Changing Remote Desktop Port in Microsoft Windows

This article will show you how to change Remote Desktop port from default TCP 3386 to any port number you want as according to your requirement. This might be needed if the default port is already used by other application on your network.

Without wasting more time, let’s start. The change is pretty simple by making minor change in registry, but you need to be careful when using registry editor. You Windows OS might not work well if you make incorrect registry change. This registry change works well in Windows 7, Vista and XP after testing, and you can try on other Windows OS too.

1) Let me use Windows 7 as example here: Go to Start and run registry editor program (regedit).

registry editor in Windows 7

2) Registry editor window will appear, browse and locate following registry subkey – PortNumber. Right click to modify it.

remote desktop port registry subkey

remote desktop port subkey in registry

3) Change to decimal mode, after that key in new port number. As an example, I change it to port 20000. Click OK and close registry program finally.

Note: Please note that if you have enabled firewall on this Remote Desktop enabled computer, you need to configure firewall to permit Remote Desktop traffic on new port. If not, other users will face problem to connect to this computer.

change remote desktop port TCP 3389

4) Restart you computer or Remote Desktop program for the change to take effect. From now on other user can only connect to this Remote Desktop enabled computer by using client program in this format: IP-address:port-number (example: 192.168.1.100:20000)

connect to remote desktop customized port

Related Articles:

Windows 7 Remote Desktop Activation
Remote Desktop Connection from Internet
Simple File Sharing in Windows 7

Return to top of "Changing Remote Desktop Port in Microsoft Windows"!!