How to set up remote access on a Microsoft Surface

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   Step 1: Install RemoteAccessApp on the PC

   Run the free installer from the download page. It installs without administrator rights. If Windows shows a SmartScreen warning, here's what to do.

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   Step 2: Choose Set up this PC

   Sign in, or type the 6-digit setup code from Add a PC on your dashboard. Leave Start RemoteAccessApp with Windows ticked so it's running whenever someone is signed in.

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   Step 3: Keep the PC awake

   In Settings > System > Power & battery, set the screen and sleep times to Never when plugged in, and keep the Surface on its charger. Surface devices use Modern Standby, where Windows may disconnect from networks on battery to save power. Modern Standby can affect waking too: MSI says some of its Modern Standby laptops don't support waking from the network (set up remote access on an MSI PC).

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   Step 4: Stop it locking itself

   Turn off anything that locks the Surface on its own while you're away, such as Windows' Dynamic lock, and don't close the lid on a Surface Laptop you'll reach remotely. RemoteAccessApp can't unlock the lock screen.

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   Step 5: Turn on unattended access if nobody will be there

   Right-click the RemoteAccessApp icon in the taskbar tray and choose Unattended access. It can only be switched on at the PC itself. How to do it safely.

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   Step 6: Test it from another device

   Sign in to the RemoteAccessApp Console on another PC, or at remoteaccessapp.com in any browser, including your phone, and open the PC.

Microsoft says Surface devices can wake from the network only from Modern Standby, and only while plugged into AC power and connected to a wired network through a Surface Ethernet adapter or dock, such as Surface Dock 2, the Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock or the Microsoft USB-C Travel Hub. On most models it works on Windows 10 version 1607 or later with no setup; Surface Studio 2 needs extra registry and power settings. Lenovo ThinkPads without an Ethernet port also wake from the network through a dock; see remote access on a Lenovo ThinkPad or PC.

To wake from hibernate or shutdown, Microsoft lists Surface Dock 2 or the Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock, wired and on AC power, with newer models such as Surface Laptop 3 and Surface Pro 7 and later.

Surface UEFI (shut down, then hold Volume-up while you press and release Power) has no Wake-on-LAN or power-after-outage setting.

Once the PC can wake from the network, press Wake up on the PC's tile in the Console or on the website: another of your PCs that's online on the same network, with an up-to-date RemoteAccessApp, sends it the wake-up packet. With no other PC of yours on that network, the packet has to come from another device there, such as a router with a wake feature. Once the PC is awake and signed in, it shows as online in RemoteAccessApp.

RemoteAccessApp starts when someone signs in to Windows, so after an update restart someone has to sign in on the Surface (or Windows has to sign in by itself) before it's online. Keeping a PC reachable after a restart.

Once the Surface is set up, open it from any browser at remoteaccessapp.com, including on a phone, with touch controls. Access your PC from a browser.

RemoteAccessApp reaches a PC that's on, online and signed in to Windows, with the app running. If yours shows as offline, check it hasn't gone to sleep, restarted for updates, or lost its network. The can't connect to a PC help article walks through the rest.