# Reinstalling Remote Desktop on xp home



## L.Shutat (Jan 7, 2007)

How's everyone doing?

My operating system is xp home edition and I unwittingly deleted my remote desktop program. It was only used to access a computer that ran on xp pro, so there wasn't a problem using it, and I don't need anything else fancy, just my old RtD. 

Unfortunately, I don't know how exactly to reinstall it. Any help would be appreciated!


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Here's the client download: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/tools/rdclientdl.mspx


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## L.Shutat (Jan 7, 2007)

Ah, thanks for the time.

Unfortunately, it's not that simple. The .exe downloads fine, but it doesn't install. Instead I recieve an error message stating "Remote Desktop Connection cannot be installed because your operating system already has a built-in version. See All Programs/Accessories/Communications/Remote Desktop Connections on your start menu."

Worse still, that isn't the case. Remote Desktop isn't in my Communications, or anywhere else on my PC.

It's almost baffling actually. Thanks.


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## Elvandil (Aug 1, 2003)

What exactly did you delete?

Is the property sheet for My Computer available to enable it?

If all you did was remove some files, try running sfc /scannow.


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## L.Shutat (Jan 7, 2007)

The Remote tab in the properties of My Computer doesn't even have the space for Remote Desktop. I remember that it was once there, but as you can see below it's vanished, completely blank.










I recall having a Remote Desktop icon on my desktop. However, I thought it was a shortcut and unwittingly deleted it not realizing it was actually the program itself. At least, that's what I think in retrospect. I can't prove that what I deleted wasn't a shortcut to RtD, but I can't think of anything else I did to effect it at all.

In short, yes, Remote Desktop is gone from my computer in its entirely. I ran scf /scannow just in case, but it didn't help.

Thanks for the suggestions though.

Edit: typo


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

I'm not sure what you saw, but here's the same tab from a 100% stock XP-Home installation with nothing deleted, then the same screen from XP-Pro. Look familiar? There isn't any RDT dialog on that tab for XP-Home, and there never has been. Do you have c:\windows\system32\mstsc.exe on your system? That's the RDT client.


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## L.Shutat (Jan 7, 2007)

I did find mstsc.exe in there. It looks like I had it all along.

Seems I assumed it was deleted since I couldn't find it.

Thanks a lot for the help, you guys are the greatest.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Glad we could help.

*You can mark your own threads solved using the thread tools at the upper right of the screen.*


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