Quick answer: Connect to a Windows VPS with Remote Desktop: on Windows run mstsc and enter the server IP; on Mac install the free Windows App from the App Store. Log in as Administrator or a Remote Desktop Users member. For a custom port, use server-ip:port.
Remote Desktop (RDP) is how you reach the graphical desktop of a Windows VPS from your own computer. Both Windows and Mac have a client; here is how to connect from each, plus the errors people hit most often.
Server IP: your Windows VPS address Username: Administrator, or a user in the Remote Desktop Users group Password: the account password Port: 3389 (unless your server uses a custom RDP port)
Press Start and type Remote Desktop Connection (or run mstsc). Enter the server IP in the Computer field. Click Show Options to save the username and display settings. Click Connect, then enter the password. If your server uses a non-standard port, enter it as your-server-ip:3390.
Install the free Windows App (formerly Microsoft Remote Desktop) from the Mac App Store. Add a PC, enter the server IP, add your username and password, and double-click the entry to connect. For a custom port, append it to the IP as on Windows.
Both clients let you save a connection so you do not re-enter details each time. On Windows you can also save the .rdp file to your desktop for one-click access.
"The remote computer requires Network Level Authentication" means NLA is enforced and your client is out of date or the credentials are wrong - update the client and re-enter the password. A timeout usually means the firewall is blocking the RDP port or the IP is wrong. "The connection was denied because the user account is not authorized" means the account is not in the Remote Desktop Users group (see the user management guide).
Once you can log in, harden RDP so it is not exposed to brute-force attacks - restrict it to your IP, enforce NLA, and set account lockout (covered in the securing-RDP guide). An open RDP port with a weak password is the most common way Windows servers are compromised.
Why am I not authorized to sign in?
The account is not in the Remote Desktop Users group; add it (see the user-management guide).
Can I connect from a Mac?
Yes - install the free Windows App (formerly Microsoft Remote Desktop) from the Mac App Store.
Every SoftSys managed Windows VPS comes with RDP access ready to use, and our team applies the security hardening for you so remote access stays both convenient and protected.
