Need to open your office PC or a Windows server from home? Microsoft Remote Desktop keeps your PCs and servers in one list and opens a full Windows session on any of them. Be aware that Microsoft retired this Store app on May 27, 2025; its successor is Windows App.
How do you add a PC or server?
Save each PC or server once with its address and login, and it stays in the connection list. Workspaces from a company's Remote Desktop Services feed can also be added, so published desktops appear without entering each one by hand.
Can you connect outside your local network?
Connections can reach a PC on the same local network or one at a different network location. This lets people open their work computer while away from the office, provided the remote system and network are set up for access.
What can you do in a remote session?
Use the remote Windows desktop to work with applications on the other computer. Microsoft Office programs such as Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook are among the examples supported for remote use, so documents and tools remain on the machine being accessed.
Display controls let you resize the remote view while preserving its proportions, or keep the remote computer's screen on during a session. The app also follows the system's theme, including dark mode when that theme is active.
What appears in the device view?
Configured personal computers, work PCs, and servers can appear together in the same view. Selecting a device opens its remote session, making the list a starting point for moving between the systems you use.
Pros
- Connects to configured PCs and servers from a device list
- Can show network devices without adding each one manually
- Resizes remote content while keeping its aspect ratio
- Adapts its appearance to the Windows theme
Cons
- Retired by Microsoft on May 27, 2025; replaced by Windows App
- The remote PC must run a Pro, Enterprise or Server edition of Windows
System requirements: Windows 10, Windows 11 · 1 GHz or faster processor · 1 GB RAM · 100 MB or more disk space · DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver
Is Microsoft Remote Desktop still supported?
No longer. Since May 27, 2025 the Store app is unsupported and cannot reach Azure Virtual Desktop, Windows 365 or Dev Box. Use Windows App, or Remote Desktop Connection (mstsc), which is still built into Windows.
Do devices have to be added one at a time?
No. Besides adding PCs one by one, you can subscribe to a workspace that lists all the desktops and apps your organization publishes.
Can I use Microsoft Office in a remote session?
Yes. The app supports remote use of Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook on the connected computer.