# Remote Desktop server replacement for XP Home **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 23, 2007, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remote-desktop-server-replacement-for-xp-home/416645 "2007-08-23T15:40:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remote-desktop-server-replacement-for-xp-home/416645/1 "2007-08-23T15:40:13Z")
I’m [replacing](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=433342) an older Win2k Server PC with XP Home, and would like to retain the ability to log in remotely to run programs, services, files, etc. I’m not talking VNC (already have that too), I’d like something running in a different console. (One thing I use it for now is to make web-browsing feasable using my way-old PII laptop.) I’d try some virtual Linux server thing if anyone recommends one, or things like that, but I’d prefer it to be free. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remote-desktop-server-replacement-for-xp-home/416645/2 "2007-08-23T16:01:12Z")
You’re trying to turn your XP box into a multi-user box, is that right? Kind of like having different consoles on a \*NIX box? I don’t know that Windows XP Home version (or even the Professional version) allows that. Maybe CYGWIN can provide such an ability. If all you want is a text console, then there are several free ssh servers for Windows. OpenSSH has a good reputation, but I think that only includes sshd; you’d still need something to provide a shell. ---
**Author:** ![TheBaptiste](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f6c823/32.png) [@TheBaptiste](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBaptiste)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remote-desktop-server-replacement-for-xp-home/416645/3 "2007-08-23T17:03:59Z")
XP Pro has remote desktop. Use it all the time from work. Just one connecton at a time though. MS dropped the price of pro recently or you could always just “acquire” it. ---
**Author:** ![Barrington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Barrington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barrington)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remote-desktop-server-replacement-for-xp-home/416645/4 "2007-08-23T21:27:47Z")
Does LogMeIn serve your purposes? I doubt it, if VNC doesn’t do the job (LogMeIn does a similar type of thing, albeit much, much better), but it’s worth mentioning. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remote-desktop-server-replacement-for-xp-home/416645/5 "2007-08-23T21:29:21Z")
WinXP comes w/ RDC RDC can be dowloaded for free from M$ for other windows systems [http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/tools/rdclientdl.mspx](http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/tools/rdclientdl.mspx) ---
**Author:** ![Pithy\_Moniker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8dc957/32.png) [@Pithy\_Moniker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pithy_Moniker)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remote-desktop-server-replacement-for-xp-home/416645/6 "2007-08-23T22:00:18Z")
Windows XP Media Center Edition also has the ability to host one remote session at a time. You can only get it when you buy a PC from certain distributors as far as I know. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remote-desktop-server-replacement-for-xp-home/416645/7 "2007-08-24T08:07:25Z")
Yeah, I’m looking for a [Terminal Services](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminal_Services) replacement. (Sorry, thought I’d said that explicitly, but I guess I didn’t). 2k Server gives you 2 RDP connections for free. I’d rather not pay any money to Microsoft at all; I got the copy of XP Home a while ago when I did support for it. [freesshd](http://freesshd.com/index.php) obviously lacks the graphical interface, but I might end up using it anyhow. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remote-desktop-server-replacement-for-xp-home/416645/8 "2007-08-24T08:13:38Z")
What do you plan to use the server for? It may be that trying to get XP Home to be a server, and trying to get it to support remote administration may be two steps too difficult. If what you’re after is a file/web/mail/media server, wouldn’t you be better off forgetting XP Home and installing some flavour of Linux or something on it? Or is it that there’s something specifically Win32-ish that you need it to do? ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remote-desktop-server-replacement-for-xp-home/416645/9 "2007-08-24T08:37:02Z")
I’ve already got a low-end Linux box with lots of disk downstairs handling those functions. This long-overdue upgrade is for my main PC, which will handle regular office, development, gaming, and multimedia TV tasks. I guess I don’t _really_ use RDP except as I mentioned with the laptop, which I might be able to switch to the Linux box using [X-Win32](http://www.xwin32.dk/) or something. (Or bite the bullet and get a new laptop too) I guess I was basically hoping to have my cake and eat it too. 😉