Save a Remote Desktop connection as a one-click shortcut

Typing the IP address, port and username every time you open Remote Desktop gets old fast. Remote Desktop Connection can save all of that in a small .rdp file. Put that file on your desktop, taskbar or Start menu and your server is one click away. This guide shows how, using port 3389.

Before you start

• A Windows 10 or 11 PC. Remote Desktop Connection (mstsc) is built in.
• Your server's IP address, username and password, shown on the service page in your VPS provider's control panel.
• Servers accept Remote Desktop on TCP port 3389, so the address you save must end in :3389.

Save the connection

1. Press Win + R, type mstsc and press Enter.
2. Click Show Options at the bottom left.
3. On the General tab, fill in:

• Computer: 203.0.113.10:3389 (your IP with the port).
• User name: the username from your VPS provider's control panel, for example admin.

1. Optional: open the Display tab and pick a size or full screen. Open Local Resources to decide on clipboard, printers and drives. These choices are saved too.
2. Back on General, click Save As.
3. Choose a folder you will keep, such as Documents\RDP, give the file a clear name like trading-server.rdp, and click Save.

Decide whether to save the password

When you connect the first time, the credential prompt has a Remember me checkbox.

• On your own PC with a locked Windows account: ticking it is reasonable. Windows stores the password in Credential Manager, not in the .rdp file.
• On a shared, family or work computer: leave it unticked. Anyone who can open your Windows account could open the server.

You can review or delete saved passwords later. See Save Remote Desktop credentials safely (and remove them).

Put the shortcut where you need it

Desktop

Save the file to the desktop, or right-click the saved file and choose Show more options → Send to → Desktop (create shortcut).

Taskbar

Windows does not let you pin an .rdp file to the taskbar directly, but you can pin it through the Remote Desktop app:

1. Connect once using the saved file.
2. Right-click the Remote Desktop Connection icon on the taskbar.
3. Your saved file appears in the jump list under Recent. Hover over it and click the pin icon.

Next time, right-click the Remote Desktop icon on the taskbar and pick the server from the Pinned list.

If you prefer a dedicated taskbar button, create a shortcut that points at the file:

1. Right-click the desktop and choose New → Shortcut.
2. Enter the target with the full path to your file:

   mstsc.exe "C:\Users\admin\Documents\RDP\trading-server.rdp"

1. Name it and click Finish.
2. Right-click the new shortcut and choose Pin to taskbar. On Windows 11 you may need Show more options first.

Start menu

Right-click the shortcut you just created and choose Pin to Start.

Change a saved connection

To update the username, screen size or resources later:

1. Right-click the .rdp file and choose Edit.
2. Change what you need in the normal Remote Desktop window.
3. On the General tab click Save, not Connect.

If your server's IP ever changes, for example after moving to a new plan, edit the Computer field and keep :3389 on the end.

Check it works

1. Close all Remote Desktop windows.
2. Click your pinned shortcut or the jump list entry.
3. The prompt should already show 203.0.113.10:3389 and your username. Enter the password if asked.
4. If you saved display options, the session opens at the size you chose.

Troubleshooting

• The shortcut connects but fails with "can't connect": the saved address lost its port. Edit the file and make sure the computer reads IP:3389.
• It always asks for a password even though you ticked Remember me: a Group Policy on your PC may block saved credentials, or the saved entry is for a different address. Save the password again from a connection that uses the exact same address.
• The pinned taskbar item disappeared: jump list entries can be cleared by Windows clean-up tools. Use the shortcut method with mstsc.exe in the target instead.
• Double-clicking opens Notepad: the .rdp file association changed. Right-click the file, choose Open with → Choose another app, select Remote Desktop Connection and tick Always.

Next steps

• See every useful line in the file: Create and edit.rdp files: the settings that matter.
• Add launch switches such as full screen: Remote Desktop mstsc command-line options explained.
• Connecting from other devices: Connect to your Admin RDP from Windows, Mac and phone.