Use Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac to connect to a remote PC or virtual apps and desktops made available by your admin. With Microsoft Remote Desktop, you can be productive no matter where you are. GET STARTED Configure your PC for remote access using the information at https://aka.ms/rdsetup. Official from Microsoft website: 'Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac (version 2.1.1) is not intended for use with Mac OS X v10.7 (Lion) or later'. That's a shame!!! And we almost have 10.8.1 released:p – sorin Aug 21 '12 at 9:57.
REMOTEAPP
The most well known remote desktop tools on Windows are Microsoft Remote Desktop and Citrix Receiver. However, neither are the best remote desktop software for Mac users. Unsurprisingly, Microsoft Remote Desktop is mainly designed for Windows users and has various problems on Mac although admittedly is has improved in recent versions. Remote Web Workplace works AWESOME for publishing an application we are developing to a few remote users for testing. The only problem is, it doesn't work on mac. The application we are developing contains sensitive information behind the scenes, and the users testing this software are at a facility that does not allow software to be installed. Microsoft Remote Desktop is a free-of-charge utility and tool developed by one of the biggest multinational technology companies in the world, Microsoft Corporation. It is a dedicated remote control application that allows you to remotely access computers that run Windows Professional or Enterprise, as well as Windows Server in your Mac device.
For remote desktop (terminal server) application hosting where the user is logging into a full desktop session, MAC users should have a good experience and there are Remote Desktop Connection Clients that can be downloaded for MACs, iphone, and ipad. (The Remote Desktop Connection Client is preloaded on all Windows machines and doesn’t require a download to use it). The Clients for MACs/Apple can be found here: https://www.RiptideHosting.com/blog/remote-desktop-connection-client-for-macs/
RemoteApp is an optional feature of Remote Desktop Services where users are not provided a desktop session but rather can only open a specified application. This feature doesn’t work well with MAC users in Windows 2008R2 due to the limitations below. It should work better in Windows 2012R2 for MAC users but only if using the RDweb login option. We have many MAC users using our Remote Desktop hosting although most are using full desktop sessions instead of RemoteApp. There are other options instead of RemoteApp as described toward the end of this post.

With RemoteApp, you can distribute a RDP file to a user (Windows 2008R2 only – “RDP distributable file” – this option is not available in Windows 2012R2) or you can set it up for users to access the specified program via a URL. The user can open the specified application but does not get a full desktop session to save/share files, etc.
- RD Web URL – When enabled, you can access the RD Web Access Web site at https://IPaddress/rdweb . In 2008R2, the website requires that the client browser has ActiveX enabled which basically limits usage to Internet Explorer and therefore excludes MAC users. (as noted here — https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc731508.aspx). In 2012R2, the RD Web Access website no longer requires ActiveX and is supposed to work with many more browser options. However, Server 2012R2 does require that the Active Directory Domain Controller role be installed to use RemoteApp whereas it is not required in Windows 2008R2.
- Create RDP file via the RemoteApp Wizard to distribute to users. This works easily to create the file and other PC users should be able to open it easily. MAC users generally have issues when they try to open the file where the system doesn’t recognize it. Note: Windows Server 2012R2 no longer has this option to create the RemoteApp distributable file.
If you are going to use RemoteApp in 2008R2, contact us for additional instructions and tips that we can provide.
OTHER OPTIONS
Alternative To Microsoft Remote Desktop Client For Mac How To Change Resolution

- Launch a program automatically upon login. You can specify a program to run automatically upon login. You can do this by individual user (profile/properties tab), for all users in RD Session Host configuration and in Group Policy. See our post here: https://www.RiptideHosting.com/blog/how-to-launch-a-program-automatically-when-logging-into-remote-desktop-server/
- User full desktop sessions but configure group policies to limit access to certain things, remove icons, prevent access to drives, etc.
Alternative To Microsoft Remote Desktop Client For Mac Os
Easily connect to remote Windows PCs

With Remote Desktop Connection Client 2, you can quickly, simply and securely connect to Windows-based PCs to access Windows-based files, applications, devices, and networks from your Mac.
One Mac, unlimited Windows
New Multiple Session Support gives Mac users simultaneous access to multiple Windows-based PCs or to a network server that hosts remote applications and files. Since it works with Vista and is a Universal application, Remote Desktop Connection Client 2 is compatible with the latest technologies on Windows and Mac platforms.
A more Mac-like experience
A redesigned user interface makes this application more customizable. Create your own keyboard shortcuts; and even access and change preferences during active sessions.
Print everything off your Mac
Access and print from Windows applications to any printer that can be configured from your Intel- or PowerPC-based Macs.


Get fast updates and easy help
Microsoft Error Reporting Tool and Microsoft AutoUpdate are included so you can anonymously submit data on software related issues and get software updates as soon as they are available. Remote Desktop Connection Client 2 also takes advantage of the new Helpviewer and improved help topics for quick access to fresh online product help from within the application.
Reduce security breaches
Microsoft Remote Desktop Client For Mac Alternative
Network Level Authentication (NLA) is a new authentication method in Windows Vista that offers security enhancements that can help to protect the remote computer from hackers and malicious software. It completes user authentication before you establish a full Remote Desktop Connection. Please see Windows Help for more details on network level authentication.
What's New:
In this release we've addressed an authentication error that was preventing some users from subscribing to workspaces. We've also updated the client to perform a background refresh of all subscribed workspaces when starting up to ensure that published apps and PC resources are kept current.
Alternative To Microsoft Remote Desktop Client For Macbook
Barring any unforeseen developments, this should be the last release that will be compatible with macOS 10.12. If you are interested in trying out the latest pre-release builds of the macOS client, you can install beta updates from https://aka.ms/rdmacbeta.
Software similar to Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac 4
Alternative To Microsoft Remote Desktop Client For Macbook Pro
- 52 votesAnyDesk is a fast remote desktop system and enables users to access their data, images, videos and applications from anywhere and at any time, and also to share it with others.
- Freeware
- Windows/macOS
- 67 votesTeamViewer is the fast, simple and friendly solution for remote access over the Internet.
- Freeware
- macOS
- 93 votesVNC is remote access and control software for an unrivalled mix of Windows, Mac, UNIX and Linux computers. With a simple peer-to-peer architecture, no agents or centralized servers are required.
- Freeware
- Multiple OS
