Remote Desktop Software

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What Does Remote Desktop Software Mean?

Remote desktop software is software that is used to access a desktop or desktop interface of a remote computer locally.

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It enables connecting, accessing and controlling the data and resources of the remote/destination computer in such a way that the user is able to access locally.

Techopedia Explains Remote Desktop Software

Remote desktop software primarily enables a local user to have complete access to the desktop environment and resources of a remote computer. Typically, accessing the remote computer’s desktop requires software to be installed and configured on both computers—they both must be powered on and are connected to the Internet. The user logs into the remote desktop software interface on the local computer, and upon authentication at the remote computer, access to its desktop environment is granted.

Remote desktop software was mainly designed for and used by system/network administrators or technicians to log in to remote users’ computers to perform tasks such as:

  • Resolving technical issues
  • Installing applications
  • Removing viruses

Some of the popular remote desktop software includes:

  • GoToMyPC
  • Team Viewer
  • Windows’ native Remote Desktop Connection
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Margaret Rouse
Technology expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology expert

Margaret is an award-winning writer and educator known for her ability to explain complex technical topics to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles in the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret’s idea of ​​a fun day is to help IT and business professionals to learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.