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Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Client for Snow Leopard

by TJ Luoma Nov 1st 2009 at 4:30PM

Microsoft's Remote Desktop Connection Client is a free utility which allows you to connect to Windows computers running Windows from computers running Mac OS X (versions 10.4.9 or later).

For those of us who help manage Windows computers, it's a handy tool to have around, much like Screen Sharing (or Apple Remote Desktop) for connecting from one Mac to another. Fortunately I don't have to use it all that often, but last night when I tried it for the first time in a while, it crashed. I relaunched it, and it crashed again. Since I'm a slow learner, I tried it one last time. Yup, crashed a third time.

Assuming this wasn't some Halloween prank, I wondered if maybe I had an outdated version of the app, since I hadn't used it since Snow Leopard came out. I took a quick look around and found that version 2.0.1 had been released in mid-August. I downloaded the new version, ran the installer (I'm not sure why it needs an installer for what seems like a self-contained application, but it does) and the app launched as expected.

The release notes don't say much about what is new in this version, and I didn't notice any new features (other than not crashing on Snow Leopard, which is a significant plus). If you ever need to connect to computers running Windows, this 7.8MB download is a good addition to your toolbox.

Not all versions of Microsoft Windows support Remote Desktop Connections. For example, Windows XP "Professional" does, but the "Home" does not. Also, even for those versions of Windows which do support it, it is not enabled by default. If your version does not support it, you will need to find a VNC application which has a Windows 'server' and a Mac 'client'.

[If you prefer an open-source alternative to the Microsoft client, check out the versatile and free CoRD. --Ed.]

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Karen

A reliable remote desktop client you should consider checking out is by RHUB. They make remote support/access appliances and also web conferencing appliances. Very secure and no monthly fees. Take a look
http://www.rhubcom.com

November 20 2009 at 6:23 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Yi

Hi! Would you be interested in checking out Mikogo desktop sharing? It's free and easy-to-use. It includes many cross-platform features ranging from file transfer to remote keyboard/mouse control. Here is more info: http://www.mikogo.com. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Thanks!

Hsiang-Yi Cheng
The Mikogo Team

November 09 2009 at 9:50 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Patch

It has an installer package to make it easier for Mac Deployment admins to push the install quickly to desktop systems. Via Apple Remote Desktop, or other deployment tools (InstaDMG, Radmind, or Deploy Studio). Packages make enterprise Apple Admins happy.

November 02 2009 at 2:32 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Drifter71

I like Logmein. Sure you have to do a little setup and install the program on each computer but its free and easy to use. Never had it crash on me. Plus you can use your iPhone/iPod Touch too.

November 02 2009 at 2:07 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
aashish

I've been using Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection for a while now and regardless of the transition from Leopard to Snow Leopard, it has yet to fail on me.

November 02 2009 at 12:18 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
June K

Some other options you may want to consider are around ShowMyPC, we have been using this to connect from and to a Mac and Windows. On the main page you will see the links related to connections for Mac and Linux

http://showmypc.com

November 02 2009 at 11:18 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Ken McCaul

I'm very grateful for the post. I'd been using RDP1 since '04 and just downloaded the new one. The best thing I've noticed (in my 30minutes of use) is that my most used Mac shortcuts now work in my Windows session. No more Ctrl C vs Apple C etc.. Thank you.

November 02 2009 at 10:57 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Gavin Jones

My biggest problem with MS RDP 2.0 was that quite often would RDP to a server in my office then RDP onto another server from there. The MS RDP would have issues with ignoring the shift key on the second server so if I had any kind of complex password I wasn't able to log on.

November 02 2009 at 4:11 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Gavin Jones's comment
Gavin Jones

and just checking 2.0.1 that hasn't changed... well for me anyway.

November 02 2009 at 4:19 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jason Cox

I updated to 2.0.1 not long after Snow Leopard came out and I'm still finding the app crashes on me at least once or twice a week; the only catch is that it's not just the app crashing (ala Firefox), when it crashes on my system it brings down the entire OS, all apps refuse to startup (i.e. starting Terminal to invoke a reboot as trying it from the Apple menu locks up the system), some apps refuse to quit and just hang (i.e. trying to save data before the inevitable crash) and eventually Finder just locks up and I have to give the system the six-key-salute to reboot it.

November 01 2009 at 8:34 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Christian

The biggest problem with Microsoft's RDC for Windows admins is that it's incredibly crash-prone when shadowing Terminal Services users. It's been this way since version 1; there is, apparently, no end in sight.

November 01 2009 at 7:39 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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