Re: Terminal Services Remote Control

From: Patrick Rouse [MVP] (anonymous_at_discussions.microsoft.com)
Date: 05/07/04

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    James, I'm not upset with you in any way. I just wanted you to be aware that members of the MSFT Terminal Services support & design teams do frequent these newsgroups, so choosing tactful language is more appropriate.

    I can certainly understand the frustration you're having and can offer you some assistance.

    1. When I state "log onto a session" I'm referring to using the Terminal Server Client or Remote Desktop client to logon to the terminal server.

    2. Logging onto a "console session" is done by adding the /console switch to the remote desktop client, i.e. Start -> Run -> mstsc /console (only works when connecting to 2003 TS)

    3. You must NOT be logged onto the console to use the remote control features, but rather a standard RDP Session using the Remote Desktop Client.

    If you wish to read something that is more "user Friendly" than the help files then I can recommend an author who's writing style is to my liking, i.e. from experience and not directly from the help files. Check out some of Brian Madden's books, they're easy to read and give very in-depth, detailed instructions on how to do things.

    His books and others I'd recommend are listed here:
    http://www.workthin.com/tsbooks.htm

    This will also be helpful:
    http://www.workthin.com/tshta.htm#ManageTerminalServicesConnections

    I hope these help to releive some stress. Have a great weekend.

    Patrick Rouse
    Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
    http://www.workthin.com
         
         ----- James MacKenzie wrote: -----
         
         I agree
         
         My apologies. However, a comment that many people do concur with is that
         much of the help in Microsoft Help is actually quite poorly written. Most of
         it is only useful to people when they totally understand something but have
         forgotten exactly how to do it. I have had at least 20 people ask me
         questions about terminal services such as the question below. If the
         programs were written in a more obvious way (not always the case) and the
         help was more descriptive - or actually mentioned things that people want to
         know, then a huge number of people would spend a lot less time cursing and
         spending all night pulling their hair out.
         
         I have had many a frustrating night spent trying to figure something out
         which, had there just been a slightly better description in help, wouldn't
         have been necessary. Usually, the help files just take you round in circles
         never actually giving what you want. Most give detailed explanations about
         how to actually open a control panel up by clicking on the start button etc
         when actually most users know that. It then stops exactly at the bit that
         you need to know!
         
         Perhaps you could now help me to understand how actually to log onto a
         session. What do you mean by "logged on to the consol"? Do you mean logged
         on locally to the server or do you mean logged on through terminal services
         as I'm not sure I understand you.
         
         If you mean logged on locally, then no, I was not logged on to the consol. I
         have read all the articles in the document that you gave the link to and
         still I have failed to see how to log on to a session. It should be as
         simple as right clicking on a session and choosing remote control. However,
         my remote control option is still grayed out and I am now spending yet
         another night trying to figure the damn thing out.
         
         The article tells me how to configure, disable and actually use remote
         control but NOWHERE does it say what the hell is wrong if your REMOTE
         CONTROL is GRAYED OUT.
         
         An example of extremely bad help is Group Policy. I spent ages trying to
         work out why Group Policy would not always work. Changes would be made and
         the changes would not be reflected on the clients. I tried everything. I put
         help messages out and asked on the newsgroups. No-one could offer an
         explanation. The cause of the problem was the DNS Server address on the
         network card on the client. It wasn't pointing to the DNS server on the
         Domain but to the ISP's DNS servers. Now everything else virtually works
         with this setting and around 1 in 2 win2000 servers I come across are
         configured this way. Now, the one most fundamental thing about GP is exactly
         that the DNS servers on the NIC are correctly configured because GP uses DNS
         to update the clients. It does not use NetBIOS or anything else. Nowhere
         have I ever seen any indication anywhere about this. I have since helped
         countless people who have the same problem. To me this is as fundamental as
         putting gas in a car to make it run. Surely, it should say something in the
         help files about this! I have over 100 examples so I think I am possible
         justified in being pissed off sometimes with he quality of help files!!
         
         If you are not now too pissed off with me, I would appreciate some help on
         these damn TS. You can guarantee that countless people will end up
         benefiting from it, not just one rather frustrated individual.
         
         Regards
         
         James
         
         
         
         
         "Patrick Rouse [MVP]" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
         news:0F63507F-B9C8-4A20-A594-463EFF7F280B@microsoft.com...
    > You MUST be logged onto a terminal services session to remote control
         another session. This can't be done while logged onto the console.
    >> Some of the "monkeys" you refer to may actually read these threads so keep
         that in mind. Asking politely for help goes farther than calling people
         names.
    >> Terminal Server how tos & FAQ:
    > http://www.workthin.com/tshta.htm
    >> Patrick Rouse
    > Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
    > http://www.workthin.com
    >> ----- James MacKenzie wrote: -----
    >> I have two Win2K Servers set up - one is a DC. I have Terminal
         Services set
    > up for remote administration (for licencing). I can use the client
         from
    > another workstation and have no problems accessing both servers via
         Terminal
    > Services. However, what I cannot figure out is how to use the remote
    > control. It should be obvious and I have tried everything. I enter
         the
    > Terminal Services manager and can see the sessions. However, when I
         right
    > click, the remote control option is grayed out. I cannot figure out
         how to
    > get it to activate.
    >> The useless MS help just says to right click it. The monkeys who
         wrote the
    > help never figured out that sometimes it may not be available!
    >> I have admin rights to the servers, domain admin on the network and
         still
    > nothing. I cannot see how it has anything to do with permissions.
         Remote
    > control is set on server terminal services configuration and the
         connection
    > is set to allow remote control. In fact all the default settings are
         there.
    > I have admin rights to both machines and can access the server via
         TS. I
    > have tried with multiple users accessing the same server using TS and
         still,
    > not enabled remote control option to right click
    >> Any suggestions would prevent me from pulling all my hair out!!
    >> James
    >>>

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