Friday, October 18, 2013

How To Configure Remote Desktop Access on Windows 7 Systems

Remote Desktop is not enabled by default. You must specifically enable it to allow remote access to the workstation. When it is enabled, any member of the Administrators group can connect to the workstation. Other users must be placed on a remote access list to gain access to the workstation. 


To configure remote access, follow these steps: 
1. In Control Panel, click System And Security, and then click System. 
2. On the System page, click Remote Settings in the left pane. This opens the System Properties dialog box to the Remote tab. 
3. To disable Remote Desktop, select Don’t Allow Connections To This Computer, and then click OK.Skip the remaining steps. 
4. To enable Remote Desktop, you have two options. You can:
  • Select Allow Connections From Computers Running Any Version Of Remote Desktop to allow connections from any version of Windows.
  • Select Allow Connections Only From Computers Running Remote Desktop With Network Level Authentication to allow connections only from Windows 7 or later computers (and computers with secure network authentication).
5. Click Select Users. This displays the Remote Desktop Users dialog box. 
6. To grant Remote Desktop access to a user, click Add. This opens the Select Users dialog box. In the Select Users dialog box, click Locations to select the computer or domain in which the users you want to work with are located. Type the name of a user you want to work with in the Enter The Object Names To Select field, and then click Check Names. If matches are found, select the account you want to use and then click OK. If no matches are found, update the name you entered and try searching again. Repeat this step as necessary, and then click OK. 
7. To revoke remote access permissions for a user account, select the account and then click Remove.
8. Click OK twice when you have finished. 

Windows Firewall must be configured to allow inbound Remote Desktop excep¬tions. You can configure this on a per-computer basis in Windows Firewall for the domain profile and the standard profile. In Group Policy, you can configure this exception and manage Remote Desktop by using the policy settings shown in the following list. These settings are found in the Administrative Templates policies for Computer Configuration under the path shown. 

Thursday, October 17, 2013

How to activate hibernation mode in Windows 7 and 8

For some inexplicable reason, most versions of Windows 7 and 8 don't allow you to put your PC or Laptop into hibernation mode by default. However, what isn't yet may well still be: Here's how you can (re)activate this handy feature
.

In most cases, the main culprit for the lack of a hibernate button in the power menu is revealed to be the so-called hybrid sleep mode – an enhanced version of the normal sleep mode that combines all its normal characteristics with an additional routine that copies the content of the RAM onto the hard drive to safeguard it from power-outages. As long as this mode is active, Windows seems to consider the hibernation mode redundant in spite of its energy-saving benefits, so that it doesn't even bother offering the option for it.

To deactivate the hybrid sleep mode, 
1. open up your control panel and 
2. navigate along the path "Power options >  Change plan settings > Change advanced power settings > Sleep > Allow hybrid sleep". 
3. Change the setting from "On" to "Off", close the windows by clicking on OK and you should be all set. 
4. Make sure to check your shutdown menu to see whether or not an option for hibernation mode is now available.

If not, you might have to enable the corresponding system entry for hibernation mode manually. Fortunately, this doesn't pose much of a problem: 
1. Hold down the Windows-key + R and type in "cmd" to bring up the command prompt. 
2. Enter "powercfg –h on" to force Windows to activate it.