Discussion on:

Launching remote desktop from the command line in Windows XP Pro

like:

/console
/edit
/migrate
/v: :

yesh right. /console is a pretty useful switch to use when the no. of remote connections have exceeded.

mstsc /? will show all the available switches.

download this tool from microsoft website and install in 2000 server, it will work

Do you have the url to the tool please?

This tool is part of the installation of Server 2000, Server 2003, and Windows XP.

Microsoft says that the "/console" switch with MSTSC.EXE will not connect to a console session on a Win2k server, but will to a Server2k3 machine: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/311926

Jayanth - is your experience different, or is your reference to WinXP/Server 2k3 (not trying to start an arguement, just looking for info)

Yes, this works fine on Win2K servers, use it every day.

...guess MS got it wrong again

Unless someone has hacked something, this does not work on Win2k. You can add the /console switch to your hearts content but it will be ignored on Win2k. You will just get a default session and not Video0.

The /Console switch will soon be a thing of the past (starting with RDC 6.1) due to enhanced security. This is applicable to:
Windows Server 2008
Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) Beta and RC
Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) Beta and RC.

Here is one link with additional information:

http://blogs.technet.com/askperf/archive/2008/01/04/mstsc-exe-no-more-console-switch-in-rdc-6-1.aspx

I believe this is the aforementioned tool.Works in 2000 or 2000 server.

/console will take the RDP session into console mode just as if you were standing in front of the server.

How about this?

start MSTSC /console /f /v:%1
::---------------------------
::Usage
::---------------------------
::Remote Desktop Connection
::
::MSTSC [ ] [/v: ] [/console] [/f[ullscreen]]
::[/w: /h: ] | /Edit"ConnectionFile" | /Migrate | /?
::
:: -- specifies the name of an .rdp file for the
::connection.
::
::/v: -- specifies the terminal server to which you want
:: to connect.
::
::/console -- connects to the console session of a server.
::
::/f -- Starts the client in full-screen mode.
::
::/w: -- specifies the width of the Remote Desktop screen.
::
::/h: -- Specifies the height of the Remote Desktop screen.
::
::/edit -- Opens the specified .rdp file for editing.
::
::/migrate -- migrates legacy connection files that were created with
::Client Connection Manager to new .rdp connection files.
::
::/? -- generates this Usage message.
::---------------------------
::OK
::---------------------------

I believe you can run a client on any Windows computer (at least as far back as Win 98).
If the server is XP, then it has to be XP Pro.
This gets worse with Vista since it seems like you need a very expensive version to get Remote Desktop Server. (So I won't be upgrading my MCEdition.)
Too bad. I was impressed with the performance. Oh well, can always use VNC.

This works on XP Home too .... I use it every day to connect from home to my XP Pro desktop at the office.

Since this article went to press, Microsoft has released an update to Remote Desktop. The update is officially called Remote Desktop Connection (Terminal Services Client 6.0) and is designed to provide access to any of the new Terminal Services features introduced in Microsoft Windows Vista and Microsoft Windows Server ?Longhorn? from a computer running Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or Microsoft Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1.

The following are new features found in this Remote Desktop Connection update:

* Network Level Authentication - Network Level Authentication is a new authentication method that finishes user authentication before you establish a full Remote Desktop Connection and the logon screen appears.

* Server authentication - Server authentication verifies that you are connecting to the correct remote computer or server. This security measure helps prevent you from connecting to a different computer or server than you intend. This also prevents you from unintentionally exposing confidential information.

* Resource redirection - The Remote Desktop Connection 6.0 client update helps you redirect Plug and Play devices that support redirection.
Terminal Services Gateway (TS Gateway) servers - A Terminal Services Gateway (TS Gateway) server is a type of gateway that enables authorized users to connect to remote computers on a corporate network. These authorized users can connect from any computer by using an Internet connection. TS Gateway uses the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) together with the HTTPS protocol to help create a more secure, encrypted connection.

* TS Remote Programs - TS Remote Programs is a feature of Windows Server Terminal Services that lets client computers connect to a remote computer and use programs that are installed on it.

* Monitor spanning - Remote Desktop Connection supports high-resolution displays that can be spanned across multiple monitors. However, the total resolution on all monitors must be under 4,096 x 2,048.

* Visual improvements - Remote Desktop Connection now supports 32-bit color and font smoothing.

This update als brings several new switches to the command line.

You can learn more about the Remote Desktop update by visiting the Microsoft Web site and reading "Remote Desktop Connection 6.0 client update is available for download in the Microsoft Download Center" http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925876

fire up command prompt, goto C:\windows\System32

note: windows is the default xp installation folder.

There type mstsc.exe /?

for a list of all the commands you can use with remote desktop,

Cheers.

Also works on Vista by the way.


Aaron

In case if you want to enable rdp from cmd, you can follow this link.
http://www.windows-commandline.com/2010/10/enable-remote-desktop-command-line.html