Install and Enable Remote Desktop in Windows XP Home Edition
Windows XP Home Edition (HE) does not come with or support Remote Desktop, or Terminal Services feature. There is Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) client which allows user to connect to remote host, but now accepting any remote desktop connection to the Windows XP Home PC. However, there is way to install and enable Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) in Windows XP using the trick below.
Note that if you just want to be able to remote control the desktop of the computer running on Windows XP Home Edition, it may be easier and wiser to use the free VNC as alternative instead. One such VNC server and client is UltraVNC.
To run Remote Desktop Terminal Services (server component) in Windows XP Home Edition, the operating system must first made to recognize itself as Windows XP Professional Edition. To do so, follow the guide to convert Windows XP Home to Windows XP Professional.
Confirm that the OS is now Windows XP Professional Edition by going to System Properties, by right clicking on “My Computer” and select “Properties”. Then download and install DevCon (direct download link to devcon.exe), a command-line utility functions as an alternative to Device Manager.
devcon.exe is a self-extractor executable. Execute “devcon.exe” and choose a folder to unpack the content. devcon.exe will create two folders inside the selected path – i386 and ia64.
Open a command prompt window (Cmd), and the change directory into the i386 folder extracted by DevCon. Then run the following command to reinstall rdpdr driver:
devcon.exe -r install %windir%\inf\machine.inf root\rdpdr
Restart the computer after running the command.
At this stage, Windows XP ‘Professional’ which is converted still does not have the necessary Terminal Services related settings in the registry to run the Remote Desktop. To reinstall and enable Terminal Services in Windows XP Home turned Professional OS, download and run the enable_tsxp.bat batch script (also support enable TS in Windows 2000), which will create a .reg file to merge the required Terminal Services values to registry and bootlog. Reboot after patching the registry.
After reboot, the Terminal Services is running and ready to accept incoming Remote Desktop Connection session. To verify the Terminal Services is actually running, go to Control Panel -> Administrator Tools -> Services, and locate the “Terminal Services” entry. If the service is not started, start it manually. There won’t be a “Remote” tab in System Properties, and ensure that the port 3389 (the default port for Remote Desktop) is open in firewall.
Sometimes, it may be useful to patch termsrv.dll with a cracked version which allows multiple RDC sessions and users to fix some problems such as disconnection issue. It’s also good for testing by allowing connect remote desktop to localhost.
Note that the registry settings enable the automatic logon feature, where the system will auto login administrator on local console on every system startup without prompting for password, nor allowing user to select account to log on. To disable this feature, run Registry Editor (regedit), and navigate to the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
Change the value data for “AutoAdminLogin” from “1″ to “0″.
Related posts:
- Turn On or Enable Remote Desktop on Windows Vista
- Enable Multiple Concurrent Remote Desktop Connections or Sessions in Windows XP
- Easily Maintain Multiple Remote Desktop Connections with visionapp Remote Desktop (vRD)
- Hack to Enable Windows Aero in Vista Home Basic Edition
- Workaround for Remote Desktop Client to Connect to Localhost (Local Terminal Server Service)
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Nice information, I really appreciate the way you presented.Thanks for sharing
I installed Remote Desktop from my XP Home install CD – isn't it standard on Retail?
And if you Run "conf", doesn't that install NetMeeting, which allows multiple connections?
I've tried this
Unfortunately, it's not working for me.
After running enable_tsxp.bat (which i had to copy from above, since it's been removed from the file host), I reboot, and it does the auto-login, and Terminal Services service is running, but there's no remote tab. I reboot again, and the auto-login setting is gone. It seems like windows is reverting the changes made by enable-tsxp.
Hi All. I have did all the steps in the Windows XP to Pro changes. I have installed the remote desktop using all the ideas you have. I made sure that the remote and the printers were not blocked by the firewall. However, when I go to the remote server that runs the application I use and try to print locally it tells me it is blocked by the Administrator. Is this something on the remote server is it something I have wrong on my local system.
Thanks
That's a pretty hardcore hack – I like it! I'm going to give UltraVNC a go first as I just need access somehow. But if that fails I'll get stuck into your method. Cheers!
For those of you that can't get devcon to work. I read the devcon faq and if you leave off the .exe extention it worked for me
my devcon command was:
devcon -r install %windir%infmachine.inf rootrdpdr
Maybe this'll help someone
thanks for sharing…I’m no stranger to editing the registry or using command lines but this has got me confused!
Can anyone shed some light?
Thanks,Keith
I noticed that when I copy the enable_ts_patch.bat data that was posted in this comments section, then paste into notepad, it uses some strange quotes symbols instead of the standard double quotes. They aren't easy to recognize unless you type real double quotes next to one of them and can clearly see their is a difference. I'm sure this affects how data is saved in registry, so I would look into that if you're having problems getting a connection.
(once again in a new thread-just for sure, sorry for the previous one)
Hello,
I’ve followed these procedures to gain access from my new Windows 7 machine to my old Windows XP machine but it isn’t working. I’ve verified that TS are running on the XP computer but when I attempt to connect from the Windows 7 computer, I get a message that “Remote access to the server is not enabled, The remote computer is turned off, or The remote computer is not available on the network.” I know the remote (XP) computer is on and I can map drives to it, so it must be “available” on the network. What am I missing to enable remote access to the server?
If you are logging on without a password you won't be able to use the remote desktop access. I just tried getting on to my home XP pro machine, and didn't have success until I assigned a PW.
Hope this helps and isn't too late after the fact.
The correct devcon command usage for this is:
devcon.exe install %windir%infmachine.inf rootrdpdr
The keyword install was left out of the above example.
oops…my bad…didn't see that the first time…
Hello,
I just did everything precisely and it works great. The problem I am afraid is that after the last reboot, I tried windows update, and it comes with the actualization "genuine notification". I disabled it for now, but would like to know if this happend to anyone else as well and what to do with it. Maybe it will pass the test, I don't know, but if not, I think it's very hard to get rid of the messages and reinstalling the system might be the only solution… :/
I've followed these procedures to gain access from my new Windows 7 machine to my old Windows XP machine but it isn't working. I've verified that TS are running on the XP computer but when I attempt to connect from the Windows 7 computer, I get a message that "Remote access to the server is not enabled, The remote computer is turned off, or The remote computer is not available on the network." I know the remote (XP) computer is on and I can map drives to it, so it must be "available" on the network. What am I missing to enable remote access to the server?
I made everithing as described. the pc is assumed XO Pro.
Executed devcon without problems and added the values of enable_tsxp.bat to the registry.
Disabled the firewall and don't hava and antivirus.
Still don't work for me.
I have a localized version of xp. is that a problem???
Look, if you're gonna attempt this, learn what a command prompt is. And where to find files. And what i386 and ia64. It sounds hard but it's not.
The enable_tsxp.bat file contain:
@echo off
echo Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00> C:TSXP.reg
echo [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesTermService]>> C:TSXP.reg
echo "Start"=dword:00000002>> C:TSXP.reg
echo [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlTerminal Server]>> C:TSXP.reg
echo "AllowTSConnections"=dword:00000001>> C:TSXP.reg
echo [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlTerminal Server]>> C:TSXP.reg
echo "fDenyTSConnections"=dword:00000000>> c:TSXP.reg
echo [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlTerminal Server]>> C:TSXP.reg
echo "fAllowToGetHelp"=dword:00000001>> C:TSXP.reg
echo [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionWinlogon]>> C:TSXP.reg
echo "AllowMultipleTSSessions"=dword:00000001>> C:TSXP.reg
echo [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionWinlogon]>> C:TSXP.reg
echo "AutoAdminLogon"="1">> C:TSXP.reg
%windir%
egedit.exe /S C:TSXP.reg
echo [Components] > c:ootlog~.txt
echo TSEnabled = on >> c:ootlog~.txt
sysocmgr /i:%windir%infsysoc.inf /u:c:ootlog~.txt /q
DEL /Q C:TSXP.reg
DEL /Q C:ootlog~.txt
exit
hi.tnx for this use-full post.i do all the steps.and all the things are correct.now how to connect foe example my phone(hd2) to my laptop.i just want to remote my laptop via my phone.plz guide me
works perfect
works perfect. thanks a lot!
Worked like a charm! one hint is I installed the 1386 folder to the root folder C:\ to keep the path short.
Your problem is probably that you must type the entire command inside quotes, so that CMD recognisies the string as a whole. Without quotes, CMD will try to resolve the path up to the first space, and see "local" as a switch not part of the path. Type:
“C:Documents and SettingsLarryLocal SettingsTemp” including the quotes and it should work.
I, too am stumped at the same point Keith seems to be. the path to my devcon file is:
"C:Documents and SettingsLarryLocal SettingsTemp"
under Temp there are the "i386" and "ia64" folders and "devcon.exe" is found in both. so, i went to Start->Run and typed in the foregoing file path, but when i hit Enter it says
"'Local' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file."
i appreciate Nishy's comments but and still stumbling about like a drunken sailor.
questions:
1. specifically how do i "Execute “devcon.exe” and choose a folder to unpack the content?"
2. is there a problem with my file path?
3. is Start->Run where i type the "command prompt?" if not, where and how?
4. specifically what command prompt do i type?
5. how do i run the "rdpdr" command?
i appreciate any help.
Hi, pls i need some answers, can you contact me?
I have Windows Xp Media Center, have tried all the steps but nothing has changed.
Pls can you help me?
Thanks so much! This did the trick!
Nishy
Thanks for that info-I haven't tried it yet because in the meantime I installed VNC Free Edition which works very well and required no setup at all(amazingly).Just install the software on the host and client networked machines and it works. No audio is the only drawback in the free edition.
Have a great day!
@Keith:
Had the same issue but google helped me out
you have to do this in comand prompt
CD /D C:devcon1386
Well actually you would have to change the "C:devcon1386" to wherever you put devcon
and then after that
run the following command to reinstall rdpdr driver like it says and then restart:
devcon.exe -r install %windir%infmachine.inf root
dpdr
Why not post the commands ftom the .bat file here?
I also get the "no download slots" error…
Hi, I am stumped on one procedure in these instructions and that is:
'Open a command prompt window (Cmd), and the change directory into the i386 folder extracted by DevCon.'
Maybe I'm just a real dummy, but regardless I don't understand what this means or how to do it.
I'm no stranger to editing the registry or using command lines but this has got me confused!
Can anyone shed some light?
Thanks,Keith
It works but I´m afraid of genuine problem …
Thanks for your article – worked like a charm!!
when i try to run enable_tsxp.bat it just opens up a blank cmd window?
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