Remote Desktop Connection (RDP) to the console session

Thank you, it worked! I’ve been looking for this for ages now

That doesn’t work, try adding /admin to the end instead.

Thanks Andy the -console switch didn’t work but /Admin did.

It use to be /console but I believe they changed it in Windows XP SP3 to be /Admin.

Thanks! I was unaware of the /console session! Makes it much easier to manage rdp’s.
thanks.

Hi,
You can connect to console session of any Remote server by:

1. Go to Stat Menu > Run
2. mstsc /v: ServerName /Console

Happy working….

Regards,
Abhishek

If you are running Vista and would like to get both the desktop background to appear and work in “admin” mode, it looks like you have to A) Create a .rdp file using the Remote Desktop Connection Manager (Save As…), making sure to check the Desktop Background box in the Experience tab, and B) Edit this .Rdp file using Notepad to include the following line:

administrative session:i:1

Hi All,

mstsc is Windows Remote Desktop connection executable file,
-v indicates a server to connect to,
/F indicates full screen mode (optional),
-console is the instruction to connect to the console session.

For example: mstsc -v:192.168.1.2 /F -console

This works for me fine.

Cheers

Octacular Musteline

Hi

using an administrator account, I’m able to log on to the console session of windows 2003 server. But if I use a non administrator account, it errors out saying only administrator can log on to the console session.

Please guide me that what setting I have to change so that a non administrator can log on to the console session.

Thanks,
meg

I have Win 7 RDP to Win 7. I have tried “/Admin”, “/console”, “-admin”, and “console”
What I am tryng to to is basically Automatic “remote Assistance” wherein the user logged on to that machine ca also interact with the same session. But I cannot see to get this to connect without forcing the local user off. Anyway to do this with RDP?

I am unable to log on to the console session of my Windows 2000 Advance server. Does this trick only work for Windows 2003? Anybody knows how to make it work for Windows 2000 server.

I have Win 7 RDP to Win 7. I have tried “/Admin”, “/console”, “-admin”, and “console”
What I am tryng to to is basically Automatic “remote Assistance” wherein the user logged on to that machine ca also interact with the same session. But I cannot see to get this to connect without forcing the local user off. Anyway to do this with RDP?

I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM!

Hey Kashif! You cannot use the administrator without logging off the user. The only way is to log on as this user (with his username & password) and try to help him as long as he has administrative rights. The command is “mstsc /admin “(Note the space after mstsc).Another way and very fast is to use a utility called “teamviewer” were you can connect to the remote computer on the same session. The user will be able to see your work progress, even interact. I used this utility many times and is really good! Only thing is that you both must download this utility, cause is working under secure channel and has password authentication. No need to install, just run it…
Hope that was helpful for you… Happy new beer!!

Sorry.. msg was for Dan’s problem..

/Console works on Server 2008

I am not getting the /Admin switch to work on my 2008 servers and /Console is not recognized. If I have both sessions in use and attempt to connection without the admin switch I get all connections in use as normal, if I attempt to connect with the admin switch, it asks me which user to disconnect, but that is still only the 2 core sessions. How do I get to the console sessions in 2008 servers now?

Hi
Does anyone know a way to connect via mstsc to a VM without logging out other people?
Thanks.

MB

I have set my wind 2003 server to Auto logon (via control userpasswoord2 command username xyz). it autmatically logs on, and console session started for that user xyz.Now if I rdp to the server it creates another session for xyz user, althought i have restricted one session per user in the terminal svc configuration. Can i restrict these 2 users logging on?
On Win 2008 server i have noticed the user that atumatically logons, doesnt logon from console session but RDP session, thats fine.

You can infact share the console session. Google up ‘shadow 0′ and see how to set this up. Log in to a normal RDP session, and start “sharing” the console by running shadow 0 after it’s been set up according to googling.

I have a user that used the /console switch to logon to a W2K3 server and now shows Disconnected but no one can logon to the servers physical console now, the message received is “The requested operation can not be completed because the Terminal connection is currently busy processing a connect operation” now I can RDP to the server but not using the console switch, the only user RDP’d in is the user who used the console switch, can I free this up with out rebooting the server?

I have an application which is 100% dependent on being managed from the console session. When I RDP from Win7 to Server 2003 sp2 using the /admin switch it starts another session.

I used the /admin switch from XP sp3 no problem, but when I upgraded to Win7 it doesn’t work any more.

How can I force a connection to the console?

For all those of you who want remote assistance on remote desktop: to log into the active local user session, All you need to do is Log into any user account, open task manager ctrl+alt+end and then click over to the users tab. You should see the logged in one you want, then you can right click it and press remote control… the user has to accept on the other end, not sure how to avoid the prompt though any ideas?