How to install a VNC Server on Windows

In­stalling a VNC server on Windows opens up numerous pos­sib­il­it­ies for efficient remote access to external devices. This allows you to control and manage your Windows PC from anywhere.

What is a VNC server on Windows used for?

A VNC server, short for Virtual Network Computing server, is a software solution that allows you to remotely control a computer over a network or the internet. The principle behind VNC is based on remote desktop tech­no­logy, where the screen of a remote computer is displayed on another device. This is done by trans­fer­ring the screen and input data between the VNC server on the target computer and a VNC viewer or client on the control device.

The main purpose of a VNC server on Windows is to remotely control and manage computers. This allows IT support teams to diagnose and fix problems on remote systems without having to be on site. Companies use VNC servers for the central or­gan­isa­tion of work en­vir­on­ments and to support home office employees. A VNC server is also practical for personal use to access your own computer while on the move or to share your screen for present­a­tions and training. Many VNC server options for Windows are free and offer a wide range of functions. This makes a VNC a budget-friendly solution for remote computer access and man­age­ment.

These are the re­quire­ments for a VNC server on Windows

Before you can install and operate a VNC server on Windows, certain re­quire­ments must be met to ensure a suc­cess­ful and secure con­fig­ur­a­tion:

• Operating system: The Windows PC on which the VNC server is to be installed should use at least Windows 7 or a newer version. Older versions may work, but they are not always com­pat­ible with the latest VNC server versions.
• VNC software: You need to select and install VNC server software. Popular options for Windows include TightVNC, RealVNC and UltraVNC. Each of these software solutions has its own in­stall­a­tion in­struc­tions and features, so you should make sure to choose the version that suits your needs.
• Firewall in­stall­a­tion: The Windows firewall or other security software must be con­figured to allow con­nec­tions from the VNC server. As a rule, you should enable port 5900 for the VNC con­nec­tion, unless you have con­figured a different port number.
• User accounts and au­thor­isa­tions: The VNC server requires ad­min­is­trat­ive au­thor­isa­tions on the Windows PC in order to run properly.

In addition, you should implement security measures such as a strong password and en­cryp­tion options to prevent un­au­thor­ised access to the VNC server.

How to install TightVNC on Windows

TightVNC is an open-source software that can be down­loaded and used free of charge. The VNC server is available for both Windows and Unix-based systems such as Linux. Below, we explain all the steps involved in setting up TightVNC.

Step 1: Download TightVNC software

To start in­stalling TightVNC, first visit the official TightVNC website. Go to the download section and select the latest version of the TightVNC software that matches your system (32-bit or 64-bit). Click on the download link and save the in­stall­a­tion file to your computer.

Step 2: Install TightVNC on Windows

Double-click on the down­loaded file to start the in­stall­a­tion wizard. In the next window, you must read and accept the license agreement in order to continue. Now select the in­stall­a­tion type. We recommend selecting Typical during setup to install both the VNC server and the viewer.

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Check the box to run the TightVNC as System Service. Then click on Install to start the in­stall­a­tion. The in­stall­a­tion wizard will ask you to set a password for remote access. Confirm with Finish to close the wizard after com­plet­ing the in­stall­a­tion.

By default, TightVNC uses port 5900 for the con­nec­tion. Make sure that this port is open in your firewall or adjust the port settings if you want to use a different port.

Step 3: Connect to the TightVNC server

To access the TightVNC server from another computer, you must install a VNC Viewer. Download a viewer of your choice or use the TightVNC Viewer. Open the VNC Viewer and enter the IP address of the Windows PC on which the TightVNC server is running in the con­nec­tion field. If you have con­figured a different port, add this as well. After entering the IP address, you will be prompted to enter the password that you specified during server con­fig­ur­a­tion. Enter the password and click ‘OK’ to establish the con­nec­tion.

How to install a RealVNC Server on Windows

RealVNC offers strong end-to-end en­cryp­tion for all data trans­mis­sions as standard. This not only protects the con­nec­tion itself, but also the trans­mit­ted data from un­au­thor­ised access. In addition, RealVNC enables two-factor au­then­tic­a­tion (2FA). Therefore, this VNC server is a popular choice for Windows and it’s also easy to install.

Step 1: Download the RealVNC software

Before you can install RealVNC on your Windows PC, you have to download the software from the official RealVNC website. Select the Windows version for RealVNC and click on the download button. RealVNC is chargeable, but there’s a 14-day free trial if you don’t have an account yet.

Step 2: Install the RealVNC server

Start the in­stall­a­tion by double clicking on the down­loaded .exe file. The in­stall­a­tion wizard will now guide you through the process. Your web browser will open auto­mat­ic­ally. Follow the in­struc­tions on the screen and then click on ‘Open’ to return to the RealVNC Connect Setup App. Check the displayed settings and then click on ’Launch’.

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Now repeat the process on the device from which you want to access your Windows PC by down­load­ing and setting up the RealVNC Connect Setup App on that device as well.

Step 3: Connect with the RealVNC server

In RealVNC Viewer you can access the remote computer you want to connect to by double clicking or tapping on it. Make sure that you use the RealVNC Viewer on a device other than the one on which the RealVNC server is running. Otherwise, you’ll see an endless view of windows because the image is mirrored from your own screen.

The first time you try to connect, RealVNC Viewer displays an identity veri­fic­a­tion screen. Here you can make sure that you really are con­nect­ing to the right computer. To do this, check the displayed password and signature and compare them with the in­form­a­tion on the RealVNC server. RealVNC Viewer saves this identity to verify it for future con­nec­tions. If there’s a dis­crep­ancy, you’ll receive a warning before the con­nec­tion is es­tab­lished to protect you from possible security risks.

Step 4: Au­then­tic­a­tion

When you establish a con­nec­tion to a remote computer, you will be asked to au­then­tic­ate yourself so enter your password. If you selected the ‘Windows Password’ option during setup, you must use the username and password of an account on the remote computer.

Also make sure that the users who are to connect remotely have the ap­pro­pri­ate au­thor­isa­tions. By default, only members of the Ad­min­is­trat­or group are allowed to access the computer. If necessary, add users and session au­thor­isa­tions for the RealVNC server. Otherwise, you may have dif­fi­culty con­nect­ing to your computer. You can manage users and per­mis­sions in RealVNC Server in two ways: by cus­tom­ising the RealVNC Server Per­mis­sions parameter or via the Options > Users & Per­mis­sions page. Use the user interface to add users and manage per­mis­sions.

How to install UltraVNC Server on Windows

In addition to standard features such as remote access and screen sharing, UltraVNC offers advanced features such as file transfer and chat functions that fa­cil­it­ate in­ter­ac­tion and man­age­ment of remote sessions. In­stall­a­tion can also be automated for multiple PCs.

Step 1: Download the UltraVNC in­stall­a­tion files

First you need to download the ap­pro­pri­ate version of UltraVNC for your version of Windows. To do this, visit the official UltraVNC download page. On this page, you’ll find the current versions of the UltraVNC installer. Select the ap­pro­pri­ate installer for 32-bit or 64-bit Windows.

Step 2: Run the installer

After starting the in­stall­a­tion wizard, you’ll be asked to select your preferred language. Then click on ‘Next’ in the welcome window of the in­stall­a­tion wizard. On the next page, you must accept the license agreement to continue. Select ‘I accept the agreement’ and click ‘Next’ again. You can confirm the default settings in the in­form­a­tion window and in the following windows. If necessary, change the desired in­stall­a­tion directory. In the ‘Select Com­pon­ents’ window, you can select ‘Full in­stall­a­tion’ to install both the UltraVNC Server and the UltraVNC Client.

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Once the in­stall­a­tion is complete, click ‘Finish’ to exit the in­stall­a­tion wizard.

Step 3: Configure the UltraVNC Server

Right click on the UltraVNC icon in the taskbar and select ‘Admin Prop­er­ties’. This opens the UltraVNC Server con­fig­ur­a­tion window. Go to the ‘Au­then­tic­a­tion’ tab. Here you can change the VNC password and the view-only password. Make sure to use strong passwords to prevent un­au­thor­ised access.

In the ‘Incoming Con­nec­tions’ tab, you can change the ports for UltraVNC. Make sure that the ports are con­figured correctly, es­pe­cially if you need specific ports for your network en­vir­on­ment. Check if UltraVNC Server is present in the startup folder of your computer. If not, you’ll need to manually copy UltraVNC Server to this folder so that it starts auto­mat­ic­ally at system startup.

Step 4: Connect with the UltraVNC Server

Test the con­nec­tion to your UltraVNC server from another computer to ensure that the con­fig­ur­a­tion and passwords are working correctly. This helps to identify possible con­nec­tion problems at an early stage. Also check that all desired functions of UltraVNC are working correctly. Check the remote ad­min­is­tra­tion functions and file transfer to ensure that no errors occur.

Step 5: Automate UltraVNC in­stall­a­tion (optional)

If you need to install UltraVNC on a large number of computers, auto­mat­ing the in­stall­a­tion process can save sig­ni­fic­ant time and labour. By using command line para­met­ers during setup, you can make the in­stall­a­tion more efficient and con­sist­ent.

• /dir="Dirname": This parameter is used to specify the in­stall­a­tion directory for UltraVNC. For example, if you want to install the software in C:\Program Files\UltraVNC, you would enter the following command:

UltraVNC_1436_X64_Setup.exe /dir="C:\Program Files\UltraVNC"

• /no restart: Use this parameter to prevent the computer from re­start­ing auto­mat­ic­ally after in­stall­a­tion. In the past, it was sometimes necessary to restart after in­stall­a­tion, but modern programs can often be installed without re­start­ing.
• /silent: This parameter ensures that no dialogue boxes are displayed during the in­stall­a­tion.
• /very silent: If you use this parameter, the in­stall­a­tion is carried out without any user interface. No windows are displayed and the in­stall­a­tion runs com­pletely in the back­ground.
• /loadinf="Filename": This parameter allows you to load a con­fig­ur­a­tion file that is used during in­stall­a­tion. This file contains all the settings you want to create during the in­stall­a­tion and allows con­sist­ent con­fig­ur­a­tion on all computers. To create such a con­fig­ur­a­tion file, you can first run through the in­stall­a­tion process with the parameter /saveinf="Filename". This saves the current in­stall­a­tion options in an INI file, which you can then use on other computers.

An example command for loading a con­fig­ur­a­tion file would be:

UltraVNC_1436_X64_Setup.exe /loadinf="C:\path\to\config.ini"

• /log: This parameter creates a log file in the Temp directory. This log file contains detailed in­form­a­tion about the in­stall­a­tion process, including any errors or warnings that occurred during the in­stall­a­tion.

In our Digital Guide, you can also learn how to install a VNC server on Ubuntu 22.04.