How to copy files
between a Mac and your VPS
Remote Desktop can share a folder from your Mac into the Windows session. Share one folder rather than the whole drive — the whole drive makes the session slow while Windows tries to read all of it.
Third-party video
Make a folder to share
Create one on your Mac — VPS Transfer on the Desktop is fine. Sharing a single folder rather than your whole home directory keeps the session fast and keeps everything else private.
Select the connection and click Edit
In the Remote Desktop app, click your VPS once in the My Desktops list, then click the pencil icon. Do not double-click, which connects instead.
Open the Redirection tab
It is the folder icon in the popup. Click +, choose the folder you made, and confirm.
Save and connect
Close the settings and double-click the connection.
Find the folder on the VPS
Open File Explorer on the Windows side and look under This PC. Your Mac folder appears there, named after the folder rather than the Mac.
Copy, do not work from it
Drag files into the server's own C: drive. The shared folder only exists while you are connected — anything left in it is gone from the server's point of view when you disconnect.
If something goes wrong
The folder does not appear on the VPS
The redirection was added but the connection was already open. Disconnect fully and reconnect — settings are read when the session starts.
The session became very slow after I shared a folder
You shared something large, probably your whole home directory or Downloads. Remove it, share a small folder made for the purpose, and reconnect.
I cannot find the Redirection tab
Recent versions renamed the app to Windows App and moved things around. The setting is under Folders in the connection editor and works the same way.
The transfer is slow for big files
Remote Desktop is not built for large transfers. Over a few hundred megabytes, cloud storage and a browser download on the VPS is far quicker.
Files copied but will not open on Windows
macOS adds hidden companion files starting with a dot. They are harmless; ignore them. If a file itself will not open, check it is not still compressed.