How do I setup VNC on Windows to connect from Mac OS X?

I want to control my Windows box from my Mac. I installed RealVNC on Windows but it's impossible to connect from Mac. (Finder, Command+K) What should I do to do this?

What is happening - are there any error messages? - Can you ping your windows machine from your mac?

A pretty easy alternative would be TeamViewer.

TeamViewer - the All-In-One Solution for Remote Access and Support over the Internet

TeamViewer connects to any PC or server around the world within a few seconds. You can remote control your partner's PC as if you were sitting right in front of it. Find out why more than 100 million users trust TeamViewer!

1) Install...a good VNC server on Windows (UltraVNC probably the best on WXP)(TightVNC works well with W7) 2) Check... if the Mac can "see" the Windows PC (use the ping command inside the terminal app) 3) Install "Chicken of the VNC" on the Mac

Start "Chicken..", write the Windows'IP number in the "host" field, and connect... (good luck)

also, good starting points are: - don't use wireless, but use a "cross cable" between the Mac and the PC (ask the cable to your computer dealer) - if the VNC client or the ping command shows "timeout", then check and perhaps disable the firewalls on Windows (the embedded one and the one included with your antivirus) and disable the firewalls on the Mac (the embedded one and the commercial one if any (I use Intego))

be sure not to be connected to internet when disabling the firewalls

success? ok, now do the same with firewalls "on" and wireless "on" (may be a little harder...)

Notes: - RDP is not VNC, it opens a Windows remote session (usually not the same shown on the Windows monitor) - Ctrl-K is not VNC, it connects to SMB/CIFS shared directories

Hope this helps