Working with Remote Desktop Connection

Remote Desktop Connection is a remote-control technology that lets you connect to a remote computer on which you have a user account and work on that computer almost exactly as if you were sitting at it. The remote computer must be running Windows XP Professional, Windows 2000 Server, or Windows Server 2003, and must have the Remote Desktop component configured for remote access. The home computer (the one you re physically at) can be running Windows XP Home Edition or Windows XP Professional.

Remote Desktop Connection uses variations on Windows XP s standard keyboard shortcuts so that the home computer knows which commands you re giving to it and which commands you re giving to the remote computer.

Remote Desktop Connection Shortcuts

Display the Start menu

[Alt] - [Home]

This shortcut is the equivalent of pressing or [Ctrl] - [Esc] on the local computer.

Display the Windows Task Manager window or the Windows Security dialog box

[Ctrl] - [Alt] - [End]

Use the Windows Task Manager window to identify performance issues on the remote computer, shut down applications, or restart Windows. The Windows Security dialog box provides buttons for accessing Windows Task Manager, logging off, locking the computer, and shutting down the computer.

Switch forward between the open applications on the remote computer

[Alt] - [PageUp]

This shortcut is the equivalent of pressing [Alt] - [Tab] on the local computer.

Switch backward between the open applications on the remote computer

[Alt] - [PageDown]

This shortcut is the equivalent of pressing [Alt] - [Shift] - [Tab] on the local computer.

Cycle through the open applications in the order you opened them

[Alt] - [Insert]

This shortcut is the equivalent of pressing [Alt] - [Esc] on the local computer.

Toggle the RDC client between a window and full screen

[Ctrl] - [Alt] - [Break]

Display the control menu

[Alt] - [Delete]

This shortcut is the equivalent of pressing [Alt] - [Spacebar] on the local computer.

Capture the active window to the Clipboard

[Ctrl] - [Alt] - [-]

This shortcut is the equivalent of pressing [Alt] - [PrintScreen] on the local computer.

Capture the Remote Desktop Connection window to the Clipboard

[Ctrl] - [Alt] - [+]

This shortcut is the equivalent of pressing [PrintScreen] on the local computer.