After connecting to a remote session via RDP, windows keyboard shortcuts appear to be sent to both the local machine and to the remote machine.
As an example, pressing the Windows key opens up the start menu on both the local and the remote machines. Pressing a combination such as Win+R (on the remote desktop) opens up the Run dialogue box on the local desktop.
Within the Remote Desktop Connection (mstsc) settings, the Windows key combinations are set to, "Only when using the full screen" (keyboardhook:i:2). The RDP session is full screen and Ctrl+Alt+Pause/Break properly changes between full screen and windowed modes.
I have read about people having (possibly) related issues with locking their machines via Win+L while a remote client is currently focused. I have followed their various fixes to no avail.
Any ideas or pointers are greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
2 Answers
The Windows Key is not on the list of supported RDP shortcuts therefore its hit and miss if it will work or if you will experience strange behaviors.
The only listed supported shortcuts are as below:
ALT+PAGE UP Switches between programs from left to right.
ALT+PAGE DOWN Switches between programs for right to left.
ALT+INSERT Cycles through the programs in the order they were started.
ALT+HOME Displays the Start menu.
CTRL+ALT+BREAK Switches the client between full-screen mode and window mode.
CTRL+ALT+END Brings up the Windows Security dialog box.
ALT+DELETE Displays the Windows menu.
CTRL+ALT+MINUS SIGN (-) Places a snapshot of the active window, within the client, on the Remote Desktop Session Host (RD Session Host) server clipboard (provides the same functionality as pressing ALT+PRINT SCREEN on the local computer).
CTRL+ALT+PLUS SIGN (+) Places a snapshot of the entire client windows area on the RD Session Host server clipboard (provides the same functionality as pressing PRINT SCREEN on the local computer).
7It turns out that there appears to have been a software conflict with Synergy (remote keyboard and mouse).
I have used this software in the past to seamlessly switch between different physical machines. I hadn't used or updated it for quite some time, but I must have inadvertently changed some configuration for it somewhere. The change must not have affected anything until my weekly reboot yesterday, which explains why it seemed to have happened so randomly.
When I uninstalled that software, my original problem was resolved. I can now properly sent Windows key combinations to remote machines again.
This is likely an edge case for most people, but maybe this will help somebody else out in the future.
Mystery solved.
