The VNC tab shows your server's screen as it is, as if a monitor and keyboard were plugged in. The big difference from remote desktop or SSH is that it does not depend on the server's network: it reaches it from inside our infrastructure.
When it saves you
- You enabled a firewall or changed the remote desktop port and can no longer get in.
- You changed the network settings and the server lost its connection.
- The system does not finish booting and you want to see the message.
- Windows is installing updates and you want to know how long is left before forcing anything.
How to use it
- In the panel: Services → your VPS → Go to server → VNC.
- The console opens on the page. Click inside it so the keyboard types into the server.
- You can switch it to full screen to work more comfortably.
Time-saving tricks
- Windows on the lock screen: to get the password prompt you have to send
Ctrl + Alt + Del. Pressed on your keyboard, your own computer captures it: use the send Ctrl+Alt+Del button in the console's side menu. - Type the password by hand. Pasting text into the login screen does not always work over VNC.
- Watch the keyboard layout. If the server expects a different layout, symbols such as
@,-or"may come out swapped. If the password is rejected, type it into a visible text field to see what comes out, or generate a new one from Settings. - On Linux you get the terminal straight away: log in as
rootwith your password.
For daily work, stick to the usual
VNC is for emergencies: it is slower and copy and paste is unreliable. As soon as you regain access, go back to remote desktop or SSH.
If you share your VPS with someone, note that basic shared access does not include the VNC console: only viewing the server and powering it on or off.