If so, how is this wonder of modern tech accomplished my learned friends?

You could “remote desktop” to it, but you’d need to configure the desktop with keyboard/mouse first.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/connect-using-remote-desktop-connection#connect-using-remote-desktop-connection=windows-7

remote desktop or screen sharing using something like VNC, not really the best solution.

Other way is with a wireless keyboard

What are you actually trying to achieve?

I can do this at home using Chrome remote (which is just a google version of the remote desktop above) but you might still sometimes need a screen attached to the PC (eg at start up, before the remote is running).

Take a look at TeamViewer – it should be fine for everything except watching films and playing games.

You can replace the physical connections if you really want too, I have a USB ‘crash cart’ attachment for data center emergency use in my bag, but frankly it’d be expensive and pointless with a desktop.

Just setup RDP access as it’s free and you have access to both machines to do it (TeamViewer scores when you don’t).

Remote Desktop is likely to be by far the easiest way to do this. You just need to enable it on your target PC and connect in – it’s a doddle. It’ll work from a Mac or Chromebook or whatever too, because RDP is not OS specific.

However I think that some cheaper versions of Windows don’t let you connect in. Right click on My Computer, then select the ‘remote’ tab and choose the last setting – allow connections using Network Level Authentication.

What are you trying to do?

I have a USB ‘crash cart’ attachment for data center emergency use in my bag

Did you make that or buy it?