Remote Desktop Connection is an application in Microsoft Windows which allows any user to get remote assistance from another Windows user. However, there is a lot of trouble while using it, especially with keyboard shortcuts. You can’t use the default keyboard short cut like ALT + TAB to navigate using Remote Desktop. So what do you do? Most of us just use the mouse to navigate. I had the same problem and found a solution for that too. In this post, I will share Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Keyboard Shortcuts you can use.
Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Keyboard Shortcuts
But before looking at them here are some facts about Remote Desktop Connection. It is based on Terminal Services and is a product of Microsoft. It follows the Remote Desktop Protocol i.e a multi-channel protocol that allows a user to connect to a computer running Microsoft Terminal Services. Clients exist for most versions of Windows (including handheld versions), and other operating systems such as Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, and Mac OS X.
- CTRL + ALT + END: Opens the Microsoft Windows Security dialog box.
- ALT + PAGEUP: Switch between programs left to right.
- ALT + PAGEDOWN: Switch between programs right to left.
- ALT + INSERT: Cycle through programs in most recently used order.
- ALT + HOME: Display Start Menu.
- CTRL + ALT + BREAK: Switch the client computer between a window and full screen.
- ALT + DELETE: Displays the windows menu.
- CTRL + ALT + Minus Sign (-): Place a screenshot of the active window in the client the terminal server, same as PRINT SCREEN on a local computer.
- CTRL + ALT + Plus Sign (+): Place a snapshot of the entire window in the client the terminal server, same as PRINT SCREEN on a local computer.
Keyboard Shortcuts for Remote Connection
| Shortcut key | Description |
|---|---|
| CTRL+ALT+HOME | Activates the connection bar. |
CTRL+ALT+BREAK or one of these shortcuts:
|
Switches the client between full-screen mode and window mode. If these shortcuts don’t work, or the keys aren’t available, you can try the following alternative:
|
| CTRL+ALT+END | Brings up the Windows Security dialog box for the Remote Desktop Session Host (RD Session Host) (provides the same functionality as pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL on the local computer). |
We hope the guide was enough for you to easily understand, and use the Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Keyboard Shortcuts.
“Remote Desktop Connection is an application in Microsoft Windows which allows any user to get a remote assistance from another windows user”
I think you are getting RDP and Remote Assistance confused. Though they are very similar, Remote Desktop does not let you get help from other users.
The keyboard shortcuts above are useful for RDP.
Thank you!
This will save hours of useless time and frustration.
Reference: “Configuring Remote Desktop”, Table 8-3, http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457106.aspx . I’ve found that when the RDP and Remote Assistance clients are in “full-screen” mode, most of the usual Windows keyboard shortcuts are sent to the remote host. Hit “ctrl+esc” within the client to toggle full-screen mode.