Is anyone familiar with Microsoft Remote Desktop? I'm referring to the application with the name MSTSC.EXE. I used this years ago at the office to remote into the servers from home but MS has made changes since then.

I have one laptop downstairs that is usually unattended and I have been using TeamViewer to remote in but that requires a TeamViewer account, and all traffic is routed through the TeamViewer servers. I would prefer a direct connection, and one that doesn't leave pop-ups scattered about. I just want to remote in, do my stuff, then get out. Unfortunately, the current version of MS Remote Desktop cannot connect to a console session. It locks the screen (displays the login screen) and starts a new session, then leaves the screen locked when I am done. My wife doesn't like having to unlock it when she wants to watch a video while on the treadmill. Ideally, what I'd like is a way to connect to an existing session and leave the screen visible and unlocked. MSTSC has a bazillion configuration parameters, most of which are unexplained and one (/shadow) which would seem to be what I want (used with the /console switch) except it requires a sessionID and no number seems to work.

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Sorry no. I'm more of a VNC and telnet over ssh type person.

commented: Likewise. +14

I also use MS Remote Desktop, about 10 or so years ago. Worked well. Haven't used it since so I don't know what MS has done with it.

commented: MS Rabbit goes down the rabbit hole. Didn't follow. +14

They've made it more difficult (maybe impossible) to shadow an existing session. My wife usually waits to ask for help after I am comfortably seated with a cup of coffee and a cat in my lap. I will usually remote in at that point and it's nice that she can see what I am doing. I realize that you don't want someone to be able to remote in without approval but there should be a way to pre-authorize this sort of thing using existing accounts, for example, if I give the Administrator account/password credentials in the connection request and configure the target machine to accept that connection.

Have you checked on the MS website for help with this?

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