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."
   }