If you cannot use Workbench or remote connection software, such as Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) and rdesktop, to connect to an Elastic Compute Service (ECS) Windows instance, you can use Virtual Network Computing (VNC) to connect to the instance and view the real-time status of the instance operation interface.

Prerequisites

A logon password is set for the instance.
Note If you have not set a password or forget the password, you can reset the password for the instance. For more information, see Reset the logon password of an instance.

Background information

The following passwords are involved when you use VNC to connect to an instance:
  • VNC password: the password of management terminals used to connect to the ECS console.
  • Instance logon password: the password used to log on to the instance operating system.

By default, a VNC connection session lasts for about 300 seconds. If you do not perform operations within these 300 seconds, the connection to the instance is automatically closed. You must connect to the instance again.

If you cannot use Workbench or connection software to connect to your instance, you can use the VNC Connection feature in the ECS console to connect to the instance. After the instance is connected, you can view the status of the instance and perform operations to resolve issues described in the following table.

ScenarioSolution
The instance starts slowly due to self-check on startup.Check the self-check progress.
The firewall of the instance operating system is enabled by mistake.Disable the firewall.
The ECS instance is compromised, which causes a high CPU utilization and high bandwidth usage.Troubleshoot and terminate abnormal processes.

Procedure

The following figure shows how to use VNC to connect to an instance. Procedure
  1. Log on to the ECS console.
  2. In the left-side navigation pane, choose Instances & Images > Instances.
  3. In the top navigation bar, select a region.
  4. On the Instances page, find the instance to be connected and click Connect in the Actions column.
  5. Connect to a VNC management terminal.
    Note In this step, use the VNC password.
    • The first time you connect to a VNC management terminal, perform the following operations:
      1. Change the VNC password. For more information, see the Change the VNC password section in this topic.
      2. In the Enter VNC Password dialog box, enter the new password.
      3. Click OK.
    • If you are not connecting to a VNC management terminal for the first time, perform the following operations:
      1. In the Enter VNC Password dialog box, enter the password.
      2. Click OK.
  6. In the upper-left corner of the VNC page, choose Send Remote Call > CTRL+ALT+DELETE.
    Windows shortcut combination
  7. Select an account, enter the instance password, and then press the Enter key.
    By default, the Administrator account is available.

Change the VNC password

The first time you connect to the VNC management terminal, you must change the VNC password. You can also change the VNC password when you forget the password or when you want to update the password.
Important After you change the VNC password for a non-I/O optimized instance, you must restart the instance in the ECS console for the new password to take effect. Before you restart the instance, you must stop it. This can lead to service interruption. Proceed with caution.
  1. On the Instances page, find the instance to be connected and click Connect in the Actions column.
  2. In the Connection and Command dialog box, click Connect in the VNC Connection section.
  3. In the Enter VNC Password dialog box, click Reset VNC Password.
  4. In the Reset VNC Password dialog box, enter and confirm the new password, and then click OK.
  5. Optional: If the instance is a non-I/O optimized instance, restart the instance.
    For more information, see Restart instances.

Copy long commands

If you want to copy a long-text item such as a download URL from your computer to the instance, you can use the command copy feature.

  1. On the Instances page, find the instance to be connected and click Connect in the Actions column.
  2. Connect to a VNC management terminal.
  3. In the upper-left corner of the interface, click Enter Copy Commands.
  4. In the Copy and Paste Commands dialog box, enter the content to be copied and click OK.

FAQ

For more information about how to adjust the resolution of the Windows desktop, see How do I adjust the desktop resolution of a Windows instance?.