Any free or low cost options for Remote Desktop software?
August 21, 2008 9:30 AM   Subscribe

Are there any free or low cost options for having a Remote Desktop tool for Windows Vista Home Premium?

I would like feature similar to Microsoft Remote Desktop but if the software and file transfer it would be great.
posted by randomthoughts to Computers & Internet (13 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Wikipedia has a comparison page for all of the major ones. I use TightVNC myself.
posted by burnmp3s at 9:36 AM on August 21, 2008


UltraVNC is free and supports Vista with file transfer. I use it every day and it works pretty well - the reliability is only good, but it serves its purpose.
posted by pocams at 9:36 AM on August 21, 2008


I'll second TightVNC. If you're actually going to use it remotely (as in, not just from another computer on your local network), you may want to look into using it over a secure tunnel.
posted by sinfony at 9:40 AM on August 21, 2008


logmein offers a free 'home' version that works really well.
posted by csimpkins at 9:42 AM on August 21, 2008


How about using Remote Desktop?
posted by blue_beetle at 9:44 AM on August 21, 2008 [2 favorites]


Seconding logmein.com - It has been a real asset for me, even in it's free version, with remote machines that I "support".
posted by Richat at 9:45 AM on August 21, 2008


If you must use VNC I third TightVNC. I recommend blue_beetle's linked trick though, RDP is superior for this where windows is concerned.
posted by zennoshinjou at 9:47 AM on August 21, 2008


i use Remote Desktop while on vaca and works great!
posted by boyinmiami at 10:10 AM on August 21, 2008


IP can be a tough issue with those VNC programs, if you don't have a static IP (chances are, you don't). I tend to use TightVNC or UltraVNC, so I have nothing new to contribute there. DynDNS.com or no-ip.com can get you an easy-to-remember URL to access your computer even when your ISP changes your IP.
posted by mccarty.tim at 10:51 AM on August 21, 2008


logmein is free, and works great. Couple of clicks, and you are in, all web based.
posted by dripped at 1:21 PM on August 21, 2008


Windows Live Mesh is an easy way to setup remote access to Vista and XP systems. Plus, you can sync directories remotely if you want.
posted by techweaver.org at 3:46 PM on August 21, 2008


Should mention this: I think TightVNC and UltraVNC both have Java based web clients, should you want to access your computer(s) from a machine with no VNC software.
posted by mccarty.tim at 4:09 PM on August 21, 2008


Seconded on Live Mesh - easy to use and includes 5 gigs of space in the cloud you can store files for access anywhere.
posted by mattr at 6:12 AM on August 22, 2008


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