Remote Desktop allows one system, connected to the same network, to assume control of another system. The controlled system shows up in a "terminal" window on the controlling system. Mouse clicks and keyboard entries within that window are transferred to the controlled computer. You can even cut and paste between the controlled and controlling computer.

If your UX came with Vista installed, you should have Vista Business. Business supports Remote Desktop, but it will close any current sessions when you log in remotely. If you installed Vista yourself, you may have opted for Vista Home Premium, which lacks the Remote Desktop capability entirely. The hack below gives full Remote Desktop capability for any system running Home Premium or above.

To get full Remote Desktop functionality, you'll need to install a "hacked" version of the terminal server direct link library (termsvr.dll). The necessary files and instructions can be found onTony Chan's Blog site. The zip file you download contains the hacked termsvr.dll, a registry entry updater, and several batch files to automate the process on Vista Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate. Remember to run the Command Prompt "as an Administrator" to apply the patch.