How to work with the remote rdp 2.7 program 0. Setting up RDP (remote desktop protocol)

Hello, Habr! This post was written solely with the purpose of shedding light on a program that was undeservedly lost in the wilds of Microsoft, and not to review all its capabilities. There won't even be a download link. But first things first.

Preface

Habrazhitel emoxam's post inspired thoughts about the convenience of remote server management. And in particular they are running Windows Server. For *nix systems I use the old putty and I don’t like the idea of a mega-harvester. But this, of course, is a purely personal opinion. To be honest, I used to be quite lazy and used a standard remote desktop client ala mstsc.exe. But after moving to another company, with an order of magnitude more servers, the endless terminal windows began to tire.

Programs like Radmin and DWNTU install their modules/services on each computer that needs to be managed. And I really wanted something native (that is, working using the rdp protocol), as well as free. I will not list the list of monstrous combines and simple programs that were tested, and I will also refrain from listing their pros and cons, there are plenty of worthy ones.

Chance find

Separately, I would like to dwell on the program that I came across by accident. This lightweight (less than 800 KB) and, as it turns out, very convenient program does not require setting up hundreds of parameters, does not support skins and does not require a separate database for storing connection parameters. But it fulfills its main purpose perfectly. Its name is Remote Desktop Connection Manager or rdcm or RDCMan, as Microsoft itself calls it. The latest version dates back to 2010, but this does not affect functionality in any way. I tested it in operation with both 2000 and 2008R2 servers (since 2012 it was not possible to test it yet). In addition to the standard set of functions such as storing and substituting login/password, favorites, etc. etc. The program has its own zest, or rather three.

Ability to connect to the console. This is very useful for me, because... The company strictly adheres to the licensing policy, so the Terminal Service is not installed on every server. By default, Windows Server allows two simultaneous remote desktop connections. The same function allows you to “raise” the limit to three. Yes, yes, this is also in the standard client, but not all competitors have it.
Interactive thumbnails of open connections that update in real time. Those. You can not only monitor what is happening on several servers at the same time, but also click, for example, OK in the window that pops up, right in the thumbnail. Not a key function, of course, but not noticed among competitors.
Tree view of the list of servers and open connections. It takes a little getting used to and it turns out to be much more convenient than tabs. Again IMHO, that's why it's in third place.

The only thing missing is the function of adding servers through network scanning.

Unknown to anyone

The main factor that prompted me to write this article is that the program is little known, rarely does anyone use it, and from my point of view it is not deserved. None of my colleagues have heard of this. Of course not an indicator, but still. It was also ignored on Wikipedia. You can find rdcm on the English version of the Microsoft website. If you are interested, search by full name.

Thank you for your attention.

Setting up RDP (remote desktop protocol) - remote desktop

If you have a professional or maximum version, you can configure login to your PC via remote desktop. To do this you need to do several things.

— allow login via remote desktop (this menu is not available for younger versions)

— add users who have the right to work via remote desktop (usually Windows adds the current user automatically)

How to launch Remote Desktop in Windows 7?

All through the “Start” button:

We type in the search bar “Remote Desktop Connection” (funny - that’s exactly what MicroSoft recommends through the “Search” line -> opens in a new tab) or “mstsc.exe” - that’s actually the name of the program itself

Or through the “Standard” folder in programs. Not all versions of Windows have it, for example, Windows 7 Started (yes, the one with the software RAM limit of 2 GB) does not have such a folder.

After launch, we get the remote desktop settings form, we need the expanded version (with parameters)

On the general tab we configure:

Computer - or IP address or computer name

User - the user under which we will log in to the remote PC

On the “Local Resources” tab, we select whether the main computer’s printers and clipboard will be available to us.

If all your PCs are on a local local network (i.e., network speed is not critical), you can use the desktop background image of the remote PC on the “Advanced” tab.

Well, everything seems to be set up - go back to the first tab, save it as a shortcut - try to connect.

Result:(

The main reasons for this situation:

the remote PC has an IP address assigned to it by the router via DHCP, it changes periodically. It is necessary to register a fixed IP address in the properties of the adapter
forgot to allow remote access through the “Properties” of the computer
remote access was allowed, but they forgot to specify the user who can log in
is prohibited by the Windows firewall, you need to add “remote desktop” to the exceptions
You have done a remote reboot of the PC and until the local user logs in, the remote desktop will not work

In most cases, Windows 7 should do all this itself (add the current user, allow it in the firewall, etc.), but this does not always work. Those. for example, “Remote Desktop” has been added to the list of programs in the firewall, but the checkbox is not checked: (You need to check everything yourself.

Additional remote desktop settings.

1. There is a need to restart the PC via remote desktop. The reboot itself is not a problem - either through the task manager or through Alt F4. (This option will not be available in the Start button). But until the local user logs in, the remote desktop will not connect. What if the PC is in a dark room where there are no local users?

Here's a surprise - you need to create a shortcut for the remote desktop via the command line with the /admin parameter

Like this: mstsc.exe /admin

Visually, the shortcut setup will be the same - but the system will launch via the remote desktop after the remote PC is rebooted.

Here is a complete list of options to launch remote desktop from the command line

2. If necessary, allow login without a password (highly not recommended for the corporate segment)

"Start" menu - run - gpedit.msc (policy editor) - "computer configuration" - "windows configuration" - "local policies" - "security settings" - "limit the use of empty passwords....." - "disabled"

Yes, on younger versions of Windows, of course, gpedit.msc does not start (this setting does not exist)

— All consumer versions of Windows allow only one user to work on a PC (when a new user logs in, the current user will be forcibly closed), unlike server versions. This is a licensing restriction - but there is a way out. A little shamanism - and everything works, watch (opens in a new window)

3. Automatic login with saved login and password

There is a magic checkbox “Allow me to save credentials.” If you run the change again, the checkbox will change to “Always prompt for credentials”

We receive a request to enter data, they are saved, logging into the remote machine works only by clicking on the shortcut.

What if the credentials are not saved (in Windows 7 and older)?

Or we receive the warning “The system administrator has prohibited the use of saved credentials to log into the remote computer because its authenticity has not been fully verified. Enter new credentials."

What to do?

The fact is that in the latest versions of Windows, the password is stored not in the rdp file, but in a separate storage (Credential Manager). At a minimum, the following settings should be disabled in group policies:

User Configuration - Administrative Templates - Windows Components - Remote Desktop Services - Remote Desktop Connection Client - Prohibit saving passwords;
Computer Configuration - Administrative Templates - Windows Components - Remote Desktop Services - Remote Desktop Connection Client - Prohibit saving passwords.

Here you can (opens in a new window)

4. Sometimes when connecting you see the following picture: “the authenticity of the remote computer cannot be verified”

Authentication was added starting with Windows XP SP3. But it is disabled there by default (it is already enabled on Wibdows Vista).

How to enable remote computer authentication on Window XP SP3?

Go to the registry regedit.exe (Run)

Branch HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa

Open the parameter Security Packages and look for the word there tspkg. If it is not there, add it to the existing parameters.

Branch HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders

Open the parameter SecurityProviders and add to existing providers credssp.dll, if there is none.

Close the registry editor. Let's reboot.

If this is not done, then when we try to connect, the computer will ask us for a username and password, but instead of the remote desktop it will respond with the following:

Remote Desktop Connection
Authentication error (code 0x507)

5. Windows security warning appears when connecting

"The publisher of this remote connection cannot be determined"

This means that the rdp file is not protected by a signed certificate. For a local network there is nothing wrong with this; you can check the box “Do not display the request again...”

The security system itself works as follows. The policy setting allows you to control whether users can run unsigned Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) files and RDP files from unknown publishers on the client computer.

If this policy setting is enabled or not configured, users can run unsigned RDP files and RDP files from unknown publishers on the client computer. Before starting an RDP session, the user will receive a warning and a request to confirm the connection.

If this policy setting is disabled, users cannot run unsigned RDP files or RDP files from unknown publishers on the client computer. If a user tries to start an RDP session, they will receive a publisher blocked message.

Supported: At least Windows Vista SP1

Registry Hive	HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Registry Path	SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services
Value Name	AllowUnsignedFiles
Value Type	REG_DWORD
Enabled Value	1
Disabled Value	0

File Default.rdp

Actually, this is a file, not a remote desktop shortcut. This customized file can be sent to another user, he will save it - and everything will work.

Moreover, it is a simple text file that stores all the remote connection settings and this file can be opened with Notepad. By the way, some parameters cannot be edited through the standard settings; they can be entered manually.

screen mode id:i:— 1 — the remote session is performed in windowed mode, 2 — in full screen. Edited on the “Display” tab of the “Options” window of the “Remote Desktop Connection” tool.

use multimon:i:— 0 — prohibits support for multiple monitors, 1 — allows support for multiple monitors. Can be used on Windows 7/Windows Server 2008 and later.

desktopwidth:i:— desktop width. Selected on the “Display” tab of the “Options” window of the “Remote Desktop Connection” tool.

desktopheight:i:— height of the desktop. Selected on the “Display” tab of the “Options” window of the “Remote Desktop Connection” tool.

session bpp:i:- color depth. Selected in the “Colors” group on the “Display” tab of the “Options” window of the “Remote Desktop Connection” tool.

winpostr:s:— window position and size in WINDOWPOS format

compression:i:— 0 — do not use data compression, 1 — use.

keyboardhook:i:— Determines how Windows keyboard shortcuts are interpreted. The value of this parameter corresponds to the setting in the Keyboard field on the Local Resources tab of the Remote Desktop Connection Options window. 0 - on the local computer. 1 - on the remote computer. 2 - only in full screen mode.

audiocapturemode:i:— Determines where the sound is played. The value of this parameter corresponds to the “Remote Audio” settings on the “Local Resources” tab of the “Options” window of the “Remote Desktop Connection” tool. 0 - on the client computer. 1 - on the remote computer. 2 - no sound is played.

videoplaybackmode:i:— 0 — do not use RDP efficient multimedia streaming when playing video. 1 - use.

connection type:i: 2 - connection type to achieve maximum performance. Corresponds to the “Performance” settings on the “Advanced” tab of the “Options” window of the “Remote Desktop Connection” tool. Determined by the type of connection speed selected.

displayconnectionbar:i:— Display the connection panel when logging into a remote computer in full screen mode. The value of this parameter corresponds to the state of the “Display connection panel when working in full screen” checkbox on the “Display” tab of the “Options” window of the “Remote Desktop Connection” tool. 0—do not display the connection panel. 1 — display the connection panel.

disable wallpaper:i:— prohibition of displaying the background image of the remote desktop. Corresponds to the settings in the “Performance” group - the “Desktop Background” checkbox on the “Advanced” tab of the “Options” window of the “Remote Desktop Connection” tool. 0 — display background image. 1 - do not display the background image.

allow font smoothing:i:— font smoothing resolution. Corresponds to the settings in the “Performance” group - the “Font Smoothing” checkbox on the “Advanced” tab of the “Options” window of the “Remote Desktop Connection” tool. 0—do not use anti-aliasing. 1 - use.

allow desktop composition:i: 0 - Corresponds to the settings in the “Performance” group - the “Font Smoothing” checkbox on the “Advanced” tab of the “Options” window of the “Remote Desktop Connection” tool. 0—do not use anti-aliasing. 1 - use.

disable full window drag:i:- Display folder contents when dragging. The value of this parameter corresponds to the state of the “Show window contents when dragging” checkbox on the “Advanced” tab of the “Options” window of the “Remote Desktop Connection” tool. 0—Display content when dragging. 1 - do not display.

disable menu animations:i:— ban on visual effects. The value of this parameter corresponds to the state of the “Visual effects when displaying menus and windows” checkbox on the “Advanced” tab of the “Options” window. 0 - use visual effects, 1 - do not use.

disable themes:i:— prohibition of using themes. 0—use themes. 1 - do not use themes.

disable cursor setting:i:0— prohibition of cursor settings. 0—cursor customization is allowed. 1 - prohibited.

bitmapcachepersistentable:i:1- Caching bitmaps on the local computer. The value of this setting corresponds to the state of the Persistent Bitmap Caching checkbox on the Advanced tab of the Options window. 0—do not use caching. 1 - use caching.

full address:s:— name or IP address of the remote computer to which you are connecting via RDP. If necessary, you can specify the number of the TCP port used.

audiomode:i:— determines where the sound is played. The value of this parameter corresponds to the entry in the “Remote Audio” field on the “Local Resources” tab of the “Options” window. 0 - on the client computer. 1 On a remote computer. 2 - sound is muted.

redirectprinters:i:— use of printers during a remote session. The value of this parameter corresponds to the state of the Printers checkbox on the Local Resources tab of the Settings window. 0—Do not use local printers during a remote session. 1 — use automatic connection of printers.

redirectcomports:i:— use of serial ports of the local computer when connecting to a remote desktop. 0—do not use. 1 - use.

redirectsmartcards:i:— use of local computer smart cards when connecting to a remote desktop. 0—do not use. 1 - use.

redirectclipboard:i:— use a common clipboard for the local and remote computer. The value of this parameter corresponds to the state of the Clipboard checkbox on the Local Resources tab of the Options window. 0—do not use shared clipboard. 1 - use.

redirectposdevices:i:— redirection of devices that use Microsoft Point of Service (POS). 0—do not use redirection. 1 - use.

redirectdirectx:i:- DirectX redirection. 0 - do not use DirectX redirection. 1 - use.

autoreconnection enabled:i:1— automatic connection when the connection with the remote computer is lost. The value of this parameter corresponds to the state of the “Restore connection when broken” checkbox on the “Advanced” tab of the “Options” window. 0—do not use automatic connection recovery. 1 - use.

authentication level:i:— authentication level for remote connection. Defines what to do if the identity of the remote computer cannot be verified. Determined by the “Server Authentication” group setting on the “Connection” tab. In Windows 10, the “Connection” tab corresponds to the “Interaction” tab. 0 — if it was not possible to confirm the authenticity of the terminal server, then connect without warning. 1 - do not connect. 2 — connect with a warning.

prompt for credentials:i:— a request to the user to confirm credentials if they were previously saved. 0—do not prompt for credentials if they have been previously saved. 1 - always prompt for credentials.

negotiate security layer:i:— RDP session encryption level. 0—a session with TLS 1.0 (SSL) encryption will be used if supported by the client. If the client does not support it, standard built-in RDP encryption will be used. 1 - the remote session will use x.224 encryption

remoteapplicationmode:i:— mode of working with a remote application. 0 — remote desktop mode. 1—mode of working with a remote application.

alternate shell:s:— the name of the user's alternate shell.

shell working directory:s:— the working directory of the user's shell.

gatewayhostname:s:— name of the Remote Desktop Gateway server. The gateway server parameter values are determined by the “Connect from Anywhere” group on the “Connection” tab (for Windows 10 – on the “Advanced” tab).

gatewayusagemethod:i:4- A method for using a Remote Desktop Gateway server. 0 - Never use the Remote Desktop Gateway server. 1 - Always use the Remote Desktop Gateway server. 2 - Do not use the Remote Desktop Gateway server for local clients. 3 - Use the default settings of the Remote Desktop Gateway server. 4 - do not use the Remote Desktop Gateway server, but in the “Connect from Anywhere” – “Options” setting, the “Do not use the Remote Desktop Gateway server for local addresses” checkbox is enabled.

gatewaycredentialssource:i:4— user authorization method used. 0 - use NTLM (password prompt). Corresponds to the selection of the “Login method” – “Request password (NTLM)” parameter in the “Connect from anywhere” – “Options” settings. 1 - use smart cards. The settings that determine how the Remote Desktop Gateway server is used, the login settings, and the connection settings are interrelated, and changing one of them can cause the other to change.

drivestoredirect:s:— redirection of disk devices of the local computer. The value is determined by the settings on the “Local Resources” tab – “Details”

Supported local computer peripheral redirections and RDP file content syntax vary by RDP version and may vary slightly.

Fighting the “cross” of a terminal session.

Here it is a pest (on the connection panel when running in full screen)

The problem is that the “cross” only closes the “Remote Desktop” on the user’s PC, but leaves an open terminal session on the server. If there are many users, then all their sessions remain open on the server and occupy memory.

Options for solutions.

Remove the panel from the user altogether - in the settings when creating a remote desktop (exit only by terminating the session)

2. Remove the “cross” itself (exit only by terminating the session)

Let's figure out how to set a permanent IP address for a device on a local network. We assign a permanent IP address through the Windows 7 settings. Go to change the adapter settings. then in the properties of the desired connection, there we select Internet protocol ver...

First of all, what is an RDP client? Actually, RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) is a protocol purchased by Microsoft from Citrix and used to ensure remote user work with a server running a terminal connection service. In addition to ownership rights to the data transfer protocol itself, Microsoft also owns client programs that are used to exchange data with remote desktops. However, as often happens, Microsoft cannot always implement functionality in its products that suits all users, which is why there are a sufficient number of custom RDP clients in the world for various platforms. The purpose of this article was to study the most accessible RDP clients for Android tablets.

Why is this necessary? The popularity of the Tucha cloud infrastructure is growing, and the number of tablets that many customers would find convenient to use as a tool for accessing their virtual desktops is correspondingly increasing. And here the question arises: how to do this? In short, all you need to do is install some RDP client and that’s it! But when I started to select it for myself, and then my colleague and I tested an Android device that is used as an alternative to a thin client, it turned out that there are many nuances. In one application, for example, there was no Russian layout and hot keys, and in another, the drive did not connect. How can an administrator work with a virtual server without “Ctrl+Alt+Del” or a sales agent remotely edit an XLS sheet with a million lines without the usual directional arrows? In short, no fun!

Therefore, it was decided to test available clients for Android as the most common operating system for mobile devices.

Our comparison initially had to include both paid and free applications. However, during the testing process, I came to the conclusion that all the necessary functionality could be provided by free clients, so they were included in the final version of the article.

After testing, I was left with three applications from the entire market - AccessToGo from Ericom, Parallels Client from 2X and RDPRemoteLite by Yongtao Wang. They are, in my opinion, the highest quality and richest in functionality. The remaining clients did not meet one or more critical parameters. Which one? For me they are like that.

Implementation of the keyboard and its capabilities: hot and special keys, convenience, supported layouts.
Cursor control system.
Possibility of fine tuning to suit your needs.
Additional amenities from the developers, for example, sharing the clipboard between the device and the remote desktop or connecting a tablet drive.

Testing was carried out on a Huawei Mediapad tablet running Android 4.0.3. Looking ahead, I can say that I was able to identify the leader and distribute who would get gold, who would get silver, and who would get only the sleeves from the vest.

Parallels Client

The first client for connecting to a remote desktop was created by Parallels Client. It is available absolutely free for all mobile and desktop platforms. Specifically, I use it on my iPhone.

Information

Price: for free.
Interface language: Russian.
Screen resolutions:
Lock screen position: No.
Controls:
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
SD card connection: Yes.
Supported OS: Windows 7, Windows Server 2008.
Download link: iOS ; Android ; Windows & Linux & MacOS.

Main screen

The client has a pleasant and convenient interface, made in light colors. In Parallels Client, the controls are concentrated on the right, in the upper corner there are the “Add” and “Options” buttons.

Rice. 1. Parallels Client main screen

Client settings

Parallels Client has a wide range of customizable options. The user can configure both a separate connection and the application itself. So here's what we can do in Parallels Client.

Configure connection security settings.
Configure the quality of the remote desktop graphics - number of colors, desktop design, etc.
Add “hot gestures”, for example, assign the combination “Ctrl+Alt+Del” the gesture “scroll up with three fingers”.
Connect the tablet drive to the virtual machine.
Enable audio stream redirection from the virtual machine to the tablet.

Rice. 2. Configuring connection parameters

Rice. 3. Configure application settings

Keyboard

The client supports the built-in Android keyboard or its own keyboard with special keys (F1-F9, Alt, Win, Shift, cursor keys, etc.). In version 10.5.1346, current at the time of writing, the Russian layout appeared; Ukrainian, unfortunately, is not supported.

Keyboard disadvantages:

small distance between buttons;
Russian layout with humor: “x, ъ, zh, e, ё” for some reason were moved to numbers and special keys;
There are special keys, but there are no hotkeys like in previous versions of the application.

Rice. 4. Keyboard with Russian layout and humor from the developers

Rice. 5. Keyboard in “Num” mode in 2X Client

Cursor control

In most cases, I use touch controls and in rare cases, a mouse emulator. In my opinion, everything is implemented perfectly here. Double finger press - left key, two finger press - right key, scrolling is done with two fingers.

In Parallels Client, the user can configure “hot gestures” (two- and three-finger touches) by assigning them any combinations or actions.

Various combinations: Ctrl + Alt + Del, Win + R, Alt + Tab.
Switch between mouse keyboard modes.

Rice. 6. Menu for creating “hot gestures”

Additional features

The most pleasant feature, of course, is the ability to connect a tablet drive to a virtual machine.

Summary

One of the best applications, but serious flaws with the Russian layout make it less attractive. However, in terms of richness of settings, this is one of the best among free clients.

Barrel of honey

Russian language is supported.
Ability to customize: security, graphic settings, etc.
Convenient implementation of cursor control and mouse emulator.
Creation of "hot gestures".
Connecting the tablet drive to the virtual machine.
Keyboard with special keys.

Quite a big fly in the ointment

There is no screen position lock or zoom restoration.
Speaking subjectively, the keyboard is not very comfortable due to the small distance between the keys.
Missing some letters on the main layout.
Ukrainian layout is not supported.
Scrolling is not very convenient, for example, in a large list of programs in the Start menu.

Video testing of Parallels Client

http://youtu.be/Ab9krs-lBgk