How to Connect to a Windows Server with Remote Desktop (RDP) from Windows, Mac and Mobile

Windows servers are usually managed graphically over the Remote Desktop Protocol. This guide explains how to connect to a Windows server with Remote Desktop (RDP) using the built-in mstsc client on Windows, the Windows App (formerly Microsoft Remote Desktop) on Mac, and the iPhone and Android apps, and shows how to copy files and share the clipboard between your computer and the server. It applies to IMIDC VPS and dedicated servers running Windows Server 2016, 2019 or 2022.

Step 1: Get Your Remote Desktop Login Details

You need the server IP, the RDP port (3389 by default, or your custom port), the username (usually Administrator) and the password. They are in your welcome email or in the client area → My Products & Services → select the server → Manage. A freshly provisioned server may need a few minutes to finish setup, so an immediate connection attempt can fail.

IP address:  203.0.113.10
RDP port:    3389
Username:    Administrator
Password:    (from the welcome email or client area)

Step 2: Connect from Windows with mstsc

Press Win + R, type mstsc and press Enter to open Remote Desktop Connection. Enter the IP in Computer (use IP:port for a non-default port), click Connect and sign in with the username and password. On the first connection you will see a certificate warning because the server uses a self-signed certificate; once you have confirmed the IP, tick "Don't ask me again" and click Yes.

# Press Win + R, type the command below and press Enter
mstsc

# Or connect directly (custom port example: 33899)
mstsc /v:203.0.113.10
mstsc /v:203.0.113.10:33899

Computer:  203.0.113.10        (or 203.0.113.10:33899 for a custom port)
User name: Administrator

Step 3: Use Remote Desktop on Mac with the Windows App

Install Microsoft's Windows App (previously called Microsoft Remote Desktop) from the Mac App Store. Click "+" → Add PC, enter the IP and port as the PC name, add a user account with Administrator and your password, save and double-click to connect. To transfer files, edit the PC, open the Folders tab, enable folder redirection and add a local folder.

PC name:        203.0.113.10:3389
User account:   Administrator / your password
Folders:        Redirect folders -> add a local folder

Step 4: Connect from iPhone or Android

On iPhone and iPad install the Windows App from the App Store; on Android install Microsoft's official Remote Desktop client (newer versions are also branded Windows App) from Google Play. Add a PC with IP:port, username and password. Mobile clients are handy for quick tasks such as restarting a service, but a computer is better for longer sessions.

# Windows App (iOS / iPadOS / Android) -> "+" -> Add PC
PC name:       203.0.113.10:3389
User account:  Administrator
Gateway:       none

Step 5: Copy Files and Share the Clipboard over RDP

Clipboard: mstsc enables clipboard sharing by default, so Ctrl + C / Ctrl + V works for text and small files. Local drives: in mstsc go to Show Options → Local Resources → More, tick the drives you want and connect. They appear under This PC on the server, or you can open them directly in File Explorer:

# Inside the remote session: open File Explorer and go to
\\tsclient\C
\\tsclient\D

If copy and paste suddenly stops working, the rdpclip process on the server is usually stuck. Restart it:

# Run in PowerShell on the server if copy/paste stops working
taskkill /IM rdpclip.exe /F
Start-Process rdpclip.exe

Step 6: Troubleshoot Remote Desktop Connection Failures

If you see "Remote Desktop can't connect to the remote computer", check the IP, the port and that the server is running, then test the port from your PC. If the port is closed, log in through the VNC console in the client area, confirm the RDP port and service status, and make sure Windows Firewall allows the port.

# On the server (via the VNC console): check the RDP port and service
Get-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\WinStations\RDP-Tcp' -Name PortNumber
Get-Service TermService

# On your PC: test whether the port is reachable
Test-NetConnection 203.0.113.10 -Port 3389

FAQ

"Your credentials did not work" — what now?

This almost always means a typo in the username or password. Use Administrator as the username, check letter case and your keyboard layout, and if you recently changed the password, delete the saved credentials under Show Options and type them again.

Can several people log in at the same time?

Windows Server allows two simultaneous administrative sessions by default. For more concurrent users you need to deploy Remote Desktop Services (RDS) and purchase RDS CAL licences.

Copying large files through the clipboard is slow or fails.

The clipboard is not designed for large transfers. Use drive redirection instead, or transfer files with cloud storage, FTP or SFTP.

Still stuck after following these steps? Open a support ticket and the IMIDC 24/7 technical team will help. Please include the server IP, operating system, the commands you ran and a screenshot of the error so we can pinpoint the issue faster.