Multiple RDP sessions on a single computer?

Question

I've got users using RDP to connect to a Windows 2008 with Windows Server 2008's Terminal Server Application mode. (Users RDP in and get an app that looks like it's running locally.)

It works great. But our guys need to be able to run multiple instances of the app locally. I can manage to seperate the users and handle everything on the Windows 2008 Terminal Server side - but I've got one major issue.

On the Windows clients (that are running RDP to connect) - I can't run more than one session of tsclient (the Remote Desktop sofware.) I've tried duplicating the shortcuts that the users use to launch the session, I've tried renaming the server (using hostname in one shortcut and IP address in another), but no matter what I do, it keeps focusing the already existing RDP session rather than creating a new one. However, if I don't use a shortcut, I can have two RDP sessions going at once (haven't tried connecting to the same server yet.)

How can I tell Remote Desktop to open a new session rather than reusing the old one?

Thanks.

Answer 1

The problem can be solved if you can convince your users to use the product Royal TS, an RDP client program that offers more features than the standard Windows Remote Desktop Client. (version 1.5 is still freeware).

This product actually uses the Windows Remote Desktop ActiveX, but embedded in its own windows. These windows can be organized in tabs, so you can enjoy multi-tab remote desktop. Most important for you, you can define multiple logins, each with its own user name and password (unlike Microsoft's RDC which only remembers the last login). You can even access the same site concurrently through multiple windows with different/same logins for each window. The logins can be organized in a 2-level hierarchical tree.

Answer 2

The mstsc command-line parameter refrence has nothing about specifyng a new session from the client side. This article shows a way to initiate multiple sessions, but you have to use the tsmmc.mmc snap-in.

You might try this question over on serverfalut, as there would be more experience dealing with Windows Server.

Answer 3

Connect to the first session. Then run mtsc and connect again, and this will give you a new session! Then you can close the first session.

Answer 4

Are they logging in as separate users? If they try to initiate 2 sessions under 1 username then they just take over the first session. Try creating different users for them to login under.

Also you can try and get them to initiate the mstsc /console mode which initiates an RDP session as if the person was physically at the machine logging in.