Changing the Default Port for Remote Desktop

Remote Desktop enables you to connect to your computer across the Internet from virtually any computer. By default, remote desktop connection uses the port 3389 to connect through which creates consistency between computers however, there are times when using a custom port number is required.

There is no facility for configuring which port settings Remote Desktop uses in Windows, which forces us to make the change manually in the Windows Registry using Regedit. Editing the registry can be harmful to your system so I recommend that you back up your registry before you begin.  Once you change the Remote Desktop default port, you will also need to allow the port through Windows Firewall and other firewall software packages. Read my instructions which detail how to add a Windows Firewall rule in Windows 7 or how to add a port to the Windows Firewall exception list in Windows XP when finished. Windows Firewall instructions Coming Soon!!

Enabling RDP with Concurrent User Sessions in Windows 7

Windows 7 lacks the ability to log into the same user profile more than once. Without the ability to have concurrent user sessions you are forced to disconnect another user in order to connect to a system.  This isn't an issue if you are the only one who uses the system but, what if the system is shared with other users? What if you use the system as a HTPC and you want to perform some maintenance tasks while the media continues to play?

Keep reading for instructions on how to easily patch Windows 7 to accept simultaneous user logins.