While in a remote desktop session in Windows 7, alt-tab to go back to the host machine

Question

I use alt+tab all day long to switch between windows. When I'm working remotely, I'll use Remote Desktop to log in to my Windows 7 PC at work.

From the host machine, it's simple to alt+tab to switch to get to the remote machine.

However, on the remote machine, alt+tab doesn't allow me to switch back to the host machine, forcing me to use the mouse (gasp!). To be clear, I still want to see the guest machine's applications when I use alt+tab on the guest machine. I just want to be able to see the host machine as one of the options in alt+tab while I'm remoted in.

Is there a way to be able to alt+tab back to the host machine from the remote machine, perhaps via a 3rd-party add-on?

Answer 1

Use ctrl+alt+break to restore the Remote Desktop window, so it is no longer full screen.

Then use alt+tab to switch between applications on the local machine.

When you want to go back to the remote machine, alt+tab to it, and press ctrl+alt+break to restore it to full screen again.

Answer 2

On my system (using windows server 2012 R2), I use ctrl+alt+home to get to the remote desktop bar and then alt+tab to move around the windows on local machine.

Answer 3

Alt-Insert works in windowed mode, and is almost the same as Alt-Tab.

Alt-PgDown and Alt-PgUp are also useful.

Answer 4

Well the Solution is here - Under Remote connectivity terminal (mstsc),Navigate to third tab

"Local Resources" and Select the first dropdown - Keyboard - "On this computer" This is amazing one and make your work much easier and further can switch between host computer and remote comp (in full screen mode)

But could not navigate into remote machine so in case revert the previous settings of dropdown to old menu and use the shortcut to switch between full screen mode and normal mode of remote PC - Control + Alt + Break.

Answer 5

For me following scenario worked properly "Local Resources" and Select the first dropdown - Keyboard - "On this computer" Afterwords you should use Alt+PageUp instead of Alt+Tab

Answer 6

This can be done with one keypress by using autohotkey.

Capslock::                              ; replace by ^Capslock to use Control+Capslock
    WinGet, id, List,,, Program Manager
    Loop, %id%
    {
        this_id := id%A_Index%
        WinActivate, ahk_id %this_id%
        WinGetTitle, this_title, ahk_id %this_id%
        if(this_title!="")
            break
    }
    WinActivate, ahk_id %this_id%
    Send, {Alt Down}{Tab}{Alt Up}
Return

The script above will alt-tab to the host computer whenever you press caps lock. FYI, the reason caps lock is used is because RDP really messes with autohotkey scripts and capslock is one of the few keystrokes that get sent to the home computer rather than the guest computer.

To get this to work, download autohotkey, save this script as a .ahk file and execute it on the home computer.

If you want to retain control over your capslock key, replace "Capslock" by "^Capslock" in the second line.

Answer 7

Still a nuisance six years later... I wanted to be able to alt tab inside and outside the server. The best of both worlds.

(Windows 10 Home, and Windows 2012 Server)

Nothing should go wrong, but since this grabs Left Mouse Button and Enter, probably save all your work first.

I gave my local computer full access to Windows Key Commands even while RDC is maximized

And then wrote an AutoHotKey script (I am not well-versed in it) that captured WIN+TAB (#Tab), while RDC is open and then uses that and the ALT+Page Down built into Terminal Services to activate the server's ALT+Tab. Once it's open, you can navigate with arrow keys and enter/click to select.

If you can improve upon this, please do, and share.

#persistent
#Tab::WinTabbing()
return

WinTabbing() {
    WinGetTitle, Title, A                             ; Get Title
    StringRight, TitleEnd, Title, 25                  ; RDC is 25 letters long
    If (TitleEnd = "Remote Desktop Connection")       ; Check that an RDC is active. This will probably have
                                                      ; issues with the inital "connect to dialog of RDC
    {
        Send, {Alt down}{PgDn}                        ; Press and hold alt, and press pgdn
        Hotkey, Enter, Entering, On                   ; Map Enter, Click, and their alt-counterparts to Entering()
        Hotkey, !Enter, Entering, On
        Hotkey, LButton, Entering, On
        Hotkey, !LButton, Entering, On
        return
    }
}
; There is no return statement at the end of this function, because we want
; Control Tab to work when focused in any other window.

; I tried to map Tab/Alt Tab (because alt is still pressed) to Right arrow
; and Control Tab/Control Alt Tab to left arrow. I was unable to get it to work.
; I left the functions in comments if anyone want to try    
; Righting()
;   Send, Right
;   return
; }

; Lefting() {
;   Send, Right
;   return
; }

Entering() {
    Send, {Alt}{Enter}                                ; Releases Alt, and makes the selection
    Hotkey, Enter, Entering, Off                      ; See WinTabbing()
    Hotkey, !Enter, Entering, Off
    Hotkey, LButton, Entering, Off
    Hotkey, !LButton, Entering, Off
    return
}

Answer 8

Try connecting through mstsc (Start->Run->mstsc). I was initially connecting through RDP Client and tried the solution provided above by Josh but it did not work. When I connect using mstsc and applied the solution, it works.

Answer 9

Ctrl + Alt + Break = Break out of remote desktop full screen

If your keyboard doesn't have the Break key, you can use:

Ctrl + Alt + Pause

Once you break out of the Remote Desktop full-screen, you can use

Alt + Tab = navigate to other applications

Windows + Up = full-screen focused application

This is a big productivity boost because you never take your hand off the keyboard to you mouse. If you get really good, you'll never have to use the mouse again :)

Answer 10

I eventually chose to use the "on this computer" option Josh mentioned and use the Alt+PgUp resp. Alt+PgDown combinations in the remote. You can set this as default by editing the (hidden) Default.rdp:

mstsc /edit %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Default.rdp

I had to set it readonly to prevent it being obscurely changed when connecting to computers I had used before.

Answer 11

I am using Windows 10. None of these worked for me.. Well, I got an answer by trying out everything specified here.. To go to RDP from host machine ALT + TAB works and from RDP to host machine WINDOWS KEY + PGDN (page down) works...

Answer 12

Win Key + Alt + Tab will work.