remote desktop HELP

I got the printer to share easily and i sort of have file sharing - only if i click "view workgroups" in network places - not just by clicking on the shared docs file which i though was how it was supposed to work. Maybe this is why i can't get remote desktop to work.

I tried following instructions in a few threads I found to no avail. I went to My Computer - properties and click allow users to remote to this computer on the Inspiron E1505. HOWEVER, on the Dell 4600 desktop, the section isn't there at all - on the "Remote Assistance" choice is there. Does this 2-year old 4600 desktop not even have this section. I put passwords on both the Inspiron E1505 and on Dell 4600 desktop - wired in on ethernet. The E1505 does "see" the 4600 desktop in "workgroups" but i thought Remote Desktop would work so that I could literally "see" my 4600 desktop just like I was sitting there only it would be from my laptop, rght?

How do you "open" remote desktop? I tried installing something using Add/Remove Programs - Add/Remove Windows Components - checked Networking box and WHOA. I knocked EVERYTHING off and had to call BellSouth DSL to get me back on - somehow it created a bridge that didn't work at all and had to be removed. Is there any hope for me? I'm not particularly computer savvy, but I do ok and with step by step I can do stuff well.

 

first off; why do you want to use remote desktop? if you don't absolutely need it, i'd say leave it off as it's sort of a security risk to leave it on.

i could be wrong, but i believe remote desktop is not available in XP Home; is that what's on your desktop?

 

remote desktop is only available on media center edition and pro... so first off you will not be able to 'see' the other desktop without a VNC connection.. if you're brave enough, look them up (or someone can give their advice). As far as sharing files, you should go through the whole "add network place" prompt, and if it works out you should be able to get to the files OK. Checking or unchecking the 'remote assistance' box doesn't have any impact on anything except for if you're getting 'remote assistance' from, say, someone at dell or whatever...

edit: here's a helpful thread for setting up the file sharing...
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=54999

 

thanks for the tips and the link - I guess you're right - I have XP home on the desktop and it does not even have the Remote Desktop area on it. My desktop does however have Remote Desktop installed on it combined with SonicWall that our IT director at work installed on my desktop personally. All I do is enable the Sonic Wall and then click on Remote Desktop and enter my user id and password and presto - It's exactly like I'm at my desk at work - I can print to any of the numerous printers at work and have full access to all the work shared drives and CAD files.

I wanted to have access to my 4600 Dell desktop located upstairs from my E1505 laptop used downstairs and on our patio just for convenience. Mainly, I would like to have access to the email box on the desktop - I can access the same email account from my laptop also, but sometimes I need to check an email that was received an opened only on my desktop - i don't know of anyway to get my emails on BOTH my desktop and laptop synchronized - much like I synchronize my Axim x51 to my work desktop. Oh well - I can still check email on the same account from either machine, but I just can't trade or "see" emails on one machine from another. I thought Remote Desktop would solve this since that's how it works between my desktop and my work desktop via Sonic Wall.

Any advice again is appreciated, and i plan to try the thread about using identical user accounts and disabling file sharing.

 

The remote dektop client is available on all XP versions.

The server is only on pro and media center. So you can remote into other computers with home but you can't remote into your XP home computer.

What your IT director did is set you up with a SonicWall VPN client. You have a Sonicwall router with VPN at work most likely. So you open that and it links you back to your office (as if your home computer is plugged into the work network) then click the remote link to go to your work computer, log into it and you are on it. On a side note tell your IT director to just get a terminal server and save the router some trouble.

Your problem is because you have XP PRo at the office so you can remote into it and your home desktop has XP Home. So you can remote to other computers from you home computer but not to it. You will need to use a 3rd party software such as VNC.

 

zjchaser - THANKS!!!! you put it all in plain english i can understand. don't like what you're saying, but at least i get it!