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Active2 years, 10 months ago
I have a Mac Pro and a 120 Mbps up (2 Mbps down) broadband cable connection over my Fritbox 7390.
When I use the Microsoft RDP Client or the CorD-Client on OS X (Lion, Snow Leopard, Leopard - all have the same problem), the RDP connection is very slow. When I start Windows in Boot Camp on the same machine and use the RDP client from Windows, everything is fine.
Can anyone tell me the reason for this? How can I fix it? Are there any modifications I can make, such as TCP optimization?
Canadian Luke18.5k33 gold badges97 silver badges153 bronze badges
Tex
migrated from stackoverflow.comAug 5 '11 at 23:29
This question came from our site for professional and enthusiast programmers.
7 Answers
I don't know for sure, but I've heard the same complaint. A theory is that on Mac (and Linux) the full images are sent over the network, whereas on Windows some higher level drawing commands are sent, at least for some parts of the screen.
It'd be interesting to try running Remote Desktop Client for Windows on the Mac (or Linux) using Wine, and compare performance this way.
oKtosiTe6,2268 gold badges39 silver badges68 bronze badges
kirschkirsch
I had this very issue but the interesting thing is that the RDC to this machine had been working fine some days before – but all of a sudden, over a gigabit network I could see each bitmap block coming across. I tried some other solutions such as executing:
from an elevated commas prompt as suggested here: Vista Remote Desktop Connection Client Slow Delay or Disconnect When Connect to Windows Server 2003 SP2 x64 Edition RDP. That didn't work though.
Then I twigged what had changed since it last worked. I had re-enabled by realtime virus checker (in this case ESET Cybersecurity). I turned off realtime file system protection and instantly RDC and (and also SplashTop desktop, which does the same thing) got back to normal speed.
slhck171k49 gold badges476 silver badges492 bronze badges
bowerandybowerandy
I had this problem on my MacBook Pro with this:
To make it stick between reboots, add it to /etc/sysctl.conf with…
grg1,4991 gold badge10 silver badges20 bronze badges
dkay29dkay29
Try tweaking the Display settings on the Mac OSX RDP client.
Go to RDC->Preferences->Display, remove some of the 'expensive' options in the 'while connected' section (such as: show desktop background, show themes, etc...).
oKtosiTe6,2268 gold badges39 silver badges68 bronze badges
AsherAsher
I was having the same issue with both CoRD and Windows RDP. What fixed it for me was adding more memory (I went from 4GB to 8GB).
Canadian Luke18.5k33 gold badges97 silver badges153 bronze badges
jasonnjesterjasonnjester
OK installing freerdp client ($brew install freerdp in my case, using homebrew) seemed to provide an increased performance over the built-in 'Remote Desktop Connection' for me. Finally fast RDP on mac :)
This thread mentions various other clients as well, FWIW, including CoRD, though for me CoRD seemed still slow'ish, and is built on rdesktop instead of FreeRDP (not sure what that means but might help understand it's speed being comparable to the built in Remote Desktop Connection. (though rdesktop itself seemed more responsive than CoRD to me, for whatever reason).
Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Client For Mac
Also see this thread, it mentions that there is a 'Microsoft Remote Desktop' app in the app store, which, for me, is quite responsive.
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rogerdpackrogerdpack9823 gold badges15 silver badges30 bronze badges
In my experience connecting to a low-spec'ed Windows 10 box (older second generation Core i5 with 4GB RAM) with RDP from OS X is severely affected by real-time malware/spyware/antivirus scanning. Disabling Microsoft's own Windows Defender's real-time protection made the experience much more tolerable.
cosmixcosmix
Today's technology has come a long way in closing the divide between Windows and Mac applications, especially in the enterprise. However, a gap still exists for some and requires a bridge to move between computing environments.
For Mac users, the stalwart tool has been the Microsoft Remote Desktop connection. Available now through the Mac App store, it allows users to remotely connect to a Windows desktop to access local files, applications, and network resources.
Note: If you want to access Microsoft Remote Desktop on a newer Mac running macOS Sierra, check out this article instead.
In order to get started with Microsoft Remote Desktop, you must begin by downloading it from the Mac App Store. Click the blue 'App Store' icon in your dock. Or, you can download it from our sister site Download.com here.
Once you've accessed the Mac App Store, use the search bar at the top right of the screen to search for 'Microsoft Remote Desktop.' The first search result should be what you're looking for. To begin the download, click the blue 'Get' button. This app is free, so no price will be listed.
Next, open the application by clicking through the grey 'Launchpad' icon and clicking on the Remote Desktop app icon. Or, you can use the searchlight feature by clicking the looking glass at the top right of your home screen, or by using the shortcut Command + Space Bar, and searching for 'Microsoft Remote Desktop.' Opening the app should look like this:
If you think you'll be frequently using this remote desktop connection, now would be a good time to set it in your dock. Right click (control + click) on the icon, mouse over 'Options,' and click 'Keep in Dock.' This will keep you from having to look for the icon every time you need to use it.
At this point you'll need to enable remote access on your target PC. For a Windows 8 machine, the fastest way to get this done is to search for 'Allow remote access to your computer' and click on that when it comes up. You may need an administrator password to complete this step. Under the 'System Properties' box you should see 'Remote Desktop' and the button labeled 'Allow remote connections to this computer' should be selected.
Next, you'll need to select the users who will be able to be accessed through the remote desktop connection. Now, search for 'System' and click it when it appears. Turn off hibernation and sleep settings for the target PC, as you won't be able to access it remotely if it falls asleep.
SEE: Software usage policy (Tech Pro Research)
![Microsoft Remote Vm Connection Client For Mac Microsoft Remote Vm Connection Client For Mac](/uploads/1/2/6/5/126574633/816522319.png)
While still in 'System,' it's a good time to go ahead and get your full PC name if you don't already have it, as you'll need it to set up the connection. Click on 'Computer name, domain, and workgroup settings' to find the full PC name and write it down. Enabling a Windows 7 computer is a little different, but you can find out how to do that here.
Head back to your Mac and click the 'New' button at the top left of the Microsoft Remote Desktop screen. You'll be prompted to fill in quite a few fields.
The first thing you'll need to input is the connection name. This is simply what you want to call the connection and it has no real bearing on the connection itself. For example, you could call it 'John's work computer,' or 'Jennifer's PC.'
Next, you'll need to input the PC name (the one you wrote down from earlier), or the IP address so your Mac knows where to find your PC. The next line down allows you to configure a Gateway, which would let you connect to virtual desktops or session-based desktops that are on your company's network. Check with your network administrator to see if there is a gateway you are to use.
Credentials is where you will type in the domain, username, and password for the target PC so you can log in through the remote connection. Resolution, colors, and full screen mode are all personal preferences for how you want the remote desktop to launch on your machine. If you're not sure, start with the standard settings and go from there.
If you want to configure peripheral devices for your remote desktop, you can find options for that under the middle tab, 'Session.'
The first choice is a drop-down menu for sound. You can disable sound, have it play on the remote PC, or have it play on your Mac. If you want to connect to an administrator session on a Windows server, click the box next to 'Connect to admin session.'
The next option to 'Forward printing devices' will make your local printers available during your remote desktop session. 'Swap mouse buttons' will allow you to use left click commands with a right-click Mac mouse.
The last tab at the top of the window is 'Redirection.' This is where you would choose a local folder you wanted to be available during your remote session. Click the '+' button, choose a name for the folder, and input the folder's path to have it available.
When you are finished configuring your remote desktop, click the red close button at the top left of the dialog box and your new remote desktop will be added. To start a session with that desktop, simply double-click it to begin.
If you want to edit, duplicate, export, or delete that remote connection, right-click (control + click) on the desktop name to access those options.
![Remote Remote](/uploads/1/2/6/5/126574633/177266645.png)
If you don't think Microsoft Remote Desktop is the option for you, here are some other options available at Download.com:
What do you think?
Is there a better way to access your Windows applications? Tell us in the comments.
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