Windows Recommend me remote desktop software? (please!)

Hi everyone,

I wish to connect to my Windows 7 64bit Home Premium computer from my Windows Vista 32bit Home Premium laptop. At first, just via my home network, but later possibly from anywhere in the world.

I understand I cannot connect TO my windows 7 machine FROM my Vista machine with the built in remote desktop software, as this only works with enterprise and ultimate editions?

I would be able to connect TO my laptop FROM my PC, but I have no need for this.

Any good, reliable software recommendations for this purpose would be gratefully received!

Thanks,
Sam.

EDIT: After installing the software on both computers, giving permission to each once, I don't want to have to do anything to the windows 7 machine other than leave it on, if that makes sense. A friend helped me out by using logmein once which is free but it required me using a code which only worked once, I think...

 

almost right, pro editions and upwards can host a remote desktop, but all can can be clients.

you need something like tightVNC or teamviewer

 

I would recommend Teamviewer

 

+1 for Team Viewer. Excellent piece of software.

 

Teamviewer, VNC or LogMeIn are all good and I use them all fairly regularly. VNC is a slight PITA to set up if you're accessing your machine from another network (i.e. over the Internet) and requires you to set up IP routing etc. Of them all, I find LogMeIn to be the most useful because I have the pro version for some of my machines and there's a very well written iPhone & iPod app for accessing both free and paid accounts, which I use almost daily.

 

Thanks so much guys! I did a bit of scouting around and the consensus seems to be Teamviewer and LogMeIn are the best, as has been suggested here...are the free versions of both of these adequate for my needs?

I'm not going to be doing any file moving or anything, it's more just so I can run disk defrag, virus scans, general maintenance etc from the road whilst my (computer incompetent ) family use it.

Also to let virus scans etc run overnight and then I can shut the PC down from my laptop in my room instead of staying downstairs or leaving it on all night etc etc

Out of the free versions of Teamviewer and LogMeIn, which one will leave less junk on my PC?
(Stuff running on startup, bloatware etc etc)

Thanks again

 

free teamviewer is great - i think free logmein is cut down on features, where as I think teamviewer is just free for personal use.

 

Ill go +1 for LogMeIN but it does leave a few processes running on your computer. I don't have access to my computer now to tell you how many. It works well and you can add as many computers as you want that's what i do with my computer illiterate family members. Free version will work perfectly for what you want to do.

Margo:

I think ill have a look at temaviewer when i get home I have never heard of it. but just for remoting in and running scans he will be fine with LMI

EDIT: Teamviewer looks great I will defiantly try it as I am always looking for a better solution. Thanks for the tip

 

Thanks all. Think I will give Teamviewer free a looksee; will let you know how I get on. I can always move to LogMeIn if I don't get on with it.

 

I just checked teamviewer out, I may change to it as it has better functionality from what I have seen but I have not tried all the features.

 

Logmein is what I use, it's the only one that seems to cut thought my schools filters (since it's basically a secure web app)

 

My university blocks LMI (I posted a thread about it a while ago) and when I made a request to have it whitelisted for my personal login credentials, I got no response. I work around it by using a 3G dongle to remote into my clients' machines from my laptop when I'm down there. I really can't afford to waste 3 or 4 hours in an afternoon (the gap between my two lectures on one day last semester) without access to either my own or a client's workstations and servers, so it had to be done.

 

That's weird since it uses port 80, the same one web browsers use.

 

I have a friend that works for his mums business and uses teamviewer its easy to set up and use and he can do everything ever needed he even used it on my laptop before now to send files also i highly recommend this.

 

You can use remote desktop on Home Premium:
http://www.missingremote.com/guide/how-enable-concurrent-sessions-windows-7-service-pack-1-rtm
Works a treat.
Forward port 3389 on your router for external access.

 

Used teamviewer on a regular basis and have had no problems.

 

Just reporting back in: Teamviewer is really easy to use, no probs at all.

The only thing I didn't understand is during installation it asked me whether I wanted to install the VPN driver? I didn't get the description it gave so I just clicked 'No'

Well it works fine for what I want without it, whatever it is.

Thanks for everyone's help.

 

I think, its called "VPN helper driver"? I think this is for older systems, if you are running windows 7 is not necessary

 

Ahhh that's cool. It didn't make that clear but I didn't install it anyway so all good. (I HATE installing unnecessary stuff!)

 

Try Remote Utilities Free. You'll like it.