Windows 8 shortcut keys via RDP

Question

It is possible to access any of the new shortcut keys found in Windows 8 via RDP, such as those in the accepted answer in What are the new shortcuts for Windows 8?, without having to redirect all Win key combinations through to the remote session. I am using both local and remote at the same time, and so would prefer alternate shortcuts for the remote session.

Such as the basic ones listed at the Microsoft site here, and for example Alt+Home will return you to the Start screen.

What about the more interesting shortcuts?

Answer 1

There are a 12 shortcuts listed on this Windows 8 Keyboard Shortucts page. (Three more than the other list).

Alt+Page Up
Move between applications from left to right

Alt+Page Down
Move between applications from right to left

Alt+Insert
Cycle through applications in the order that they were started

Alt+Home
Display the Start screen

Ctrl+Alt+Break
Switch between a window and full screen

Ctrl+Alt+End
Display the Windows Security dialogue box

Ctrl+Alt+Home
In full-screen mode, activate the connection bar

Alt+Delete
Display the system menu

Ctrl+Alt+minus (-) on the numeric keypad
Place a copy of the active window, within the client, on the Terminal server clipboard (provides the same functionality as pressing Alt+Print Screen on a local PC)

Ctrl+Alt+plus (+) on the numeric keypad
Place a copy of the entire client window area on the Terminal server clipboard (provides the same functionality as pressing Print Screen on a local PC)

Ctrl+Alt+Right arrow
“Tab” out of the Remote Desktop controls to a control in the host application (for example, a button or a text box). Useful when the Remote Desktop controls are embedded in another (host) application.

Ctrl+Alt+Left arrow
“Tab” out of the Remote Desktop controls to a control in the host application (for example, a button or a text box). Useful when the Remote Desktop controls are embedded in another (host) application.

Answer 2

You need to click on the local resources tab and select 'apply windows key combinations' and 'on remote computer'

If you wanted to use windows key combinations on the rdp server without doing this, the only option I can see is the on screen keyboard. The windows key seems sticky if you singleclick (doubleclicking works as per normal), so clicking on it and another key works to bring up various things.

Note: tested from windows 7 pro to windows 8 enterprise evaluation, and used win c and win z to test. win altenter does not work in this edition

Answer 3

This may not be directly possible since all of those shortcuts would first be caught by your own OS first. The shortcuts you listed are specific to RDP for this same reason.

I have no way of testing, but have you tried replacing Windows in the keybinding list you reference to Alt+Home? This might work?

For e.g - Windows Key + D might work as Alt + Home + D

Answer 4

For whatever reason the Alt+Home shortcut did not work for me, even with keyboard set o "Only when using the full screen" and the RDP session was full screen. This may be because I'm using a mac keyboard (?)

I got over it largely because I could use the menu at the top of the remote desktop window to switch to the start menu and charms etc.

I know this is not directly relevant to the question but I came here looking for a solution to this problem