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How to access your Windows VPS via RDP

September 2, 2026
VPS

A Windows Server VPS has no monitor or keyboard. You use its desktop over the network through RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol), which comes built into Windows and has an official app for every other system.

1. What you need

Three pieces of information, all in the credentials email the VirtFusion panel sent when Windows finished installing:

  • The VPS's IP address — something like 203.0.113.45.
  • The username, which on Windows Server is Administrator.
  • The password generated during installation.

If you haven't installed Windows on the VPS yet, start with How to activate your VPS and choose the operating system.

2. Connecting from Windows

The client is already installed on your computer — there's nothing to download.

  • Press Windows + R, type mstsc and press Enter. The Remote Desktop Connection window opens.
  • In the Computer field, type the VPS's IP and click Connect.
  • When asked for credentials, use Administrator as the username and the password from the email.
  • You'll see a warning that the remote computer's certificate isn't recognized. That's expected on a new VPS, which uses a self-generated certificate. Check Don't ask me again and click Yes.

The Windows Server desktop opens right after. From there on, it's regular Windows.

💡Tip: Before connecting, click Show Options in the mstsc window and open the Local Resources tab. Under Local devices and resources → More, check your computer's drives. They show up inside the VPS as if they were its own disks, and copying files becomes drag and drop.

3. Connecting from other systems

  • macOS — install Windows App (formerly Microsoft Remote Desktop), free on the Mac App Store. Click + → Add PC, enter the IP under PC name and the credentials under User account.
  • Linux — use Remmina, available in most distributions, choosing the RDP protocol. From the command line, the freerdp package does the job: xfreerdp /v:YOUR_IP /u:Administrator.
  • Android and iPhone — install Microsoft's Windows App (Microsoft Remote Desktop), available in both stores. You fill in the same things: IP, username and password.

4. When the connection is refused

There are only a few causes, and each has its own symptom. The table sums up what to do in each case:

What you seeMost likely causeWhat to do
Remote Desktop can't connect to the remote computerVPS off or still installingCheck in the panel that the status is Running
Connection refused with the VPS onPort 3389 blocked by the firewallLog in through the VNC console and allow the Remote Desktop rule
Your credentials did not workUsername typed wrong or password lostUse Administrator, or generate a new password in the panel
The session drops after a few secondsAnother admin session is openSign out of the session on the other device

"Remote Desktop can't connect to the remote computer"

The VPS is almost always off or still installing. Open the VirtFusion panel from the client area and check that the status is Running. If Windows is still installing, wait for it to finish — Windows Server takes longer than any Linux to be ready.

Connection refused even with the VPS on

The Windows firewall may be blocking port 3389, RDP's default port. In that case, log in through VirtFusion's VNC console — a screen connected directly to the machine that doesn't depend on network configuration — and allow the Remote Desktop rule in Windows Firewall.

"Your credentials did not work"

  • Make sure the username is spelled exactly Administrator, not "admin".
  • If the field comes pre-filled with your computer's user, click More choices → Use a different account.
  • Copying and pasting the password avoids typos, especially since the panel's generated passwords mix upper case, lower case and symbols.
  • If the password was lost, generate a new one in VirtFusion, in the server's settings area. The old password stops working immediately.

The connection drops after a few seconds

Two accounts connected at the same time knock each other off: without Remote Desktop Services licenses, Windows Server accepts one admin session at a time. If you left a session open on another device, sign out of it instead of just closing the window.

⚠️Important: Change the Administrator password on first login. Port 3389 exposed to the internet gets automated login attempts all the time, and a default password is the easiest target there is.

5. Making access more secure

  • Change the password to a long, unique one generated by a password manager.
  • Restrict access by IP: in Windows Firewall, edit the Remote Desktop rule and limit the scope to your IP address, if it's static.
  • Rename or disable the Administrator account and create an admin account with a different name. Half of automated attacks only try that user.
  • Keep Windows Update on. The most exploited RDP flaws already had published fixes when they were used.

Before exposing your Windows VPS

✓The Administrator password was changed to a long, unique one.
✓The RDP firewall rule is restricted to your IP, if it's static.
✓There's an admin account with a different name, and Administrator is disabled.
✓Windows Update is on and the first round of updates has run.

RedHosting's network already filters denial-of-service attacks in two layers, but that protection covers traffic — your machine's password remains the responsibility of whoever manages it.

Need help?

If RDP still doesn't respond after all this, open a ticket at financeiro.redhosting.com.br or contact support on WhatsApp at +55 11 98833-3902, 24 hours a day.

Frequently asked questions

What's the default username on a Windows VPS? +
Administrator. It comes in the credentials email together with the IP and the password generated during installation.
Which port does RDP use? +
Port 3389. If the connection is refused with the VPS on, that's the port being blocked by the Windows firewall.
Can I access the Windows VPS from my phone? +
Yes. Install the Windows App (Microsoft Remote Desktop), available for Android and iPhone, and fill in IP, username and password.
How do I copy files from my computer to the VPS? +
In the mstsc window, click Show Options → Local Resources → More and check your computer's drives. They show up inside the VPS as disks, and copying becomes drag and drop.
I lost the Administrator password. How do I recover it? +
It can't be recovered, only replaced: the server settings in VirtFusion have an option to set a new password, which takes effect immediately.
The connection drops by itself after a few seconds. Why? +
Two admin sessions at the same time knock each other off. Sign out of the session open on the other device instead of just closing the window.