Remote Desktop Filter

June 23, 2005 10:44 AM

Remote Desktop is great, but I need a little more flexibility...

What I need to do is be able to connect to a machine that is concurrently running applications so I can monitor their status and possibly make changes. Basically, I want to 'log in' to the current machine state rather than a fresh account view.

I realize I can probably do this with PC-Anywhere or a *VNC app, but I want to avoid that. The only thing I've come across in my searching has been instructions on 'disconnecting' rather than 'logging off' a remote-desktop session so you can return to it where you left off.

The machine that runs the applications is on SBS2003, the connecting machines run Win2K. It has 3 applications running at all times that need to be checked and modified once at the end of the day. Running these applications initially in a remote-desktop session and using the 'disconnect' option seems like a possibility - assuming it does indeed work and reconnecting will pull up the same state (as well as leaving the applications active rather than putting the whole session in network-limbo). It just seems like a real pain in the rear as a workaround. Any other ideas?

posted by prostyle to computers & internet (3 comments total)

OK - You probably don't need to disconnect at all. On the SBS2003 machine create three .rdp file which log onto / create the relevant sessions. Initiate these as a scheduled item which runs at bootup, or create a service which initiates them. I haven't tried this, but I see no problem with it. To look in on the sessions, use Terminal Server Manager and the "remote" option.
posted by seanyboy at 10:56 AM on June 23, 2005

If SBS2003 is on the same platform as Win2003 (which I think it is), you should be able to connect directly to the console with the remote desktop connection client. Just run "mstsc /console" to open up a session to the console, and close the connection (without logging out) when you're done. It's just like being at the server.

You will have to install the new Remote Desktop client (instead of the old Terminal Server client) on the client machines, though, if it's not already there.
posted by uncleozzy at 10:59 AM on June 23, 2005

Wow, you guys are great! Thanks for the lightning fast responses, uncleozzys solution worked like a charm!
posted by prostyle at 11:06 AM on June 23, 2005