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How to control a Windows PC from a Mac

Access and control a Windows 10 or 11 PC from your Mac over the internet, including Windows Home, with a free remote desktop app and no router setup.

· 3 min read

Maybe your work PC is at the office and you’re on a MacBook at home, or a relative’s Windows laptop needs fixing. Either way, you can control a Windows PC from a Mac in a few minutes. This guide uses EnDesk, a free remote desktop app that works on Windows Home and Pro alike and connects over the internet without router setup.

What you need

  • A Windows 10 or 11 PC (64-bit). Home, Pro and other editions all work.
  • A Mac running macOS 12 or later.
  • An internet connection on both. Any networks will do.

Step 1: Install EnDesk on the Windows PC

  1. Download the Windows installer and open it.
  2. If “Windows protected your PC” appears, click More info and then Run anyway.
  3. EnDesk installs and opens by itself. No admin rights or extra permissions are needed on Windows.

No admin rights on that PC? The portable version runs without installing.

Step 2: Install EnDesk on the Mac

  1. Download the Mac version, open it and drag EnDesk to Applications.
  2. If macOS can’t verify the app, go to System Settings → Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway.

Your Mac is the one doing the controlling, so it doesn’t need the Screen Recording or Accessibility permissions. Those are only for a Mac that is being controlled.

Step 3: Connect

  1. On the Windows PC, note the ID and Password on EnDesk’s main screen.
  2. On the Mac, choose Connect, enter them, and press Connect.
  3. On the PC, click Accept. The Windows desktop appears on your Mac.

Windows shortcuts on a Mac keyboard

By default, your Mac’s Control key is Ctrl on Windows and ⌘ becomes the Windows key. If you want ⌘C and ⌘V to copy and paste on the PC the way they do on your Mac, turn on ⌘ ↔ Ctrl in the toolbar while connected.

The toolbar also has a Ctrl+Alt+Del button for apps that listen for that combination. The Windows security screen itself (lock, sign out, change password) only opens for keys pressed on the PC.

Two Windows limits to know

  • Administrator prompts (UAC). When Windows asks “Do you want to allow this app to make changes?”, it shows that prompt on a protected screen that remote control apps can’t click. Someone at the PC has to answer it, or you can avoid tasks that need admin rights while connected.
  • Apps running as administrator. Windows doesn’t let a normal app send clicks into windows that run with admin rights, so those windows may ignore your input.

Reach the PC any time

For your own PC, set a permanent password in EnDesk’s Settings and turn on Unattended access. Then stop the PC from sleeping: Settings → System → Power, and set “When plugged in, put my device to sleep after” to Never. The full checklist is in our unattended access guide.

What about Microsoft Remote Desktop?

Microsoft’s own app for Mac (now called Windows App) uses Remote Desktop Protocol, which is excellent on office networks. Two things often get in the way at home: the PC must run a Pro, Enterprise or Education edition of Windows to accept connections, and reaching it over the internet usually needs a VPN or router configuration. EnDesk works on Windows Home and connects over the internet without either. More options are compared in free remote desktop apps for Windows and Mac.

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