What to do when remote desktop isn’t working

One of the best Windows features that started with Windows XP and continues with Vista and Windows 7 is Remote Desktop. With Remote Desktop, you can take control of another Windows XP or higher desktop or server.

With the Professional version or the server version, you can configure that machine so that it can be controlled by another workstation or server.

But what do you do if Remote Desktop doesn’t work to let you access a particular workstation? This may be because you do not have the Professional version of Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7, but there may be other reasons as well.

It is very frustrating if you normally access a computer through Remote Desktop and now suddenly Remote Desktop doesn’t work for remote computer access.

This is happening to a lot of people lately because they have an nVidia display adapter and have updated their video drivers. Unfortunately, nVidia has recently earned a reputation for distributing faulty video drivers, a crown that used to go to ATI.

To make matters worse, Microsoft is certifying by WHQL that those drivers are robust and stable.

One of the “bugs” in these nVidia drivers is that Remote Desktop will fail when you allow another computer to take over. The person on the remote PC trying to access the host PC only gets a message, after about a minute, that the host PC cannot be reached. Only a cryptic message in the host PC’s event log gives a clue that something is wrong.

So what is the answer when Remote Desktop doesn’t work?

Personally, I need a remote access solution that works correctly at all times, not just when I want it to. While you may be very close to the computer you’re trying to control and don’t mind spending several hours troubleshooting, you may also be traveling far away and need access right now.

With Murphy’s Law, you know that trouble usually occurs when it’s least convenient.

Since Windows’ built-in remote desktop has proven unreliable for me, I’ve chosen to rely on a third-party, non-Microsoft program for my remote access needs. After trying several of these products, I decided on GoToMyPC from Citrix Online.

Citrix is ​​a company that has been working with remote computing technology for a long time and has a great reputation. GoToMyPC was one of the first programs to offer safe, secure, and convenient remote access to your computer over the Internet.

I find GoToMyPC works correctly, quickly and conveniently every time I use it, and that’s the kind of reliability I need, especially when I travel.