Mstsc – Remote Desktop Connection (RDP)
MSTSC – MicroSoft Terminal Service Console or Remote Desktop Connection (RDP). The command is mstsc and the configuration file extension is .rdp (the default file name is default.rdp). To launch the command option – mstsc /?
mstsc.exe {ConnectionFile|/v:server} [/console] [/f] [/w:width /h:height]
mstsc.exe /edit “ConnectionFile”
mstsc.exe /migrate
Parameters
ConnectionFile : Specifies the name of an .rdp file for the connection.
/v:server : Specifies the remote computer to which you want to connect.
/console : Connects to the console session of the specified Windows 2000 Server.
/f : Starts Remote Desktop connection in full-screen mode.
/w:width /h:height : Specifies the dimensions of the Remote Desktop screen.
/edit : Opens the specified .rdp file for editing.
/migrate : Migrates legacy connection files that were created with Client Connection Manager to new .rdp connection files.
You must be an administrator on the server to which you are connecting to create a remote console connection. The .rdp files are stored for each user as hidden files in My Documents.
You can use Notepad to edit the .rdp file. Here’s an example of the parameters in text format.
screen mode id:i:2
desktopwidth:i:1024
desktopheight:i:768
session bpp:i:32
winposstr:s:0,1,0,0,726,520
compression:i:1
keyboardhook:i:2
displayconnectionbar:i:1
disable wallpaper:i:0
disable full window drag:i:0
allow desktop composition:i:1
allow font smoothing:i:1
disable menu anims:i:0
disable themes:i:0
disable cursor setting:i:0
bitmapcachepersistenable:i:1
full address:s:myRemoteComputer
audiomode:i:1
redirectprinters:i:0
redirectcomports:i:0
redirectsmartcards:i:0
redirectclipboard:i:1
redirectposdevices:i:0
drivestoredirect:s:
autoreconnection enabled:i:1
authentication level:i:0
prompt for credentials:i:0
negotiate security layer:i:1
remoteapplicationmode:i:0
alternate shell:s:
shell working directory:s:
gatewayhostname:s:myRemoteComputer
gatewayusagemethod:i:4
gatewaycredentialssource:i:0
gatewayprofileusagemethod:i:1
promptcredentialonce:i:1
username:s:root
By default, the Default.rdp file is created in your My Documents folder. The following RDP settings are stored in the Desktop.rdp file:
desktopwidth:i
This setting corresponds to the desktop width that you select on the Display tab in Remote Desktop Connection Options.
desktopheight:i
This setting corresponds to the desktop height that you select on the Display tab in Remote Desktop Connection Options.
session bpp:i
This setting corresponds to the color depth that you select in Colors on the Display tab in Remote Desktop Connection Options.
winposstr:s
This setting corresponds to the window position that you select on the Display tab in Remote Desktop Connection Options.
Note: On desktop computers, this setting determines the Remote Desktop Connection dialog box position on the screen. The six numbers represent a string form of the WINDOWPOS structure.
WINDOWPOS Structure
typedef struct tagWINDOWPOS {
HWND hwnd;
HWND hwndInsertAfter;
int x;
int y;
int cx;
int cy;
UINT flags;
} WINDOWPOS, *LPWINDOWPOS, *PWINDOWPOS;
x = position of the left edge of the window.
y = position of the top edge of the window.
cx = window width, in pixels.
cy = window height, in pixels.
auto connect:i
This setting is not used by desktop computers
full address:s
This setting determines the computer that you connect to. The setting corresponds to the entry in the Computer box on the General tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.
compression:i
This setting determines whether data is compressed when it is transmitted to the client computer.
Value Setting
0 Compression is off.
1 Compression is on.
keyboardhook:i
This setting determines where Windows key combinations are applied. This setting corresponds to the selection in the Keyboard box on the Local Resources tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.
Value Setting
0 Applied on the local computer.
1 Applied on the remote computer.
2 Applied in full-screen mode only.
audiomode:i
This setting determines where sounds are played. This setting corresponds to the selection in the Remote computer sound box on the Local Resources tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.
Value Setting
0 Play sound on the client computer.
1 Play sound on the host computer.
2 Do not play sounds.
redirectdrives:i
This setting determines whether disk drives are automatically connected when you log on to the remote computer. This setting corresponds to the selection in the Disk Drives box on the Local Resources tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.
Value Setting
0 Drives are not automatically reconnected.
1 Drives are automatically reconnected.
redirectprinters:i
This setting determines whether printers are automatically connected when you log on to the remote computer. This setting corresponds to the selection in the Printers check box on the Local Resources tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.
Value Setting
0 Printers are not automatically reconnected.
1 Printers are automatically reconnected.
redirectcomports:i
This setting determines whether COM ports are automatically connected when you log on to the remote computer. This setting corresponds to the selection in the Serial Ports box on the Local Resources tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.
Value Setting
0 COM ports are not automatically reconnected.
1 COM ports are automatically reconnected.
redirectsmartcards:i
This setting determines whether smart cards are automatically connected when you log on to the remote computer. This setting corresponds to the selection in the Smart cards box on the Local Resources tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.
Value Setting
0 Smart cards are not automatically reconnected.
1 Smart cards are automatically reconnected.
displayconnectionbar:i
This setting determines whether the connection bar is displayed when you log on to the remote computer in full-screen mode. This setting corresponds to the selection in the Display the connection bar when in full screen mode check box on the Display tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.
Value Setting
0 Connection bar does not appear.
1 Connection bar appears.
username:s
This setting determines the user name that is displayed in RDP. The setting corresponds to the entry in the User name box on the General tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.
domain:s
This setting determines the user name that is displayed in the Remote Desktop Connection dialog box. It corresponds to the entry in the Domain box on the General tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.
alternate shell:s
This setting determines whether a program is started automatically when you connect with RDP.
The setting corresponds to the entry in the Program path and file name box on the Programs tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.
shell working directory:s
This setting is the folder location for the application that is started automatically when you connect with RDP. The setting corresponds to the entry in the Program path and file name box on the Programs tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.
disable wallpaper:i
This setting determines whether the desktop background appears when you log on to the remote computer. This setting corresponds to the selection in the Desktop background check box on the Experience tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.
Value Setting
0 Wallpaper appears.
1 Wallpaper does not appear.
disable full window drag:i
This setting determines whether folder contents appear when you drag the folder to a new location. This setting corresponds to the selection in the Show contents of window while dragging check box on the Experience tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.
Value Setting
0 Folder contents appear while dragging.
1 Folder contents do not appear while dragging.
disable menu anims:i
This setting determines how menus and windows appear when you log on to the remote computer.
This setting corresponds to the selection in the Menu and window animation check box on the Experience tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.
Value Setting
0 Menu and window animations are permitted.
1 Menu and window animations are not permitted.
disable themes:i
This setting determines whether themes are permitted when you log on to the remote computer.
This setting corresponds to the selection in the Themes check box on the Experience tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.
Value Setting
0 Themes are permitted.
1 Themes are not permitted.
bitmapcachepersistenable:i
This setting determines whether bitmaps are cached on the local computer. This setting corresponds to the selection in the Bitmap caching check box on the Experience tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.
Value Setting
0 Caching is not enabled.
1 Caching is enabled.
autoreconnection enabled:i
This setting determines whether a client computer automatically tries to reconnect after being disconnected.
Value Setting
0 Client computer does not automatically try to reconnect.
1 Client computer automatically tries to reconnect.