Comments on: XP Service Pack 3 — Remote Desktop Change

By: Rick Foster

Rick Foster — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:09:24 +0000

I saved the service pack 2 items you mentioned above, I then tried to put them in place and had problems with windows replace the dll’s back, before it was over I had incompatible versions and then had to get the set from a service pack 3 install and then use protected mode to put them back, not sure what I did wrong but I really could use the /console option for the windows 2000 servers I still manage. I heard of a way of doing it in a kind of kludge fashion of going from server to server, I thought this idea best. When I first lost it, I uninstalled service pack 3 to get it back but the conficker virus at our company required me to go to service pack 3.

By: Girish Paghdal

Girish Paghdal — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:34:22 +0000

Copy mstsc.exe and mstscax.dll from PC running windows xp sp2 to your pc with sp3 in C:\windows\system32 folder. I recommand to make the back copy of the files. I have been using this over 4 months and it works fine.

By: Rick Foster

Rick Foster — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 21:53:11 +0000

I was mistaken, only the 2000 server is not working using /admin, the 2003 does allow you to use the /admin option to get to the console session.

By: Rick Foster

Rick Foster — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:52:44 +0000

2003 Enterprise Svc Pack 2 and also 2000 Svc Pack 4. I was able to get method I found out there to work by logging on as a local user on the server (non 0 session) then executing mstsc.exe -v:localhost /f /console and that does get you to session 0 but it is quite hokie. I did more research on the matter. It seems MS is trying to tighten security but why would it be enforced at my workstation and not at the server. My RDP does not allow the /console option. I thought to try and reinstall the remote desktop that had this feature. I remember when I started using RDP I did not have the /console feature and a LAN tech here had me run this install process and the /console started working, I cannot seem to find what I installed though.

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 03:35:44 +0000

Hi Rick — in your example, what OS is the server running?

By: Rick Foster

Rick Foster — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 02:02:09 +0000

Sorry, but it is using XP professional and the upgrade to service pack 3 that lost the feature. thanks, Rick

By: Rick Foster

Rick Foster — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 02:00:22 +0000

/admin does not open a console window. If you log on to the server manually (console) and lock it. Then use /admin option you have an “admin” session whatever that is but you do not have the locked console session. I have resorted to using the slower remote admin program, this was a nice feature that went away with service pack 3, is there a truly working solution or am I missing something. Thanks, Rick