If you have never used concurrent remote desktop to support your Windows clients, this post is about to make your day! Concurrent remote desktop can allow you, as an admin, to interactively use a client OS while the main user is still actively logged in.
I’ve written about concurrent remote desktop before. The method that I used five years ago is
Where the old version was a cumbersome and very OS version specific, this newer method is simple and scalable. With more than two million downloads, it also has a wide user base to provide some support. Today, we are going to deploy RDPWrapper in about ten minutes.
Chrome Remote Desktop is a free remote access program that’s available on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android devices. It's extremely limited when compared to some of the paid options on this. While we’ve only covered the most popular and actively developed VNC clients, there are other alternatives: TeamViewer is an all-in-one remote desktop software platform that allows multiple users.
Start by downloading these two files:
Place the MSI on a network share and deploy it with Group Policy / SCCM / etc. As a general rule, do not deploy it to any computer where the primary user remotes in as it can lead to some strange session issues. For example, I deploy this MSI to my student and teacher machines, but I do not deploy it to IT computers. If you have used an alternative CRDP method in the past, you will want to ensure that the original termsrv.dll file is restored to the computer.
Once the MSI is installed, you’ll see just two new files in Program FilesRDP Wrapper. RDPWrap.dll sits between terminal services and provides concurrent use abilities. RDPWrap.ini contains the instructions and support for each client OS.
If you scroll to the bottom of RDPwrap.ini, you will see that it does not have information for the latest Windows 10 versions. That information is stored in the
Open the
Set the preference action to replace and use Item Level Targetting to ensure that the newer file replaces the default file. While you are in the common options tab, set the preference to just apply once.
Indesign shortcuts for mac. When future Windows 10 client versions are released, just grab the updated INI file and deploy it. It really is that easy! To test RDPWrapper, reboot the client machine and log on to that computer as a standard user. From your admin machine, launch a remote desktop session to that computer and you should be able to log on as well. If you open
In the game Civilization, there is a quote that says, “Don’t reinvent the wheel. Just realign it.” At times, it might seem silly to go back and find another solution to the same problem. Those realigned solutions, such as using RDPWrapper, are simply so much better!
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Applies to: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 R2
You can control a remote PC by using a Microsoft Remote Desktop client. The client can run on almost any device, including on your mobile smartphone. The client gives you the same powers you would have if you could reach the PC's keyboard. Through the client, you can:
- Operate the apps that are installed on the PC.
- Access the files and network resources of the PC.
- Leave the apps open when you end the client.
Before you start, see the supported configuration article. The article discusses the PC configurations that the Remote Desktop clients can connect to. Also see the client FAQ article.
The following client apps are available:
| Client | Get the app | Documentation | Latest version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows Desktop | Windows Desktop client | Get started, What's new | 1.2.1844 |
| Microsoft Store | Windows 10 client in the Microsoft Store | Get started, What's new | 1.2.1810 |
| Android | Android client in Google Play | Get started, What's new | 10.0.10 |
| iOS | iOS client in the App Store | Get started, What's new | 10.2.5 |
| macOS | macOS client in the App Store | Get started, What's new | 10.6.1 |
Configuring the remote PC
Free Remote Desktop Alternatives
To configure your remote PC before accessing it remotely, see Allow access to your PC.
Remote Desktop Client Alternative Windows 10 Free
Remote Desktop client URI scheme
You can integrate features of Remote Desktop clients across platforms by enabling a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) scheme. Learn about the supported URI attributes that you can use with the iOS, Mac, and Android clients.