Microsoft Remote Desktop Not working In MacOs Sonoma/ Ventura

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Microsoft Remote Desktop Not working In MacOs Sonoma/ Ventura

I got a Mac Studio (Sonoma) couple of days earlier and for the last 2 days I am trying to connect to this machine using Microsoft remote desktop (MS RD) from my another Mac air ( Ventura) . Both the machines are in the same network for testing purpose. I did all the set up like having the latest version of MS RD downloaded, enabling the Remote Login, Remote Management and port forwarding in the SP router etc. I am able to ping this machine from the other laptop also I could use the ssh command to connect to this machine using the terminal. I can connect to this machine using VNC but not with MS RD. I tried everything I can. Any one could help or suggestions. FYI there is a reason I need to user MS RD else I could have used other apps including Apple Screen Share.

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 10.14

Posted on Nov 12, 2023 1:07 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

etresoft

Level 9

57,630 points

Nov 12, 2023 5:56 PM in response to ciji291

Microsoft Remote Desktop on the Mac is just a client, not a server. You will have to install some 3rd party software that provides an RDS server. Here is one such product - https://www.nuords.com/products/nuords/. There may be more.

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Answer 2

MrHoffman

Level 10

151,311 points

Nov 12, 2023 4:54 PM in response to ciji291

One option is to run Microsoft Windows as a guest of something else (Linux, macOS, some hypervisor), and use something other than some Windows app as the display connection client.

If migrating to Windows running as a guest isn’t an option, and if RealVNC or some alternative isn’t working well enough here (from Windows to macOS) and you want to try using Microsoft Remote Desktop, contact Microsoft Support. (But AFAIK, you’ll need to run an RDP server on macOS to get that path to work via RDP. The in-built server on macOS is VNC.)

If this is local, a physical or virtual KVM switch can be an option.

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Answer 3

BobHarris

Level 9

57,251 points

Nov 12, 2023 1:59 PM in response to MrHoffman

Read too quickly.

Mac to Mac, Screen Sharing works wonderfully. I use that all the time between my various Macs in the house, or in the past, I used it from a laptop over VPN to my office iMac.

Generally you access Screen Sharing via the Finder, but you can invoke it using

Finder -> Go (menu) -> Connect to Server -> vnc://other.mac.address

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Answer 4

MrHoffman

Level 10

151,311 points

Nov 12, 2023 1:43 PM in response to BobHarris

BobHarris wrote:

RDC uses RDP protocols, where as Screen Sharing uses VNC protocols. The user would need to install a VNC server on the Windows system to use Screen Sharing.

I read the question as being from Mac to Mac, which means Screen Sharing is in play.

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Answer 5

MrHoffman

Level 10

151,311 points

Nov 12, 2023 3:44 PM in response to BobHarris

BobHarris wrote:

Read too quickly.

Mac to Mac, Screen Sharing works wonderfully. I use that all the time between my various Macs in the house, or in the past, I used it from a laptop over VPN to my office iMac.

Generally you access Screen Sharing via the Finder, but you can invoke it using

Finder -> Go (menu) -> Connect to Server -> vnc://other.mac.address

Yeah, I launch it via Spotlight, then pin it (and potentially ARD, where available) into the Dock.

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Answer 6

ciji291 Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 12, 2023 4:18 PM in response to MrHoffman

Thank you all for the quick response. Forgot to mention the Mac Studio (Sonoma) will eventually be accessed from windows machines. Only for testing purpose I just used another mac in the same network . I did try VNC but the performance is too slow especially when accessed from a Windows machine. I will have to make MS RDC work somehow ,since 2 users might simultaneously login in to the Mac Studio from a windows machine.

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Answer 7

MrHoffman

Level 10

151,311 points

Nov 12, 2023 1:27 PM in response to ciji291

Try using the built-in screen sharing app: Share the screen of another Mac - Apple Support

If you have issues with the Microsoft RDP app, check with Microsoft.

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Answer 8

BobHarris

Level 9

57,251 points

Nov 12, 2023 6:52 PM in response to ciji291

RealVNC client, on Windows, will allow you to login using a macOS username and password, thus allowing more than a single user to access different accounts.

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Answer 9

BobHarris

Level 9

57,251 points

Nov 12, 2023 1:38 PM in response to MrHoffman

RDC uses RDP protocols, where as Screen Sharing uses VNC protocols. The user would need to install a VNC server on the Windows system to use Screen Sharing.

Also Screen Sharing is lousy at copy & paste with 3rd party VNC servers. Works great Mac to Mac, but as soon as you try to connect with a Windows, Linux, or other 3rd party VNC server, copy & paste becomes an issue. TigerVNC client does a better job of copy & paste in a VNC environment.

We have users in the company I work for that often use Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection to Windows systems running in the cloud. Most of the company is on Ventura (Sonoma has not been approved by the company IT just yet; need to get all the company mandatory software working first to keep the lawyers happy).

So if Microsoft RDC is not working on Ventura, then I would look for either issues with the Windows system accepting RDP connections, or something in common with the Macs, such as company Anti-Virus software, or company mandated firewalls, etc...

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