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Get a third admin RDP session for FREE!!

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Many administrators have missed that there is a "hidden" third connection that can be made to Windows Server 2003 servers.  I often work with system administrators that are swearing in their cubes because the two admin connections are used up and they can't connect.  I ask them why they don't just connect to the console session and boot them?  Console session?  Huh?

It's pretty easy, and I actually modify my RDP shortcuts to always connect to the console session so that I never conflict with anyone.  Here's how it works:

MSTSC /v:<name or IP of the server> /console

This basically uses session 0 or the console session.  So, if someone is standing in fron of the monitor connected to the server, it will say locked as you work away (much like Remote Desktop in Windows XP).

Comments

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    PingBack from http://blog.loftninjas.org/2008/12/19/removing-a-certificate-from-terminal-services/

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    PingBack from http://blog.loftninjas.org/2008/12/19/terminal-services-for-remote-administration-third-connection-refused/

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    PingBack from http://www.keyongtech.com/2464835-unable-to-remote-desktop-to

  • Anonymous
    November 05, 2005
    Be careful when you do this as if there's already a console session logged on by a different user. Your initiation of a console session will logoff the current user. If you logon with the same credentials as the logged-on user, then you assume that console session.

    I only recommend logging onto the console session when absolutely necessary, i.e. if installing a software package that won't install properly from a terminal server session, or because you need to access a program running interactively on the console.

    If you're in a office where you're the only administrator, then logging onto the console won't bother anyone, but in a large office logging onto the console can ruffle some feathers if you kick someone else off who's been running something on the console for a few hours.

    Unlike standard RDP Sessions, to logon to a console session you must be a member of the local Administrators group or the Domain Admins Group.

    Patrick Rouse
    Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
    http://www.sessioncomputing.com

  • Anonymous
    July 22, 2008
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    December 19, 2008
    There's a move to use /admin instead of /console for Vista and Server 2008 (RDP 6.0+) [1]. I have a couple 2003 Server SP2 servers (RDP 5.2) that still listen on port 3389 but refuse any connections if there are two active connections. This is frustrating if you lose a connection and then try to reconnect. I used to use the console to connect and disconnect the session I lost, then reconnect to it. I now get a "This computer can't connect to the remote computer." error from mstsc /admin or mstsc /console. [1] http://blogs.technet.com/askperf/archive/2008/01/04/mstsc-exe-no-more-console-switch-in-rdc-6-1.aspx