The Challenge
Have you ever used Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) to control one machine, and then from that first session used RDC to control another machine? It gets a bit dicey if you want to see the first session again. Clicking the minimize button on the little control bar minimizes everything and you’re back to looking at your desktop. Until recently, I always thought I had to log out from the second to see the first. A major pain if you just want to check something quick.
The Refresher
RDC is a convenient way to control Windows machines. There are clients built-in with XP and higher.
With Remote Desktop Connection, you can easily connect to a terminal server or to any computer running Remote Desktop. All you need is network access and permissions to connect to the other computer. Optionally, you can specify special settings for your connection and then save the settings for the next time you connect.
If you’re not on a windows client, you might look into rdesktop.
The Story
Earlier this week I was connected to a server on a client’s network. It was the only server I had direct access to from the outside (via the wonders of Hamachi). However, once I was RDC’d to that machine, I could then access other servers on their network. So, from the first RDC session I’d start another one to control another server. I call this “nesting” RDC sessions.
When running RDC in full screen mode I could never get back to the original/primary RDC session. Hitting minimize on the control bar would minimize everything. This is an issue when I’m using my laptop — the 1280 x 800 resolution just makes me tend to run ‘em full screen. RDC sessions in a window, with no scrolling, end up being at 800×600 to fit which is a bit silly.
My solution to this turns out to be simple. After I connect to the first server, I unpin the top “control” bar. That will cause it to disappear unless the mouse is hovered at the top border of the screen. The picture there to the right shows the pin icon. Just click it to unpin.
Now, after making the connection to the second server, I don’t unpin that one. Thus, the minimize icon will actually do something useful: minimize the second session and show me the first session. Be careful though — if you hover the mouse up there too long, the session 1 control bar will drop down.
That’s a lot of build-up for something so simple, eh? I’m just sad it took me so many years to figure it out.
But Wait, There’s More!
Oh, and here’s an alternative: When in the second session, hit ctrl-alt-Break. That will pop the RDC app into windowed mode, but will leave the control bar still showing. Minimize via the control bar, then use the windows maximize to get back. This works great if you forget to unpin the first session’s control bar.
To illustrate
After ctrl-alt-Break, minimize using the red circled icon below
Now, you just have session one in the window, session 2 is minimized. So maximize 1 back to full screen by clicking the usual maximize button (again, circled red):
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10 comments
Kenneth
January 20, 2009 at 12:11 pm (UTC -7)
Perfect, just what I needed. Thanks!
Suleyman V
March 26, 2009 at 8:57 pm (UTC -7)
Thank you very much. This tip is really appreciated… This is what i need.
Don
July 7, 2009 at 9:37 am (UTC -7)
Thank you!!! I was going nuts trying to quick move my mouse pointer up multiple times until the 2nd RDP session popped up on top of the 1st RDP session.
Steve
July 31, 2009 at 9:44 pm (UTC -7)
Great tips I have also seen nested control bars ie primary then secondary all alog the top not obsuring each other and window of secondary offset – have not been able to find out how to do this yet. Anyone else know?
Darin
May 28, 2010 at 4:46 pm (UTC -7)
Offset only supported from Windows 7/2008 RDP Client
Tacott
October 16, 2009 at 1:00 am (UTC -7)
This is awesome. I’m at home, RD into my work PC, need to check on another PC at work and run into this trap; I can’t get out of the second RD and didn’t think to try logging out. So I get a little infinite loop smile on my face and from the second RD try to RD into the first – no way this will work, and sure enough I’m ejected from the session and can’t RD back into my main work computer any more. Read your article and tried again. At the login page it gave me an error about not being able to connect to the second fast enough, so I simply hit ctrl+alt+break and it gave me a dialog with a way to close the second RD, then I was back to my original RD and it worked fine.
Thank you for sharing ctrl+alt+break, and my customer thanks you too.
Diana
February 9, 2010 at 12:41 pm (UTC -7)
WOW, you found in 2007 – Thanks to you I found today!!! Works perfectly. Thank you
Chris
February 9, 2010 at 8:32 pm (UTC -7)
You’re quite welcome. Glad to be of service!
Greg Tczap
December 15, 2010 at 6:50 am (UTC -7)
This might be for Win7 only – but you can also click-drag the little blue toolbar to slide its position from side to sdie. Then after repositioning them you can have them both positioned to where they don’t even overlap, pinned or unpinned.
Stan Brown
December 17, 2011 at 6:51 am (UTC -7)
I kiss your feet! You are a god! May blessings pour upon you!
Sages will praise your name in the gates!
Songs of joy and victory will be sung in your honour!
Blessed be the one who solved the cursed nested Remote Desktop Connections problem.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
If I had any money, I would send it to you. Alas! I am poverty stricken.
But I will send others to bask in the glow of your wisdom.
You name I will praise across the internet.
You will become like one of the founding fathers of the net.
And, er, thanks.