macbook pro as a monitor for pc desktop. Connection: VGA out from desktop pc to thunderbolt port on macbook pro.

Not possible. The Mac's Thunderbolt port is not a video input port. There is no way for it to receive the video signal from the PC though that port.

Outside of a remote desktop software such as Microsoft Remote Desktop, your other choice would involve extra video capture hardware that can take the video signal, and show it in specialized software through the data connection of the TB or USB ports.

See here: ‎Microsoft Remote Desktop 10 on the Mac App Store

Forgot to mention, you'll still need a keyboard and mouse to operate the PC to setup the Remote Desktop connection there.

Easiest thing to do is to borrow a keyboard, mouse and monitor from a friend or relative and set up some type of remote desktop connection it.

Then you can remove the keyboard, mouse and monitor, and continue to access the PC through remote desktop.

Though if something happens that forces you to reboot the computer you will again require a keyboard and mouse to boot up, and access Windows for Remote desktop to load and be usable.

rla80 wrote:

Thanks, I had a feeling I would need to get a monitor no matter what to set up any kind of solution. Very helpful answers though.

You don't need a monitor or third party apps if you do what I suggested. But either method will work.

That won't work. You can share a desktop with a Windows PC by using a third party app such as TeamViewer. But since your desktop does not have a monitor this may not work either. I would remove the drive from the desktop, put the drive in an external usb enclosure, then connect the drive to the Mac using a usb port.

The MacBook Pro has NO display Inputs. You will not be able to make a direct display connection.

Apple's Screen Sharing uses readily-available VNC:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_Network_Computing

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Most modern TV sets have an HDMI input good for up to 1920 by 1080. You may not need a bona-fide "monitor' to do what you want.

The alpha and numeric characters on most USB keyboards are the same for Mac and Windoze. Only a few of the special keys may shift, like alt, option, and control. so you could obtain almost any USB keyboard and get what you need.