Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) gives you the full Windows desktop of your VPS in a window on your own computer. It’s how you’ll install software, run trading terminals, manage IIS or SQL Server, and do pretty much everything else on a Windows VPS.

This guide shows how to connect from Windows, macOS and Linux, then covers a few security steps every Windows server should have.

What you need

From your VPS.DO welcome email or client area:

  • IP address — for example 203.0.113.20
  • Username — usually Administrator
  • Password

Connect from Windows

Windows includes the Remote Desktop client.

  1. Press Win + R, type mstsc and press Enter.
  2. Enter your VPS’s IP address under Computer and click Connect.
  3. Enter the username and password when prompted.
  4. Accept the certificate warning the first time — the server uses a self-signed certificate.

You can also start it straight from a terminal:

mstsc /v:203.0.113.20

Tip: Click Show Options → Local Resources before connecting to share your clipboard or local drives with the VPS — handy for copying files.

Connect from macOS

  1. Install Windows App (formerly Microsoft Remote Desktop) from the Mac App Store.
  2. Click + → Add PC.
  3. Enter the IP address as the PC name, and add your username and password under Credentials.
  4. Double-click the new entry to connect.

Connect from Linux

Remmina is the friendliest graphical client and is available in most distributions:

sudo apt install -y remmina remmina-plugin-rdp

Create a new connection, choose RDP, and enter the IP, username and password.

Prefer the command line? Use FreeRDP:

xfreerdp /v:203.0.113.20 /u:Administrator /dynamic-resolution

Secure your Windows VPS

RDP on port 3389 is one of the most scanned services on the internet. These steps take five minutes.

1. Change the default password

Use a long, unique password — a passphrase of four or more random words works well. Press Ctrl + Alt + End inside the RDP session and choose Change a password.

2. Move RDP to a different port

Changing the port doesn’t replace a strong password, but it cuts automated login attempts dramatically. Open PowerShell as Administrator and run the commands below. The firewall rule is added first, so you can’t lock yourself out:

$port = 3390
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "RDP $port" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort $port -Action Allow
Set-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\WinStations\RDP-Tcp' -Name PortNumber -Value $port
Restart-Service TermService -Force

Your session will disconnect. Reconnect with the new port appended to the IP:

mstsc /v:203.0.113.20:3390

If anything goes wrong, open the VNC console in your VPS control panel. It connects to the server’s screen directly and doesn’t depend on RDP or the firewall.

3. Keep Windows Update on

Leave automatic updates enabled and schedule restarts outside your busy hours under Settings → Windows Update → Advanced options.

Disconnect vs. sign out

This matters if you run anything that must keep working — like MetaTrader on a Forex VPS:

  • Closing the RDP window (disconnecting) leaves your session and all programs running on the server.
  • Signing out closes your programs.

Disconnect when you want your applications to keep running.

Check your Windows trial license

Windows Server on VPS.DO comes with a free 180-day trial license. To see how much trial time is left, run:

slmgr /dlv

Troubleshooting

Problem What to check
Connection times out Is the VPS running? Check its status in the control panel.
Worked before, now times out Did you change the RDP port or firewall? Use the VNC console to fix it.
“Your credentials did not work” Username is usually Administrator; passwords are case-sensitive.
Very slow or laggy session Lower the display resolution and color depth in your RDP client, or pick a location closer to you.

Need a Windows server? Windows VPS plans include RDP access, a free 180-day trial license and a 7-day money-back guarantee.

  • Windows VPS
  • RDP
  • Security