2016 (except Server 2016 Essential edition). You can enable RDP on your Windows Server 2016 or later in the following four ways.
You can enable Remote Desktop through the Server Manager with easy steps.
Step 1. Open the Server Manager from the start menu.
Step 2. Click Local Server from the left panel, and you can see the Remote Desktop option is “Disabled”. Click the Disabled text to open System Properties.
Step 3. From the System Properties window, go to the Remote Desktop tab, and tick Allow remote connections to this computer. Click OK to take effect.
Step 4. Then you will receive a warning message. Click OK to proceed.
Step 5. At this point, you can optionally click the Select Users... option to give permissions to specific users or groups that can connect to your device via Remote Desktop. Click OK to exit the System Properties window and enable remote desktop.
Step 6. Return to Server Manager, and click the refresh button to update the status to Enabled.
You can also enable Remote Desktop Windows Server 2016/2019/2022 via Group Policy.
Step 1. Press Win + R, enter “gpedit.msc”, and click OK.
Step 2. Follow the path: Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Session Host\Connections. Then double-click Allow users to connect remotely by using Remote Desktop Services.
Step 3. Tick Enabled and click OK to take effect.
PowerShell is an object-oriented command environment. Here is how to enable Remote Desktop Windows Server 2016 PowerShell.
Step 1. Search for “PowerShell”and run it as administrator.
Step 2. Enter the following command to configure remote access:
Step 3. Since the Windows Firewall may block the RDP connections, you can enter the following command to open the firewall.
You can follow the instructions below to enable RDP in Windows Server 2016/2019/2022 with the command line.
Step 1. Press Win + R, enter “regedit.exe”, and click OK.
Step 2. Click File > Connect Network Registry.
Step 3. Enter the computer name of your PC and click OK.
Step 4. In the Registry Editor panel, go to HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server. Select the fDenyTSConnections parameter, change its Value data to 0, and click OK.
Step 5. Search for “cmd” and run it as administrator.
Step 6. Enter the following command to allow remote connections:
Step 7. Enter the following command to set firewall rules in the Windows Firewall.
Once you have enabled Remote Desktop on your Windows Server, you can remotely access it via RDP. Here is how to Remote Desktop to Windows computers from different operating systems.
You can perform RDP between Windows computers without extra downloading.
Step 1. Search for “Remote Desktop Connection” and click Open.
Step 2. Enter the user name or IP address of the remote computer, and click Connect.
To access Windows Server 2016 via Remote Desktop via Mac, you need to download the Microsoft Remote Desktop application from the App Store.
Step 1. Download and open Microsoft Remote Desktop. Click the New button, then enter the required information.
Step 2. You can see the device under My Desktops when you add the remote desktop. Click the device and press Start to start the remote control.
You need to install the rddesktop package on your Linux device to run RDP sessions.
Step 1. Use xterm to open Command shell.
Step 2. In the window, enter "desktop" to check whether the rdestkop is installed.
Step 3. If it is installed, type "desktop" followed by the IP address of the Windows Server and press Enter.
RDP also allows remote access from iOS and Android devices. Here are the instructions.
Step 1. Download RD Client on your iOS or Android device.
Step 2. Open the software, tap the “+” icon, and tap Add PC from the upper right corner.
Step 3. Enter the IP address of your Server and set the related settings based on your demands. Tap Save after that.
Step 4. Tap your computer in the PCs interface to start the remote control.
AnyViewer is free yet powerful remote desktop software that works with Windows Server 2019/2016/2012 R2/2022 and Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7 all editions. With this software, you can achieve unattended remote access with one click over the Internet without VPN or port forwarding. It also supports file transfer, multiple sessions, multiple-monitor navigation, instant chat, etc.
You need to install AnyViewer on your devices, but overall it's pretty simple to set up.
Step 1. Start AnyViewer on the host computer, and click Sign up to create a new account.
Step 2. Start AnyViewer on the client PC, and log in to the account you just created.
Step 3. Go to the Device interface, select the computer you want to connect to and click One-click control.
Now you can control the remote computer as if sitting in front of it, and there are many considerate options in the upper toolbar. For example, you can transfer files, chat with your partner, remote lock/reboot/shut down the computer, etc.
We hope this post helped to enable remote desktop server 2016. If you think performing RDP setup is complicated, we recommend using AnyViewer due to its intuitive interface and easy operation.