Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is a proprietary protocol developed by Microsoft, which provides a user with a graphical interface to connect to another computer over a network connection. Configuring RDP access is crucial for remote management, troubleshooting, and accessing resources on a Windows machine from a different location. This article will guide you through the process of configuring RDP access using scripts on a Windows environment, ensuring you can automate and streamline the setup process.

Examples:

1. Enabling RDP via PowerShell Script

PowerShell is a powerful scripting language in Windows that can be used to enable RDP. Here’s a script that enables RDP and configures the firewall to allow RDP connections:

   # Enable RDP

   Set-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\' -Name "fDenyTSConnections" -Value 0



   # Enable RDP through the firewall

   Enable-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup "Remote Desktop"

Save the above script in a .ps1 file and run it with administrative privileges.

2. Enabling RDP via Command Prompt (CMD) Script

If you prefer using Command Prompt, you can achieve the same result with the following batch script:

   @echo off

   REM Enable RDP

   reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server" /v fDenyTSConnections /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f



   REM Enable RDP through the firewall

   netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group="remote desktop" new enable=Yes

Save the above script in a .bat file and run it with administrative privileges.

3. Creating a User for RDP Access

It's often necessary to create a user account specifically for remote access. Here’s how you can create a new user and add it to the Remote Desktop Users group using PowerShell:

   # Create a new user

   New-LocalUser -Name "RemoteUser" -Password (ConvertTo-SecureString "P@ssw0rd" -AsPlainText -Force) -FullName "Remote User" -Description "User for RDP access"



   # Add the user to the Remote Desktop Users group

   Add-LocalGroupMember -Group "Remote Desktop Users" -Member "RemoteUser"

4. Checking RDP Status

To verify if RDP is enabled, you can use the following PowerShell command:

   $RDPStatus = Get-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\' -Name "fDenyTSConnections"

   if ($RDPStatus.fDenyTSConnections -eq 0) {

       Write-Output "RDP is enabled."

   } else {

       Write-Output "RDP is disabled."

   }