Make two non fullscreen windows for RDP

I like using RDP windowed (it gives me easy access to my local pc). I set it on 1900x1100 and on a 1920x1200 monitor I can still see the local machine's taskbar. Both machines are Win 10 Pro.

However, My local machine has more than one monitor (I have two FullHD+ monitors and I can add a third FullHD) and when I need to do a lot of RDP work it would be handy to use them both in same the remote session using a single connection (like how Outlook uses a single connection and shows multiple windows, I know, different applications, but it maybe clarifies some misconceptions about my intention here).

I know I can:

Work fullscreen and the "Use all my monitors" option. But then I can't see what's happening on my local machine.
Set the windowed mode as one double-wide window (3800x1100), aim the center on the divide between monitors and put one application on the left and one on the right, but then the whole (remote) taskbar is on one monitor and it quickly gets confusing.

So question is: Can I connect to RDP that it gives me 2 windows that get treated by the remote PC as 2 monitors? Or 1 double-wide window that gets treated as 2 monitors?

Vincent Vancalbergh

Posted 2019-08-23T10:01:36.450

Reputation: 187

Answers

Based on other answers but mostly your comment:

I don't want to connect 2 sessions. I want one session with 2 monitors (but not fullscreen). The remote machine is a laptop with only one (builtin) display. The local machine is a desktop with 2 monitors.

RDP with 2 windows is 2 sessions - you cannot split one session into two windows/monitors. (You're not connecting to monitors when you RDP so you shouldn't think of it like that)

If you want more screen real estate that one monitor will allow, you will have to do it using either one of the ways you've already listed (fullscreen+all monitors / rdp window spanning monitors), use a hacky 2 session method(which breaks EULA), install a windows server O/S on the laptop, or find a 3rd party tool that does what you want (if one exists)

Smock

Posted 2019-08-23T10:01:36.450

Reputation: 359

or use 2 sessions... You can't do that. You can only connect to a remote logon session once. – I say Reinstate Monica – 2019-08-23T14:59:46.670

You can connect two different sessions to one machine - even with windows 10 pro. (It's not easy though and may break EULA). Ether that or switch O/S to Windows server. Point taken though. Will update the 2 session method to hacky

– Smock – 2019-08-23T15:07:11.097

What you're referring to does break the EULA, and it's not about making two connections to a single logon session, but rather two connections, each to a separate session (i.e. to two separate user accounts) which is quite contrary to what the OP wants. – I say Reinstate Monica – 2019-08-23T15:19:32.240

I've already said he can't do exactly what he wants. This suggestion is merely in a list of alternatives, none of which are exactly what the OP wants, but are ways to have more screen real estate from the remote machine. Otherwise the answer is just simply *NO*. You suggested adding more monitors to the local machine - which is contrary to what the OP wants too (two connections to a single logon session) - but it is a valid alternative. (which is why I upvoted your answer) – Smock – 2019-08-23T15:37:11.490

Thank you for your reply. But to be clear. This is already possible fullscreen. So it's mostly "a shame" it's not possible windowed. Whether that's 1 big window containing the exact image as fullscreen or 2 separate ones. – Vincent Vancalbergh – 2019-08-23T15:57:28.787

You will have to do it using either one of the ways you've already listed - you listed fullscreen in the OP, but I'll add your two options in brackets to be clear that you've already mentioned this is possible. – Smock – 2019-08-23T16:01:45.280

I am also well aware you don't connect to monitors. That's precisely why I mentioned my laptop only having the single display. – Vincent Vancalbergh – 2019-08-23T16:01:47.630

I want one session with 2 monitors <- sorry but this implied you thought you were connecting monitors. I just wanted to be clear for any other reader that came across this question that didn't know that. – Smock – 2019-08-23T16:04:02.690

I accepted this answer because @TwistyImpersonator didn't seem to grasp the single connection bit. Thanks for helping. Hopefully (for me) this gets added some time in the future or someone makes a client that does this. Either way it's not the end of the world :) – Vincent Vancalbergh – 2019-08-24T07:51:23.280

What you're asking for is not possible.

You can't have two RDP windows connected to the same logon session on the remote machine, nor can you have an RDP session that only accesses "half" of the remote sessions display. Each RDP connection can terminate at one and only one remote logon session. If you attempt to make a second connection to a remote RDP session, it will simply supercede the first session, terminating the first RDP connection.

You may want to consider adding more physical monitors to your local computer so that you can dedicate several of them to your RDP connection.

I say Reinstate Monica

Posted 2019-08-23T10:01:36.450

Reputation: 21 477

1Yeah, I get that, but to have two separate RDP windows to a remote machine, you would have no choice but to start a second RDP instance, and this will simply take over the first session. That's not what you want, but that's what you'd get, hence my saying what you want can't be done. – I say Reinstate Monica – 2019-08-23T15:00:52.323

Ok, I see. But even if 2 sessions were perfectly possible (say the laptop had a terminal server license and all that), I wouldn't want to use that. I want to be able to move windows left and right. Thank you for your answer. – Vincent Vancalbergh – 2019-08-23T16:00:31.440

You're welcome. Please consider marking the answer accepted if it answered your question. – I say Reinstate Monica – 2019-08-23T16:25:16.907

Welcome to 20k sir, welcome!! Keep up the good work!! – Pimp Juice IT – 2019-08-24T03:56:15.700

@TwistyImpersonator Your "not possible" answer is probably correct, but the "two connections" tangent is not what I'm implying in my question. A single instance of a program can show multiple windows just fine using a single network connection (just look at Outlook, one server connection, multiple windows). The part about the number of monitors on my local machine is also irrelevant (I said I have two FullHD+ monitors). Perhaps remove those two sections? – Vincent Vancalbergh – 2019-08-24T07:44:36.860

I updated my question to clarify that I'm not looking to connect more than once to my remote machine. I'm just asking if MS-RDP has an option to create >1 window for a single connection. – Vincent Vancalbergh – 2019-08-24T07:48:57.333

@PimpJuiceIT ha ha thanks! – I say Reinstate Monica – 2019-08-24T10:25:36.933