One of my pet peeves with Remote Desktop has been that it did not support multiple monitors. Well in a sense, it does now. Vista includes a new version of the RDP client, version 6.0, which removes at least most of the limitations upon display size. The trick can be found here. To sum it up a bit more concisely, plus a few added tips of my own. This will get you the new client. You will still need to manually edit your RDP file to set the resolution you want. Normally you’ll find a default.rdp file in your My Documents folder, which is easily editable with Notepad. It still does not support actual separate desktops (meaning that all Windows will maximize to both monitors, rather than just one), so you need to grab a third party tool for that, which as of yet I have not found. Anyone have a suggestion? I am pretty sure I read about one a couple months back, but not having solved the first problem, didn’t really take enough note, and now I can’t find it. While I was tinkering with the RDP files, I ran into this little setting “remoteapplicationmode”, which lead me to a post about new features to remote individual applications without a desktop, which I guess will be part of Longhorn Server. One last tip, I end with is to remind you that if you can redirect the handling of the open and edit commands to the new application. Unfortunately you have to do it through the registry because if you select the mstsc.exe in your new folder, Windows continues to run the one in its System32 for some odd reason. Update: Microsoft has released this update for XP as a “Optional” update in Windows Update.
10
Jul
06
Dual Monitor Remote Desktop Goodness
Create a folder for you RDP 6.0 files (don’t place them in System32)
Copy the files mstsc.exe and mstscax.dll from a Vista installs System32 folder to the new folder.
Create a subfolder, en-US.
Copy the files mstsc.exe.mui and mstscax.dll.mui from the Vista installs System32\en-US folder to the subfolder.
Create a shortcut to mstsc.exe and include the command line option “/span”.
Any chance of getting the files needed posted here for download? I don’t have Windows Vista and can’t copy the files like you say.
Alas poor Cedric, I’m not sure I’m allowed to do that. On another note, Microsoft one-upped me today and released an installer for RDP 6.0. Unfortunately you have to be in the Longhorn Server beta to download it.
The file name is WindowsXP-KB918968-v2-x86-ENU.exe if you want to search for it.
You’ll still need the /span and manual file editing info though, so I guess I’m not totally useless.
Found a link to these files at http://zerospace.homeip.net/vistatsc/vista-mstsc-x86.zip if anyone is still looking.
Heh… hey Ryan, glad my files(thats my site) could be useful for you(or others, more to the point)
yeah, i’m not sure what legal issues there are with me hosting those files, but i’m sure that as soon as microsoft ask me to remove them(i’m also part of the beta) i will do so.
it sure would be nice if Microsoft released a patcher for the current operating systems, ie, xp/2k3.
Actually, there is a patcher. I mentioned it above, called WindowsXP-KB918968-v2-x86-ENU.exe.
Of course it’s not public, but if you can get into the Longhorn server beta from http://connect.microsoft.com/, you can get the patcher.
Ultramon is one utility that will allow you to set the default size/positions of program windows especially for use in multi-monitor systems. Hope that helps!
I have ultramon installed on both the client and the host pc, but it doesnt help in RDP unfortunately.
maybe a feature request for microsoft?
Thank guys! You just made my day.
Keep up the good work!
You are all the greatest, thanks so much
Try maybe ZoneSize just set it up with 2 boxes one with 100% width, the other with 100% to 100% width, both full height and play with it. I love this program locally for my multi head systems.
I installed from Microsoft’s site. It wasn’t necessary to edit the RDP file, adding /span into shortcut did the trick.
Also regarding maximizing windows, there’s an intermediate solution. If you hold ctrl and select two items in task bar, right click, and select tile vertically, it does the trick.
I’m very much enjoying my spacious new desktop. Thank you!
We are using SplitView to make the remote desktop show up as two separate desktops, when using RDP with dual monitors in span mode.
SplitView automaticallyrepositions dialog boxes and windows so they do not appear smack in the middle of the two monitors. It also lets you maximize to the left or right monitor, while preserving the ability to restore to the previous size.
I am using RDP 6 on XP, have four 20″ LCDs, with settings at 1024 x 768, and get display back on all four monitors at 1024 x 768 each. There is a 4k limitation on video, apparently, so if I set my resolution to 1600 x 1200 and then start my RDP session, it sends back 4000 x 1200, which gives me 2.5 screens worth. Are they any engineers out there who know where this 4k limitation comes from and how to overcome it? Thanks.
works well with “CineMastery” from CineMassive Displays Works exactly as you would hope. Vista has some issues, but only withAero.
You can get RDP 6 directly from Microsoft (public) at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/925876
Quick question – I have dual monitors at the office. Is it possible to have both screens appear on my laptop in a sort of “split screen” mode? I realize they would both be small, but is it a possibility? If so, is the RD6 upgrade the answer to doing this? I run XP Pro at office and on laptop.
Yes, you can do it with Virtial Display Manager (with or without RDP 6): http://www.ishadow.com/?tabid=115
Jack
I have three monitors at work & have found it to be very frustrating to remotely login when I only have one local monitor (for example, when I’m on travel with a laptop). Something I wish someone would create is a utility akin to a virtual desktop manager, which allows the user to toggle between the real displays they want to view when connected remotely by selecting the screen number using buttons embedded in the taskbar or a floating toolbar. It seems like creating a utility as such shouldn’t be too hard–it seems like one could use ghost displays for this purpose. For a truly great app, there would be some work involved with supporting local multi-monitor setups, and of course some work involved with real remote displays that are larger than the current local display(s), but many virtual display managers have solved this before by allowing the user to scroll the display when they get to the edge of the screen…
In the meantime, here are a few stopgaps that might be useful in getting access to your apps that pop-up on other monitors:
1. With UltraMon 3, you can set a hotkey which will temporarily enable/disable secondary monitors.
2. Desklite lists all windows & lets you choose ones to center on the primary display. Search for Desklite here: http://www.desktopian.org/appsi_comp.html
3. MultiMonMan – gives you a view of all monitors in your primary monitor. Can use to drag windows back on screen (slow, though):
http://www.donationcoder.com/Software/Skrommel/index.html#MultiMonMan
And last but not least, here’s another freebie that does something similar to iShadow’s VDM, which I expect you could use with “mstsc /span”: GridMove
http://jgpaiva.donationcoders.com/gridmove.html
It seems I encountered a bug in it’s operation at one point, but I think I could recover just by restarting the app… I bet that most users will be satsified with this.
perfect
Thanks for you work you have been helpfull with your message