For IT teams and network admins who need to resolve technical issues, getting to the root of the problem without getting in the way of other peoples’ work can be difficult. You need to figure things out before they cause issues across your network, but you can’t bring everything to a halt to do it.
Microsoft Remote Desktop 10.5.0 - Connect to Windows machines. Download the latest versions of the best Mac apps at safe and trusted MacUpdate.
To help, I’d recommend using a remote desktop software. With free, freemium, and commercial options on the market, you can remotely access another computer from your own—or even from a mobile device. This allows you to help end users experiencing issues or to work in the background while they go about their business. Plus, a tool like this can help you remotely manage your computer, storage, and network resources throughout your company—even if you have branch offices around the state, country, or globe.
Microsoft Remote Desktop provides a simple and intuitive solution for quickly setting up remote connections between your Mac and various Windows machines. This is extremely useful if you need to access data stored on Windows computers, if you want to make real time presentations, and more. Download this app from Microsoft Store for Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 Mobile, Windows Phone 8.1, Windows 10 Team (Surface Hub), HoloLens. See screenshots, read the latest customer reviews, and compare ratings for Microsoft Remote Desktop. Remote Desktop Mac free download - Microsoft Remote Desktop, Remote Desktop Manager, Remote Desktop Control, and many more programs. Microsoft Remote Desktop 10.2.2 crash on Mac OS High Sierra: happens every time, reboot does not matter. 10.2.1 sort of works fine (though 10.2.1 cannot add new users any more) - crash-report.txt.
Free and freemium options can be great depending on your needs—and my list goes into detail about them—but if you’re looking for truly cost-effective, premium options, I’d recommend SolarWinds® Dameware® Remote Support for an on-premises remote desktop solution and the JUST RELEASED Dameware Remote Everywhere for cloud-based solutions. As a proven leader in the remote support industry, SolarWinds is the one to beat.
Whether you’re resolving IT issues on-site, in different buildings on-premises, or at branch offices, remote desktop software can speed up the process without bringing workflows to a halt. Here’s my pick for the best free remote desktop software of 2020.
Feel free to jump ahead to reviews:
Top Free Remote Desktop Software for 2020
New year, new offerings. Whether you’re looking at free, freemium, or commercial remote desktop software, you have a lot of options at your disposal. However, I’m just going to focus on free platforms right now, so you can understand what the most entry-level options on the market look like. Like I’ve already said, these tools can give you a lot of the essentials when it comes to remote access, but they’re not going to give you absolutely everything.
Regardless, free remote desktop software can help you dip your toe into the water. This can be useful if you’re not exactly sure what your needs are or if you’d like to get familiar with some options before deciding in which commercial software you want to invest. On the other hand, these free remote desktop tools might give you everything you need, in which case the following options will be just fine. In no particular order, here’s what to consider in 2020:
Chrome Remote Desktop is one of the more basic offerings out there for free remote desktop connections, but it gets the job done pretty conveniently. The only requirement is that both computers—that is, yours (the client) and the computer you’re remotely logging into (the host)—have Chrome installed.
This option works via an extension you install. You’ll give yourself access to the host by creating a unique PIN and you can take control of the host by logging into Chrome on the client side. As a plus, you can access the host even if Chrome isn’t running or if they’re not logged into their account. However, the functions are a bit limited. There are no chat options available in case you need to communicate quickly with someone on the other end and the platform doesn’t support file sharing at the moment, so I’d definitely call it an entry-level choice.
Microsoft Remote Desktop is similar to Chrome’s. It offers basic features that are convenient if you’re a certain kind of user, but it comes with a spate of limitations that might not make it the best option for everyone. With the platform—which Microsoft provides for free—you can remotely access Windows PCs from other Windows computers, mobile, devices, and Macs.
Microsoft Remote Desktop 10 10.2.2 Free For Mac Windows 10
However, you should note that you can’t access a Mac from a Windows PC. With Microsoft Remote Desktop, you’ll be able to work with any version of Windows starting with Windows 7 provided they’re running Enterprise, Ultimate, or Professional. It doesn’t require authorization to connect to your own PCs, which is a plus, but it also doesn’t support file sharing or offer a wealth of options when it comes to IT assistance.
Compared with Chrome Remote Desktop and Microsoft Remote Desktop, RemotePC gives you some additional features. For example, it supports file-sharing and chat functionalities—both important things if you’re trying to work with someone remotely to solve a problem. You can also use mobile devices to access a computer, so you’re not tethered to a desktop or laptop host.
On the flip side, the biggest limitation is that you’re only able to store information for one connection at a time, unless you take advantage of their freemium options. This means that you can only have an access ID and key paired for one type of connection. You could conceivably access as many hosts as you need, but you won’t be able to store that information to toggle through.
UltraVNC works by installing a server and a viewer on two different PCs. You’ll install the server on the computer you want to connect to, and the viewer on the computer you’re going to use as your controller. By installing the server as a system service, it’ll always be running and you can make connections more easily.
As far as potential snags, you’ll need to change your router settings while using UltraVNC—specifically for port forwarding. Aside from that, the platform supports file sharing and transfers, chatting between the server and the viewer, and clipboard sharing. Fair warning, the download page isn’t as elegant as some of these other options.
Remote Utilities gives you a competitive array of tools considering that it’s free. After pairing two computers with an Internet ID, you’ll be able to remotely access up to ten PCs. The service provides a number of tools to help with the pairing process, including a Viewer for the computer you want to use as your controller, a Host on remote computers for unattended access, a run-only Agent for spontaneous access, and an RU Server to route remote connections and access additional capabilities.
Available for personal and enterprise use, Remote Utilities has a lot of effective remote access capabilities. For example, available modules include a task manager, file transfer, power control, and text chat, just to name a few. However, the primary limitation—aside from the limit of 10 connections—is that Remote Utilities only works on Windows.
Why Remote Desktop Software?
Whatever industry you’re in, IT teams face a difficult task: how can you resolve issues with computers, storage, and networking resources without getting in the way of other important work your enterprise does? Whether you’re resolving an issue with one end user’s computer or investigating a problem affecting the organization as a whole, there’s a lot of pressure to get in, fix the problem, and get out as soon as possible.
On one hand, I can see where people are coming from. Research shows that 54% of companies experienced a downtime event lasting more than an entire workday—that’s about eight hours—in the past five years. When you consider that longer incidents can cost companies tens of thousands of dollars, if not hundreds of thousands, you can understand why it’s critical that IT professionals get to the root of whatever’s going wrong and figure things out.
On the other hand, I think it’s important to point out the barrier’s IT teams face. For instance, if an end user is having a problem that calls for your attention, you want to help them get back up to speed without putting them and their workstation out of commission for hours on end. Additionally, if someone in a branch office or a different building on your corporate campus needs assistance, it’s probably time-consuming—if not impossible—to physically be with them at their computer.
This puts IT professionals in a bind. You need to fix problems before they cause big losses for your company, but you also need to do so in a way that’s almost like you’re not even there. So how can you make this happen? Well, you probably need remote desktop software. This software can help you take over computers that have already given you permission to do so, and that includes everything: mouse, keyboard, and all.
If you’re looking for a free remote desktop software to fit these needs, you want to find the solution that works best for your team and your budget. While it’s up to you whether you go for free, freemium, or commercial products, take the time to learn more about what’s out there. To that end, I’m sharing some of my favorite free remote desktop software options with you below.
If Free Remote Support Tools Don’t Cut It
Free remote desktop software can give you some of the primary capabilities IT teams need. From portability options to chatting platforms, you can access a lot of the tools that make remote desktop software so useful in the first place. You’ll be able to take control of another computer—often whether or not somebody’s on the other end—and get to the root of the problem without disturbing their work or having to waste time actually walking to their workstation.
However, you’re going to run into some limitations depending on which software you use. For instance, a lot of free remote desktop software only allows you access to a certain number of computers at any one time. This may be all you need if you’re on a smaller team, but it’s obviously a hassle for bigger operations—and potentially a deal-breaker. Even if you fall somewhere in the middle, you’re not going to want to have multiple kinds of remote desktop access software just so you can cover all your computers without having to pay.
When I think of remote desktop software that’s easy to install, intuitive to use, and backed up by other positive customer reviews, I have to go with SolarWinds Dameware Remote Support and Dameware Remote Everywhere. Available for on-premises and cloud-based teams, Dameware Remote Support and Dameware Remote Everywhere provide really effective tools that I depend on. It’s secure, functional 24/7, and comes with support. If I need to start a mobile session over a device, centrally manage my Dameware environment, or organize work tickets easily, these SolarWinds offerings would be the perfect fit. What’s great is that you can try out either one of these remote support solutions risk-free for 14 days to see if it meets your support needs.
Other Helpful Free Tools Lists
If your network is down or experiencing real issues, it’s hard for the rest of your organization to do what needs to get done. Whether you’ve already figured out your network architecture or you want to get it up and running in tandem with network monitoring tools, make sure that you do your research and get the options that will work best for your team.
If you and your team regularly build your own applications, safeguarding your server environment is critical. After all, those applications are probably essential, whether they’re for people inside your organization or for clients outside of it. To that end, you need server monitoring tools that can get the job done—regardless of whether you want free, freemium, or commercial options.
Remote Desktop clients/software lets you remotely view and control a computer from another. Distance is not a factor here. You can remotely control a computer in Seoul or Ankara from Kampala or anywhere else in the world and vice versa as if it were right in front of you. But for this wizardry can go down, you first need to install some software on both the Host (a computer you are remotely controlling) and the Client (you).
Microsoft Remote Desktop 10 10.2.2 Free For Mac Download
Most operating systems have a native Remote Desktop client already installed. Among these you will find Windows Remote Desktop on Windows machines, Remmina on Linux distros, and Mac’s Screen Sharing feature which is essentially just another Remote Desktop client.
Of these, only Windows Remote Desktop can claim to be multi-platform. It works just as well on Macs and is free to download from the iTunes store. It’s also one way to remotely connect a Mac to a Windows machine. Be sure to check these clients out before venturing further.
There is literally hundreds of Remote Desktop software out there, many free and just as many paid clients. The criteria we used to zero down these 5 Remote Desktop software boils down to which ones support all three operating systems at the same time. That’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. But we do love a challenge. This is what we have come up with:
Remote Desktop software for Windows, Mac & Linux
TeamViewer
Teamviewer is hands down the most popular Remote Desktop client for remote support and remote management. No expert computer knowledge is required which makes it the perfect tool for most users. Setting up is as easy as ABC. All you need to do is download the app both ends, after which you log in using your partner’s ID and password. Teamviewer supports most platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Blackberry, name it.
They have a full version with a ton of features for power users such as file transfer, collaboration, online meetings, video and voice calls, chat, Wake-on-LAN and more. From our observations through the free home version is adequate for your old-fashioned Remote Desktop needs.
NoMachine
NoMachine is another free Remote Desktop client which is a truly multi-platform built around NX technology, a proprietary compression protocol for remote computer access. Supported platforms include Windows, Linux, Mac, Android, iOS, Raspberry Pi, and even ARM. NoMachine has perhaps has the most beautiful user interface of all the Remote Desktop clients we have seen. Feature-wise, it goes head-to-head with Teamviewer that we are torn choosing which one we like more. NoMachine
NoMachine lets you securely troubleshoot problems, collaborate with others on projects, share files, and even record what you are doing. You can remotely access your software and also peripheral devices such as printers, scanners, flash drives and others and even print documents or do it on a local device.
Microsoft Remote Desktop 10 10.2.2 Free For Mac Os
Enterprise clients can make use of NoMachine’s Cloud and Terminal Servers to fast track productivity. Corporations, scientific and research organisations privately and securely store their sensitive data on the cloud with centralised remote access management.
AnyDesk
Microsoft Remote Desktop 10 10.2.2 Free For Mac 64-bit
AnyDesk follows the same script as NoMachine and Teamviewer down to the multi-platform-ness. The remote desktop client works on Linux, Windows, Mac OS, FreeBSD, Android and iOS. one, you can comfortably run a desktop app or even a portable version on a flash drive. You get the usual Banking-standard TLS 1.2 encryption technology, real-time collaboration, built-in file transfer, recording sessions and what not.
AnyDesk’s claim to fame is how lightweight it is and its data-saving features. The setup file is only 2MB, believe it or not. AnyDesk also uses its own proprietary software, DeskRT, that compresses images to reduce latency while transferring up to 60fps on any network. Moreover, AnyDesk claims excellent bandwidth efficiency. It would still work at about a bandwidth as low as 100 kbps.
Chrome Remote Desktop
Remote Desktop clients don’t get any easier than Chrome Remote Desktop. Google made it an extension you download from the Chrome Webstore that lets you remotely access any other computer running Google Chrome. It runs entirely within the browser and it’s fully multi-platform in case you were wondering. It just works.
On the downside, Chrome Remote Desktop doesn’t yet support file sharing or chatting like the other clients. The best you can do is remote support and management. If that’s what you wanted to do anyway, let’s no reason why you can’t use it. It beats having to install yet another software on your system.
Microsoft Remote Desktop 10 10.2.2 Free For Mac Installer
VNC Connect
Last on our list is Real VNC’s VNC Connect (Client-side). As with the other Remote Desktops, a companion VNC Viewer (Host-side) has to be installed. Unlike the other Remote Desktop clients, Real VNC chose to split their software two ways. It can be a bit confusing. VNC Connect/Viewer supports Windows, Mac, Linux, Raspberry Pi, Solaris, HP-UX and AIX.
The home use version is limited to 5 remote computers and 3 users. VNC Connect doesn’t offer as many features as other Remote Desktop clients. The real magic starts happening when you go Pro and Enterprise. You get Team management capabilities and a dedicated support channel, Multi-factor and system authentication, printing, file transfer, chat and even more features once you go Enterprise.
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