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Advanced RDP settings

Overview

There are a variety of options for RDP that are not available in the RDP user interface (for instance, to allow the use of multiple monitors).

Editing RDP files with Notepad

.rdp files can be edited with the Notepad.  To do so, right click the RDP file, select Open With, select "Other Programs", then Notepad.  The down side of this is that you will need to use the same method to select the RDP program again before you can run the connection by double-clicking the file.

 

Multimon Mode

Multimon is available in Windows 7 and Windows XP with a recent version of the RDP client when connecting to a Windows 7 host (the PC that is being connected to, whose desktop the user is trying to view).  In this mode, the host computer is aware of the monitors on the client PC (the PC running the Remote Desktop Connection program or mstsc), so it is able to use snap borders to have programs take up exactly half or all of one screen.  There are 3 ways to configure it:

Method How to invoke/edit Advantages Disadvantages
Running mstc /multimon Go to Run, type in mstsc /multimon, set up connection from there Quick & easy (opens GUI), best for simple one-time setups Can't save the span monitors setting; can't use with an existing RDP profile
Adding value via notepad Edit via notepad (see above), and add a line with the entry "span monitors:i:1" Can be saved and the file reused for future connections, can quickly edit multiple .rdp files Takes longer to set up
Selecting option via RDP GUI Right click the RDP file and select "edit", go to the "Display" tab, select "Use all my monitors..." checkbox Can be saved and the file reused for future connections  

 

Span Mode

Span mode is available in Windows XP and 7.  In it, the client PC has all of its monitors treated as one giant display by the host PC.  This mode is generally inferior to the MultiMon mode, which is available if the host is a Windows 7 PC.  There are 2 ways to start/configure it, with advantages and disadvantages.

Method How to invoke/edit Advantages Disadvantage
Running mstsc \span Go to Run, type in mstsc /span, set up connection from there Quick & easy (opens GUI), best for simple one-time setups

Can't save the span monitors setting; can't use with an existing RDP profile
Adding value via notepad Edit via notepad (see above), and add a line with the entry "span monitors:i:1" Can be saved and the file reused for future connections, can quickly edit multiple .rdp files Takes longer to set up

Troubleshooting span mode: this mode will not work of the displays are not numbered correctly or are different sizes.  To check the monitor sizes and numbering, right click the desktop and select "Screen Resolution" or "Displays".  Make sure monitor 1 is to the left of monitor 2.

 

More options and information can be found at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff393699%28v=ws.10%29.aspx

Last Modified: Mar 19, 2020 1:08 pm America/New_York
Created: May 3, 2012 4:27 pm GMT-4 by admin
JumpURL: https://eng.purdue.edu/jump/8f91a4