If you use a desktop rather than a laptop when at the school and need to work remotely using your personal home computer or a SON loaner laptop, you should plan on using that device to remotely connect to your SON desktop where you will have access to all the applications, documents, and settings that you are accustomed to using.

Establishing a Remote Desktop Connections to your SON desktop computer:

  1. Be sure to leave you SON desktop powered ON when you leave.
  2. Establish a VPN connection to the Hopkins network. IT@JH instructions for configuring VPN
    1. If you are using a SON loaner laptop, this step should not be necessary.
  3. Open "Remote Desktop Connection" on your personal computer or SON loaner.
    1. For Windows OS, type "Remote Desktop" in the search bar and it should appear in the list
    2. For Mac OS, go to the App Store and search for "Microsoft Remote Desktop"
  4. Enter your SON desktop computer name. You can quickly determine your SON desktop computer name by entering msinfo32 in the Windows search bar and pressing Enter.  The "System Name" is the computer name you need to enter in the app.  The name will be "SONxxxxx" where xxxxx is a 5-digit number the matches the blue bar code label on the machine.
  5. When prompted for your username, enter it as WIN\JHEDID
  6. Click Connect


For further guidance, the following video walks you through steps 3 through 6 above:

https://vimeo.com/jhunursing/review/397537122/36ecc43858

Possible Error Messages:

  • If you get an error message that reads "Remote Desktop can't connect to the remote computer...", it is most likely powered off.
  • If you receive a message that reads "The connection was denied because the user account is not authorized...", you will need to contact the SON Help Desk and let them know that you need Remote Desktop access enabled on your machine.  Be sure to provide then with your computer name. 

Remote Work Technical Readiness

EXTERNAL - Microsoft: How To Use Remote Desktop