Remote Desktop Session

[Guest rcir88]

I have Windows 2003 Server, Standard Edition and frequently remote desktop

into it to perform various tasks. I understand that if I wish to install

certain programs and do some other tasks, I should be connected remotely in

console mode. If I open the command prompt and enter “set”, I see that

“SESSIONNAME=RDP-Tcp#13”. If I want to change to a console session as

opposed to a virtual session, I’ve seen on the internet that I enter “mstsc

/console” in the command prompt. How do I switch back to the virtual session

and what are the advantages and disadvantages to connecting in either mode.

[Guest Vera Noest [MVP]]

Re: Remote Desktop Session

 

The advantages of connecting to the console session are:

* some applications are not TS aware and display warnings and

errors only in the console session. You wouldn't see those when you

connected with a normal session.

* when Terminal Services is installed, all connections need a TS

CAL, except the console session. But this doesn't apply to you,

since you only use Remote Desktop for Administration, so you have 3

license-free sessions (2 normal + the console).

 

Check this as well:

278845 - How to Connect to and Shadow the Console Session with

Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=278845

 

_________________________________________________________

Vera Noest

MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server

TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net

___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___

 

=?Utf-8?B?cmNpcjg4?= <rcir88@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote on

28 mar 2008 in microsoft.public.windows.terminal_services:

> I have Windows 2003 Server, Standard Edition and frequently

> remote desktop into it to perform various tasks. I understand

> that if I wish to install certain programs and do some other

> tasks, I should be connected remotely in console mode. If I

> open the command prompt and enter “set”, I see that

> “SESSIONNAME=RDP-Tcp#13”. If I want to change to a console

> session as opposed to a virtual session, I’ve seen on the

> internet that I enter “mstsc /console” in the command

> prompt. How do I switch back to the virtual session and what

> are the advantages and disadvantages to connecting in either

> mode.

[Guest rcir88]

Re: Remote Desktop Session

 

Thank you for your response. I read the knowledge base article you cited and

followed its instructions for opening a console session on the Windows 2003

Server. On my client laptop computer, I entered in the command prompt, mstsc

-v:servername /F –console. I connected OK but when I ran the set command on

the server, the session name was the same, namely SESSIONNAME=RDP-Tcp#13 and

not SESSIONNAME=Console, as I believe it should be. Do you know what may be

the problem?

 

"Vera Noest [MVP]" wrote:

> The advantages of connecting to the console session are:

> * some applications are not TS aware and display warnings and

> errors only in the console session. You wouldn't see those when you

> connected with a normal session.

> * when Terminal Services is installed, all connections need a TS

> CAL, except the console session. But this doesn't apply to you,

> since you only use Remote Desktop for Administration, so you have 3

> license-free sessions (2 normal + the console).

>

> Check this as well:

> 278845 - How to Connect to and Shadow the Console Session with

> Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services

> http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=278845

>

> _________________________________________________________

> Vera Noest

> MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server

> TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net

> ___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___

>

> =?Utf-8?B?cmNpcjg4?= <rcir88@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote on

> 28 mar 2008 in microsoft.public.windows.terminal_services:

>

> > I have Windows 2003 Server, Standard Edition and frequently

> > remote desktop into it to perform various tasks. I understand

> > that if I wish to install certain programs and do some other

> > tasks, I should be connected remotely in console mode. If I

> > open the command prompt and enter “set�, I see that

> > “SESSIONNAME=RDP-Tcp#13�. If I want to change to a console

> > session as opposed to a virtual session, I’ve seen on the

> > internet that I enter “mstsc /console� in the command

> > prompt. How do I switch back to the virtual session and what

> > are the advantages and disadvantages to connecting in either

> > mode.

>

[Guest Vera Noest [MVP]]

Re: Remote Desktop Session

 

There is no problem. You're looking at the wrong variable.

Use "query session" instead, you'll see that you have session ID 0

and that the console session has the status "Connected".

 

Here's an example, with 1 normal session (user abc123) and one

console session (user vera):

 

C:\Documents and Settings\vera>query session

SESSIONNAME USERNAME ID STATE TYPE DEVICE

>rdp-tcp#4 vera 0 Active rdpwd

rdp-tcp 65536 Listen rdpwd

rdp-tcp#2 abc123 1 Active rdpwd

console 4 Conn wdcon

_________________________________________________________

Vera Noest

MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server

TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net

___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___

 

=?Utf-8?B?cmNpcjg4?= <rcir88@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote on

29 mar 2008 in microsoft.public.windows.terminal_services:

> Thank you for your response. I read the knowledge base article

> you cited and followed its instructions for opening a console

> session on the Windows 2003 Server. On my client laptop

> computer, I entered in the command prompt, mstsc -v:servername

> /F –console. I connected OK but when I ran the set command on

> the server, the session name was the same, namely

> SESSIONNAME=RDP-Tcp#13 and not SESSIONNAME=Console, as I believe

> it should be. Do you know what may be the problem?

>

> "Vera Noest [MVP]" wrote:

>

>> The advantages of connecting to the console session are:

>> * some applications are not TS aware and display warnings and

>> errors only in the console session. You wouldn't see those when

>> you connected with a normal session.

>> * when Terminal Services is installed, all connections need a

>> TS CAL, except the console session. But this doesn't apply to

>> you, since you only use Remote Desktop for Administration, so

>> you have 3 license-free sessions (2 normal + the console).

>>

>> Check this as well:

>> 278845 - How to Connect to and Shadow the Console Session with

>> Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services

>> http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=278845

>>

>> _________________________________________________________

>> Vera Noest

>> MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server

>> TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net

>> ___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___

>>

>> =?Utf-8?B?cmNpcjg4?= <rcir88@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote

>> on 28 mar 2008 in microsoft.public.windows.terminal_services:

>>

>> > I have Windows 2003 Server, Standard Edition and frequently

>> > remote desktop into it to perform various tasks. I

>> > understand that if I wish to install certain programs and do

>> > some other tasks, I should be connected remotely in console

>> > mode. If I open the command prompt and enter

>> > “set�, I see that

>> > “SESSIONNAME=RDP-Tcp#13�. If I want to change to

>> > a console session as opposed to a virtual session,

>> > I’ve seen on the internet that I enter “mstsc

>> > /console� in the command prompt. How do I switch back

>> > to the virtual session and what are the advantages and

>> > disadvantages to connecting in either mode.

[Guest rcir88]

Re: Remote Desktop Session

 

Thank you.

 

"Vera Noest [MVP]" wrote:

> There is no problem. You're looking at the wrong variable.

> Use "query session" instead, you'll see that you have session ID 0

> and that the console session has the status "Connected".

>

> Here's an example, with 1 normal session (user abc123) and one

> console session (user vera):

>

> C:\Documents and Settings\vera>query session

> SESSIONNAME USERNAME ID STATE TYPE DEVICE

> >rdp-tcp#4 vera 0 Active rdpwd

> rdp-tcp 65536 Listen rdpwd

> rdp-tcp#2 abc123 1 Active rdpwd

> console 4 Conn wdcon

> _________________________________________________________

> Vera Noest

> MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server

> TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net

> ___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___

>

> =?Utf-8?B?cmNpcjg4?= <rcir88@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote on

> 29 mar 2008 in microsoft.public.windows.terminal_services:

>

> > Thank you for your response. I read the knowledge base article

> > you cited and followed its instructions for opening a console

> > session on the Windows 2003 Server. On my client laptop

> > computer, I entered in the command prompt, mstsc -v:servername

> > /F –console. I connected OK but when I ran the set command on

> > the server, the session name was the same, namely

> > SESSIONNAME=RDP-Tcp#13 and not SESSIONNAME=Console, as I believe

> > it should be. Do you know what may be the problem?

> >

> > "Vera Noest [MVP]" wrote:

> >

> >> The advantages of connecting to the console session are:

> >> * some applications are not TS aware and display warnings and

> >> errors only in the console session. You wouldn't see those when

> >> you connected with a normal session.

> >> * when Terminal Services is installed, all connections need a

> >> TS CAL, except the console session. But this doesn't apply to

> >> you, since you only use Remote Desktop for Administration, so

> >> you have 3 license-free sessions (2 normal + the console).

> >>

> >> Check this as well:

> >> 278845 - How to Connect to and Shadow the Console Session with

> >> Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services

> >> http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=278845

> >>

> >> _________________________________________________________

> >> Vera Noest

> >> MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server

> >> TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net

> >> ___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___

> >>

> >> =?Utf-8?B?cmNpcjg4?= <rcir88@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote

> >> on 28 mar 2008 in microsoft.public.windows.terminal_services:

> >>

> >> > I have Windows 2003 Server, Standard Edition and frequently

> >> > remote desktop into it to perform various tasks. I

> >> > understand that if I wish to install certain programs and do

> >> > some other tasks, I should be connected remotely in console

> >> > mode. If I open the command prompt and enter

> >> > “set�, I see that

> >> > “SESSIONNAME=RDP-Tcp#13�. If I want to change to

> >> > a console session as opposed to a virtual session,

> >> > I’ve seen on the internet that I enter “mstsc

> >> > /console� in the command prompt. How do I switch back

> >> > to the virtual session and what are the advantages and

> >> > disadvantages to connecting in either mode.

>