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How to Remote Desktop to the Actual Server Console on Windows 2003

Using the Remote Desktop client usually lands you in a seperate session on the windows server. There are times, however, when you might want to be able to connect to the console directly instead of being in a seperate session. This is how.

Start the remote desktop client from the command line or the Start/Run dialog with this command:

mstsc /console

You can now select the server you wish to connect to, and you will connect to the server console session instead of a seperate session.

If you want to see the usage dialog, type mstsc /?

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This article was originally written on 09/27/06 Tagged with: Networking, Windows

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Comments (10)

  1. apd

    i use the fullscreen option

  2. Derek

    If you remote into a console, do not log off if there are programs or services running that need to interact with the desktop. You should disconnect instead. A good example is Icverify, the credit authorization gateway. If you log off the remote console session the app will terminate.

  3. Carlos

    In the OS X version of RDC you hold down the “Command” key while connecting.

  4. Rock

    Very Useful Thx

  5. ZeroCool

    When I do this it still shows up as a TCP-RDP session, why does it now show under the console as being logged in?

  6. Ben

    Since VISTA SP1 /console does no longer work, use /admin instead

  7. Alex

    If you have installed SP-3, you’ll need to use /admin.

  8. Aaron

    The note about SP3 saved me from unnecessarily purchasing several licenses of a third party program.

  9. Edwin

    @Alex: Very helpful information!!

    Thanks!

  10. Soulman

    Trying to remote into another PC and I get a message saying that I am already connected to the console of this computer and that a new console session cannot be established. How do I reset this?


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