How it works
A window onto a computer somewhere else.
How FarDesktop works, in plain terms: where your program runs, what travels over the internet, what stays on the far machine and what it cannot do.
1
Your device
A browser tab on a Mac, a tablet, a Chromebook or a PC. Nothing is installed.
2
The internet
Carries your clicks and keystrokes one way and a live picture the other.
3
A Windows machine
Your program runs here, in its own Windows account, with its files next to it.
What you see
Your program appears in a browser tab. You can resize it, make it full screen and use your keyboard and mouse or trackpad the way you would in any other program. Menus, dialogs and shortcuts all behave as they do on Windows, because it is Windows.
When you close the tab, you are done. Your program and your files are still on the far machine, exactly where you left them.
What travels over the internet
Two things cross the connection. A picture of what the program is showing travels to you, compressed so it arrives quickly. And what you do, the clicks, movements and keystrokes, travels back and is applied to the program on the far machine.
- The picture is what you would have seen on a Windows computer's screen.
- Your input is sent as it happens, which is why a steady connection matters more than a fast one.
What stays on the far machine
The program itself, its files, its settings and any connections it makes all live on the far machine. None of it is sent to your device. That is why you do not need to install anything, why an older or smaller device is fine and why your files are not sitting on your laptop.
If you choose to copy or download something, that is the moment it reaches your device. Where your plan includes data controls, that can be restricted.
Your own Windows account for each session
Each session runs in its own Windows account on the far machine. That keeps one session apart from another and means a session starts clean. It is also why we do not need anything installed on your side to tell you apart from anyone else.
What it cannot do
No setup is right for everything, and we would rather say so now.
Hardware plugged into your own computer, such as a licence dongle or a scanner, does not travel to a remote machine by itself. Work that needs an instant response, like drawing with a pen or playing audio live, is harder because every small delay shows. Heavy graphics may need a stronger machine, or may not suit remote use at all. And you need an internet connection.
Questions people ask.
Where does my program actually run?
On a Windows machine in a data centre, in its own Windows account for your session. Your device shows you a live picture of it.
What stays on my device?
Nothing from the program. Your device sends clicks and keystrokes and receives a picture. Files stay on the far machine unless you copy or download them.
Does it work without internet?
No. The program runs on a far machine, so you need a connection while you work.
Is it the same as remote desktop?
It is related. You open a link in your browser instead of installing a client, and you can open a single program instead of a whole desktop.
What cannot it do?
It is poor for hardware plugged into your own computer, for work that needs instant response, and for heavy graphics on a small machine. We say so up front.