Is there a way to use a remote desktop connection to access the remote computers files via a share?

Question

Is there a way to connect to a remote Windows server and its files via RDP, but not graphically?

I could use the connection to transfer files via the \\TSCLIENT networking mapping or by actually dragging and dropping files. However, I'd like to know if it's possible to do something similar to an SCP connection or being able to map the remote connection's files to the local machine.

Some difficulties/parameters of the situation:

• I have administrator access.
• There is no VPN access.
• I am not on the same network and file sharing ports such as 139 and 445 are blocked.
• I am trying to do this without connecting via the graphical RDP client (although if was required it would be OK).
• I cannot install additional services since I do not administer the network and ports are closed.

Solution 1

You can try installing Hamachi. It is a SSL VPN, and it should bypass the router configuration as it uses the traditional SSL port (443). Then you can use the generic Windows file sharing over that.

At my old workplace I used this all the time. I would remote my machine at home and surf the web from there.

Solution 2

This might not be an answer to your question, but you might try the administrative shares.

You say you have access to RDP and that you have administrative privileges, then this might work:

\\servername\c$ for accessing the C: drive.

\\{IP}\c$ in case the previous doesn't work.

Solution 3

If you can get RDP access to a machine then you should be able to map a drive across the RDP connection.

You can do this in either direction. When you open the MSTSC up, click Options → Local Resources → More and tick "Local Drives" then the drives on your local PC should show up in the drive listing on the server.

You can use the \\tsclient\drive_letter, for example. \\tsclient\d to access your local drives from the remote machine. I've had to do this in the past when connecting to a server that was behind a firewall that didn't allow any of the normal Windows file transfer methods through.

Alternatively the normal Windows way to get a secure connection to a machine on a remote network would be a VPN connection, once you've got that you can map a drive as normal and use any of the normal command line tools.

Solution 4

Without administrator access to install some other services, e.g. VPN, this seems highly unlikely as RDP does not offer this sort of capability.

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Comments

[tvt173]

Is port 80 open for you? Can you run something on the server and access it on port 80, or some other port using HTTP?

[mindless.panda]

and how do I copy files from the remote machine to my local machine using your command line suggestion?

[mindless.panda]

I'm not on the same network - this is via the internet. The router blocks file share 139, etc.

[mindless.panda]

My question stated I cannot install extra services.

[mindless.panda]

I'm aware of being able to access my local drives on the remote connection. You mention I can do this in either direction. How do I map remote drives or folders to my local machine. This might be an acceptable workaround. I just don't want to have to do file management via the remote display.

[Dave M]

No VPN? How would you use RDP

[mindless.panda]

VPN isn't required. I use RDP by connecting to server IP.

[mindless.panda]

But the ports needed to use those shares are blocked.

[Dave M]

Any reason for down votes?

[Peter Mortensen]

What is Terminal Server?

[Peter Mortensen]

How can it work if those two ports are blocked?

[Peter Mortensen]

I think this is viable. How would it work if the remote computer is a Linux machine (not in the question, but it would make for a broader applicable answer).

[Peter Mortensen]

I think it does. At least later versions of Remote Desktop Connection.