Accessing Windows 7 laptop from Windows 10 PC?

[Technique]

LAPTOP:

 

Windows 7 64bit Pro

User with admin rights, no password (obviously can put one on if it's required for this task).

 

PC:

 

Windows 10 Pro

User with admin rights.

Passworded.

 

*READ PLEASE*

Important - please don't say set the do-hickey in the thingy-majig etc etc. for potential of your help going way over my head & me having to come back and basically say .... whatchusay?!

 

So I'm on my desktop. Is whatever I have to do going through the Start menu? Control panel? What do I do from there? Basically I'm asking you to hold my hand through the steps of what I'm to do.

 

WHAT I WANT:

 

So I don't particularly like using the trackpad thing on the laptop. I try & avoid using the laptop really as I much prefer a PC keyboard & mouse

BUT

I have some tasks that need doing on the laptop, so basically I would like to turn the laptop on but access it via my PC - without the need to buy any additional hardware just to do the job.

 

Sure I guess I could cut the cable ties on my PC wiring, pull the desk out, remove & then replace the mouse, putting the desk back, re-tidying the cables etc. But if I can just simply access it from my PC then I'm happy with that.

 

 

So how do I do it? What do I need to do on each machine?

 

Thanks.

[MarkusDarkus]

Do you know how to use the Windows built in Remote Desktop Connection app?

[George P Global Moderator]

Sounds like you want to use Remote Desktop.   Pretty sure a quick google search will give you a howto guide to get it to work.  Or you could use something like AnyDesk which is free to.

[Technique]

On 20/07/2022 at 09:04, MarkusDarkus said:

Do you know how to use the Windows built in Remote Desktop Connection app?

Have heard about remote desktop but that's about the extent of it - have just heard the name/term. Don't really know much more beyond that.

 

On 20/07/2022 at 09:29, George P said:

Or you could use something like AnyDesk which is free to.

By the sounds of it (from the replies of you two), it is an in built feature of Windows.

 

In which case, if it does the job then I would always much prefer an in built option than having to install an additional program. I wouldn't see the need tbh. Additional programs may come with more bells & whistles but really I just want to be able to access the laptop from the PC, do some basic work on it - moving files, sorting through files, deleting, adding etc & that is about it. I just hate using the trackpad.

[George P Global Moderator]

On 20/07/2022 at 12:30, Technique said:

Have heard about remote desktop but that's about the extent of it - have just heard the name/term. Don't really know much more beyond that.

 

By the sounds of it (from the replies of you two), it is an in built feature of Windows.

 

In which case, if it does the job then I would always much prefer an in built option than having to install an additional program. I wouldn't see the need tbh. Additional programs may come with more bells & whistles but really I just want to be able to access the laptop from the PC, do some basic work on it - moving files, sorting through files, deleting, adding etc & that is about it. I just hate using the trackpad.

Sounds like remote desktop will do what you need.  There should be guides out there for sure on how to set it up on Win7 and 10.  Probably even youtube videos.  Do a quick search and you'll be good to go.

[MarkusDarkus]

OK. I'll try to put down a few instructions.

 

Prerequisites:

You seem to have the correct versions of Windows to so it so all you need to do it check the computers are on the same network. 

 

Windows 7 Pro Laptop instructions:

--Turn on RDP---

1: Launch the "Start" panel.

2: Right-click the "Computer" icon.

3: Select "Properties."

4: Select "Remote Settings."

5: Click the "Allow connection from computers running any version of Remote Desktop (less secure)" option.

6: Select "OK."

 

--Get RDP connection info--

7: Launch the "Start" panel.

8: In the search box type cmd.

9: In the command Prompt type hostname and note the result name

10: Then type ipconfig and note the IP address on the line that starts with "IPv4 Address........"

 

Windows 10 Pro Desktop instructions:

---Checking Connectivity between the computers---

1: Right click on the start button and select Command Prompt (admin)

2: Type 'ping' and then the hostname from the laptop ie. "ping win7laptop". If you get a response then skip to step 4.

3: Type 'ping' and then the IPv4 address like in step 2 above and check for a response. 

 

---Connect using RDP---

4: Launch the "Start" panel.

5: In the search box type Remote Desktop Connection. and launch it.

6: In the RDP window type in the hostname or the IPv4 address into the Computer text box and click connect.

7: You should then be asked for a username and password. Enter the username from the laptop with a dot backslash ".\" prefix and the password.

8: Hopefully Profit!