Using remote desktop with Vista

I have just installed Vista RC1 – build 5600 – and want to use the trick I posted a while back that allows me to disconnect from a remote desktop connection to my Tablet, without my tablet locking (i.e. presenting the login screen).  On XP to do this I would run a batch file that contained the command:

tscon.exe 0 /dest:console

Under Vista to achieve the same thing the command needs to be:

tscon.exe RDP-Tcp#0 /dest:console

this command needs to run as administrator, so in my case I right click on the shortcut on my desktop and pick “Run as administrator”

when combined with synergy, this allows me to:

  1. use my tablet display but my desktop keyboard and mouse for casual tasks
  2. click on a saved RDP config file that brings up a full screen RDP session to my Tablet on my left hand screen when I want to do some more serious work, I prefer this because I get a lot more screen area to work with and because under Vista UAC prompts can not be responded to using synergy, but they can be responded to over RDP
  3. right click disconnect.bat when I have finished with my RDP session, which leaves my tablet just where I started and without having to login etc, I can just continue working with it using synergy.

Steve Richards

I'm retired from work as a business and IT strategist. now I'm travelling, hiking, cycling, swimming, reading, gardening, learning, writing this blog and generally enjoying good times with friends and family

5 Responses

  1. Anonymous says:

    THANK YOU!!! I run xp on my Sharp 42″ LCD TV via hdmi. and I also have a laptop that I use on my couch. Sometimes I require to login via remote desktop which once you are done your session synergy will no longer work until you reboot.

    Thanks so much for this fix I know you understand what I mean πŸ™‚

  2. Anonymous says:

    It doesn’t work correctly if you have fast users switching enabled. Disable fast user switching and its all good, one other little thing I ran into with Windows XP

  3. Anonymous says:

    Thanks for this πŸ™‚

  4. friend from germany says:

    oh thanks very much. you saved my life πŸ˜‰

  5. Kris says:

    tscon.exe %sessionname% /dest:console

    … is better, because if you RDP on twice, RDP-Tcp#0 becomes RDP-Tcp#1.

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