You’ll need a Windows VPS. Windows Server 2019, 2022 or 2025, from CA$12.99/mo in Halifax.
See Windows VPS plansRemote Desktop lets you see and use your Windows VPS exactly like a normal computer — the desktop, the Start menu, the mouse, all of it — from whatever device you’re sitting at. By the end of this guide you’ll be signed in to your server, with a password only you know and updates installed. No experience needed: just follow the steps for your device, and we’ll tell you exactly what to click and what you’ll see.
What you’ll need
- A Windows VPS that has finished setting up. It’s usually ready a few minutes after you order. Don’t have one yet? Grab one above.
- Your server’s IP address, its username (almost always
Administrator), and your password. All three are in your welcome email and in the Customer Portal. - The device you want to connect from — a Windows PC, Mac, iPhone, Android phone, or Linux computer. There’s a tab for each below.
Wherever you see your_server_ip (or 203.0.113.10) in this guide, type your own IP address instead.
Step 1: Connect with Remote Desktop
Pick the device you’re connecting from:
Remote Desktop is already built in to Windows — nothing to install.
- Press Windows + R, type
mstscand press Enter. The Remote Desktop Connection window opens. - In the Computer box, type your server’s IP address, then click Connect.
- When it asks for a sign-in, click More choices → Use a different account. Enter
Administratoras the user name and your password, then click OK.
- Install Windows App from the Mac App Store (it used to be called Microsoft Remote Desktop) and open it.
- Click + at the top, then choose Add PC.
- In PC name, type your server’s IP address.
- Next to User account, choose Add User Account, enter
Administratorand your password, then click Add and Save. - Double-click your new PC to connect.
- Install Windows App (formerly Remote Desktop) from the App Store or Google Play and open it.
- Tap + and choose Add PC.
- Enter your server’s IP address, then add a user account with
Administratorand your password. - Save, then tap the PC to connect.
Once you’re in: drag one finger to move the mouse, tap to click, and tap the keyboard icon to type.
Use Remmina. Most Linux desktops can install it from their app store, or from the terminal:
$ sudo apt install -y remmina remmina-plugin-rdp- Open Remmina. In the drop-down next to the address bar, choose RDP.
- Type your server’s IP address and press Enter.
- Enter
Administratorand your password when asked.
You’ll see something like “The identity of the remote computer cannot be verified.” because the server signed its own certificate. On Windows, tick Don’t ask me again and click Yes. On Mac, phone and Linux, choose Continue or Accept.
After a few seconds you’ll see your server’s Windows desktop — Start menu, taskbar and all. You’re in. 🎉
Step 2: Change your password
Your server came with a password from us, so the very first thing to do is set one only you know. On the server’s desktop, right-click the Start button and choose Terminal (Admin) (on Windows Server 2019 it’s Windows PowerShell (Admin)), then run:
net user Administrator *Type your new password, press Enter, then type it again to confirm. Just like on Linux, nothing shows while you type — that’s normal.
Type a password for the user:
Retype the password to confirm:
The command completed successfully.Use at least 12 characters with a mix of letters, numbers and symbols, and store it in a password manager. You’ll use it every time you connect.
Step 3: Install Windows updates
A new server is often a few updates behind. Get them out of the way now:
- On the server, open Start → Settings → Windows Update. (On Windows Server 2019 it’s under Update & Security.)
- Click Check for updates and let them download and install.
- If it asks to restart, click Restart. You’ll be disconnected — that’s expected. Wait two or three minutes, then connect again the same way.
Step 4: Copy files to your server
Plain copy & paste already works between your computer and the server for text and small files. For bigger files, share a folder so it appears inside the server as a drive:
Before you connect, in the Remote Desktop Connection window click Show Options → Local Resources → More…, tick the drive you want to share, then connect. It appears under This PC on the server.
In Windows App, right-click your PC and choose Edit. Under Folders, turn on Redirect folders and add one. It appears under This PC on the server.
Phones can’t share folders directly. The easy way: upload the file to a cloud drive (Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox), then open a browser on the server and download it there.
In Remmina, edit the connection and set Share folder to a folder on your computer. It appears under This PC on the server.
If it won’t connect
- “Remote Desktop can’t connect to the remote computer”: double-check the IP address, and in the Customer Portal make sure the server is running. A brand-new or just-restarted server can need a few more minutes before it accepts connections.
- “Your credentials did not work”: retype the password carefully (it’s easy to mistype). If it still refuses, try the user name as
.\Administrator(with the dot and backslash). - Stuck on the certificate warning: that message is safe to accept for your own server — see the note in Step 1.
- Still no luck? Open a ticket on the help desk — our team in Nova Scotia will get you connected.
Need a Windows server?
Windows VPS in Halifax and Montreal with full admin access and real people on support in Nova Scotia.