RDP client for Mac to Windows Server 2003, drive sharing?

Question

I am a little confused on the sharing capabilities of the Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) client for Mac. I know you are able to share local resources including drives or folders, but I am not sure if the sharing happens inside your remote desktop world, or in your local computer.

Let me rephrase this last sentence to obtain better answers.

Use Case 1:

1. I open RDC from my Mac to connect to Server 2003
2. I log in and get the remote desktop
3. I open my computer icon inside the server and I am able to see my local drives in my Mac.

Use Case 2:

1. I do steps 1 and 2 from Use Case 1
2. I see an additional drive inside my Mac desktop giving me access to my server drive.

Which ability do I get with RDP client for Mac? Is it Use Case 1 or 2 or both?

Answer 1

Use case 1. It's not quite how you describe it though, at least in Windows 7. I have not yet connected to Server 2003.

When you connect with the RDP Client FROM a Mac to a Windows 7 machine/server, and then open my computer, you will automatically see a network share listed... not a local drive. By this answer I'm assuming:

1. When you say "I am able to see my local drives in my mac" you really are trying to say that the drive you are sharing through the RDP options FROM YOUR MAC is shown on the Windows machine

However, if you go to the network section of my computer on Windows, you will see a server named \\TSClient with a share named after whatever it is that you are sharing from your Mac. This is how I assume you would have to access it in Server 2003, considering that OS is quite a bit less "automagical" than Windows 7.

So in Server 03 you probably have to connect to \\TSClient\sharename, and optionally map it as a local drive.

Just as an aside, use case 2 would be irrelevant since the drive you are sharing from your Mac is already accessible by your Mac :)

Answer 2

It's easier to talk about this by naming your Mac the 'client' and your Windows target the 'server'. In this case, you should see the client's drives on the server you're remotely accessing, not vice versa (Case 1).