1. The “End of Life” Elephant in the Room The version you run on XP is AnyDesk 7.0.0, released in early 2022. The current version (as of 2025) is 8.x. You will never get updates. This means:
2. Major Security Red Flags Running AnyDesk on XP is like putting a steel lock on a cardboard door. Windows XP itself has hundreds of unpatched remote execution exploits. AnyDesk opens a port (usually 7070) and allows incoming connections. If you expose this machine to the open internet (not behind a VPN or firewall), you are begging to be ransomwared. This is fine for local LAN only. Never, ever port-forward this to the WAN.
3. No Modern Authentication
4. UI Glitches and Missing Rendering The XP client cannot render modern remote features. If you try to view an XP screen from an iPhone or Android, the touch gestures work, but the session toolbar often draws incorrectly. Also, the “Privacy Mode” (blacking out the remote screen) is not supported on the XP side.
5. No Sound or Printer Sharing You get clipboard sync and file transfer. That’s it. Remote audio from the XP machine? No. Redirect printing to your local printer? No. Remote USB? Forget it. anydesk windows xp
When launching AnyDesk 7.0 on XP, you will see a warning:
"Your operating system is outdated. Security features are limited."
Ignore this—it is informational. The connection will still work. Proceed to "Accept" EULA.
AnyDesk is a remote desktop application that lets users access and control a computer remotely over the internet. Official modern AnyDesk releases target supported Windows versions (Windows 7 and later). Windows XP is an obsolete operating system (end-of-life) and lacks security updates, so using it for remote access has important limitations and risks. When launching AnyDesk 7.0 on XP
Once you have the legacy installer:
Fix:
AnyDesk 6.x’s relay servers were shut down in 2023. AnyDesk 7.x’s relay network is still active, but the company may deprecate it in late 2026.
Install
First run
Firewall
Here is the biggest hurdle you will face: Interoperability.
AnyDesk is strict about version matching. Often, a very old client (like version 5.x) cannot connect to a very new client (like version 8.x). The connection will fail, or you will receive a "Version Mismatch" error. you will see a warning:
The Solution: To control your Windows XP machine, you might have to install the older legacy version of AnyDesk on your modern laptop as well. This is a significant inconvenience if you use AnyDesk for other modern tasks.